The OSF has just put out a press release, one I always look forward to, giving us OSF groupies some hints as to next season’s casting. There are some very cool developments among the tidbits, not the least of which being that our sorrow over the absence next year of Dan Donohue–he’ll be working in Florida–will be assuaged to a degree by the return of some folks much missed this year, namely Derrick Lee Weeden and Mark Murphey.

There are a number of plays up next year with which I’m not at all familiar, so seeing the new stuff will be fun. Of the works I know, I’m delighted to see Michael Elich will be playing Prof. Harold Hill in The Music Man and Robin Goodrin-Nordli will be tackling Lady M. But I’m absolutely thrilled by the arguably unusual casting of David Kelly and Robynn Rodriguez as those delightful squabblers, Benedick and Beatrice in Much Ado. I say “unusual” because these roles are most frequently played by thirty-something “lead” types, while Kelly and Rodriguez are, ahem, a wee bit longer in the tooth…huzzah, for the “we’re-not-getting-older, we’re-getting-better!” turn! (It will certainly give the “I know you of old” line a particular resonance.)

Besides, Kelly is simply one of the funniest men on stage anywhere, and Rodriguez a stunner and a force to be reckoned with. I anticipate fireworks galore!

Here’s the casting portion of the press release:

In a quick preview of the casting, actors in various roles include: Macbeth: Peter Macon as Macbeth, Robin Goodrin Nordli as Lady Macbeth, Kevin Kenerly as Macduff; Death and the King’s Horseman: Derrick Lee Weeden as Elesin, G. Valmont Thomas as Praise Singer, Rex Young as Simon Pilkings; The Music Man: Michael Elich as Harold Hill, Gwendolyn Mulamba as Marian Paroo, Richard Elmore as Mayor Shinn; Dead Man’s Cell Phone: Sarah Agnew as Jean, Jeffrey King as Gordon, Catherine E. Coulson as Mrs. Gottlieb; Equivocation: Anthony Heald as Shag (William Shakespeare), Jonathan Haugen as Cecil and Christine Albright as Judith;The Servant of Two Masters: Mark Bedard as Truffaldino, Kate Mulligan as Beatrice, Eileen DeSandre as Brighella; Henry VIII: Elijah Alexander as King Henry VIII, Anthony Heald as Cardinal Wolsey, Vilma Silva as Queen Katherine; Don Quixote: Armando Durán as Don Quixote, Josiah Phillips as Sancho Panza; Much Ado About Nothing: David Kelly as Benedick, Robynn Rodriguez as Beatrice, Sarah Rutan as Hero, Juan Rivera LeBron as Claudio; All’s Well That Ends Well: Danforth Comins as Bertram, Kjerstine Rose Anderson as Helena, Dee Maaske as Countess Rossillion, James Edmondson as King of France; Paradise Lost: Michael J. Hume as Leo Gordon, Linda Alper as Clara Gordon, Tony DeBruno as Sam Katz.