Playwrights Horizon reading of "Sense & Sensibility" WIth Noll, Burkhardt, Petkoff, Arcelus, and James

Ragtime Tony nominee Marcia Milgrom Dodge directed an invitation-only reading of a new musical based on Jane Austen's Sense & Sensibility June 23 at Playwrights Horizons.

The reading featured the talents of Tony nominee Christiane Noll (Ragtime) and Brandi Burkhardt (Tale of Two Cities) as the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne; Robert Petkoff (Ragtime, Spamalot) as Colonel Brandon; Sebastian Arcelus (Elf, Jersey Boys) as Edward Ferrars; and Jeremiah James (Teatro) as John Willoughby with two-time Tony nominee Mary Testa (Xanadu) as Mrs. Jennings, Drama Desk winner Jim Brochu (The Zero Hour) as Sir John, Erin Mackey (Sondheim On Sondheim, Wicked) as Lucy Steele, Jamie LaVerdiere (The Pirate Queen) as John Dashwood, Erin Maguire as Fanny Dashwood, Kay Walbye (Urinetown) as Mrs. Dashwood/Mrs. Ferrars, ensemble members Janna Cardia, Chris Critelli, Christy Morton and Edward Prostak and narrator Anthony Dodge.

Did anyone see this? This sounds wonderful!


Sense & Sensibility Musical at Playwrights Horizon

Christiane Noll and Brandi Burkhardt... two of the best sopranos around!

The entire cast was beyond expectation, the chorus set the tone of the narration perfectly and the story was very moving. Christiane Noll and Brandi Burkhardt as Eleanor and Marianne were ideally cast and those beautiful voices were given ideal songs to sing. Mary Testa was hilarious as Mrs. Jennings and Sebastian very romantically right as Edward. Song in the second act that Robert Petkoff as Col. Brandon sang was was stunning, as was Christiane's song to her sister when she was ill. We were all asking for tissues amongst us in the audience. Hoping to see this on Bway this next season, it was superb.

Age wasn't an issue, Christiane's age seemed right to go with her Eleanor who was being wooed by a same young aged suitor, played by Sebastian. Marianne, her sister seemed much younger than she, which is an important plot point. Late 20's, early 30's for those characters isn't as important an issue as getting the best singer/actors who can perform the roles.

Updated On: 6/24/11 at 06:36 PM

Marianne is supposed to be nineteen, which was actually how old Kate Winslet was when she played her. I don't think it really matters, though.

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People said the same thing about Wicked, it's too much of a girls/woman's story. Women buy a lot of theatre tickets to good musicals. I'm looking forward to seeing SENSE & SENSIBILITY run a long time since straight men don't have to be criteria for musicals in New York City. Haven't you heard, New York supports basic civil rights for all sorts.

LOL people did not say the same thing about Wicked. Did you read the book?
At least no one i knew said the same thing about Wicked. The title WICKED does not denote a girl musical..
You say the word JANE AUSTEN to probably 90% of straight men and they will run run run to the furthest hill. Maybe we can compare it to the success of jane Eyre.. come on..

Silly idea.

Petkoff as Col. Brandon seems ideal.