Julian Ovenden, Jill Paice and More Will Bring Death Takes a Holiday to Life Off-Broadway

Complete casting has been announced for the upcoming premiere of Death Takes a Holiday, the new musical from composer Maury Yeston. Confirming earlier reports of his involvement, British actor Julian Ovenden will star as Prince Sirki/Death in the Roundabout Theatre Company production, which features a score by Yeston and a book by the late Peter Stone and Thomas Meehan. It will begin performances on June 10 and officially open on July 21 at off-Broadway’s Laura Pels Theatre, directed by Doug Hughes.

In addition to Ovenden, the cast of Death Takes a Holiday features Linda Balgord (Contessa Danielli), Matt Cavenaugh (Eric Fenton), Mara Davi (Alice), Joy Hermalyn (Cora), Jay Jaski (Lorenzo), Simon Jones (Dr. Dario Albione), Rebecca Luker (Duchess Lamberti), Patricia Noonan (Sophia), Jill Paice (Grazia), Michael Siberry (Duke Lamberti), Alexandra Socha (Daisy Fenton), Don Stephenson (Fidele) and Max Von Essen (Corrado Montelli).

In Death Takes a Holiday, it’s just after World War I and the loneliest of souls arrives at an Italian villa disguised as a handsome young Prince (Ovenden), and for the first time experiences the joys and heartbreaks of life. But when he unexpectedly falls in love with a newly engaged young woman (Paice), the mysterious stranger discovers that love may in fact be stronger than death.

The show began as an Alberto Casella play from the 1920s that was made into a much-loved 1934 film starring Fredric March as Death, disguised as a debonair nobleman. The original film was remade in 1998 as Meet Joe Black, starring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins.

Death Takes a Holiday will play a limited engagement through September 4, 2011.