BLOOMINGTON – This summer, Constellation is proud to continue its commitment to new work development with The Moon and the Sea, by Douglas Lyons and Creighton Irons, running June 8-25 at the Waldron Auditorium.
The Moon and the Sea is a universal love story about Erin and Charlie, who reunite four years after their breakup and realize they are still in love with each other. But Erin’s new fiancé is not too far from the reunion, and love can only hide itself for so long. Featuring a gorgeous score by Creighton Irons and a book penned by Douglas Lyons (Broadway’s Chicken & Biscuits), this breathtaking story captures the magic of falling in love… and the pain of letting it go.
Constellation is thrilled to be bringing Broadway to Bloomington with the creative team behind this show. Book writer Douglas Lyons is a writer, composer, actor, and director whose works include Five Points (Theatre Latte Da), Polkadots (Atlantic Theater Company), and Beau (Adirondack Theatre Festival). Beau was turned into a feature-length film in 2022 and has won numerous festival awards. His play, Chicken & Biscuits, was produced on Broadway in 2021 and is currently the second most-produced play of the 2022/23 season. Lyons is a recipient of the 2019 Jonathan Larson Grant and the 2021 Kleban Prize. As an actor, Lyons appeared on Broadway in The Book of Mormon and Beautiful and is currently featured in the Broadway cast of Parade.
Co-creator Creighton Irons is a composer, lyricist, pianist, and educator whose works include The White City (Yale Institute for Music Theatre), The Turing Test (Gallery Players), The First Snow (Prospect Theater Company), and Factory Girls, which was selected by the National Alliance for Musical Theater for their annual showcase and won the Yumirui Award in Japan. He is a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop and an alum of the Johnny Mercer Colony. Irons was also named one of Buzzfeed’s “23 Composer/Lyricists Who Prove You Should Give Musical Theatre Another Shot.”
Josh Rhodes, who will be directing Constellation’s production, is a director and choreographer whose credits include Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Broadway), Bright Star (Broadway), It Shoulda Been You (Broadway), Grand Hotel (NY City Center Encores!), Guys and Dolls (The Old Globe), Evita (Asolo Repertory Theatre), and Sweeney Todd (Houston Grand Opera). Currently, he is directing Spamalot at The Kennedy Center, whose star-studded cast features Alex Brightman, James Monroe Iglehart, and Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer.
Rounding out this stellar creative team are James Rushin (Music Director), Adam Koch (Scenic Designer), Cory Pattak (Lighting Designer), and Katherine Mott (Costume Designer), with local support from Philip Christiansen (Stage Manager), Katie Ayer and Chelsea Pell (Assistant Stage Managers), and Aubrey Krueger and Barb Steininger (Props Masters).
The Moon and the Sea bring together a strong cast of professional actors from across the country, all of whom are making their debuts with Constellation. Rico Lebron and Narée Asherian star in leading roles as Charlie and Erin. Joining the cast are Alexa Green as Moon; Demetrio Alomar as Sea; Jesse Townes, a former member of Straight No Chaser, as Doug; and Scott Van Wye, previously seen in local productions at IU Theater and Cardinal Stage and the Bloomington Playwrights Project, as Elijah.
Tickets for this beautiful new musical are on sale now, starting at $35 for adults and $20 for students. To help make live theater more accessible, Constellation offers to Pay What You Will Thursdays for every Mainstage production at the Waldron Arts Center and Ted Jones Playhouse. On Thursday evenings for this production, audience members can pay as little as $5 to experience professional live theater. Tickets for The Moon and the Sea are available through Constellation’s website and box office by calling 812-336-9300, open Monday – Friday from noon until 5 p.m.
For those looking to extend their summer musical experience, Constellation is offering a screening of the award-winning musical movie Once. Once tells the story of a busker and an immigrant who meet and bond over their shared love of music. They spend a week in Dublin, writing, rehearsing, and recording songs that reflect their unique relationship. The film stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová as the lead characters, who also composed and performed the original songs in the film. The film won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Falling Slowly” and received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. The screening will take place at the Waldron Rose Firebay (122 South Walnut Street) on Saturday, June 3 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the film screening are $8 in advance and $12 at the door and are on sale now at SeeConstellation.org.
