Ahrens & Flaherty's Little Dancer Changes Title to Marie for West Coast Premiere

Little Dancer, an original musical by Tony winners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Anastasia, Once On This Island, Ragtime) has a new title: Marie. As previously announced, the production, which debuted in an acclaimed 2014 run at Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center, will be part of the 2018-2019 season at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre. Tony winner Susan Stroman will repeat her duties as the musical's director and choreographer for the engagement from March 22 through April 14, 2019.

Marie is based on a famed masterpiece by Edgar Degas and the unknown dancer, Marie, who inspired it. Part fact, part fiction and set in the glamorous and dangerous backstage world of the Paris Opera Ballet, this new musical follows a young woman caught between the conflicting demands of life and art, and an artist with one last chance for greatness.

The Kennedy Center production of Little Dancer featured a cast led by four-time Tony winner Boyd Gaines, New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck and three-time Tony nominee Rebecca Luker. As previously reported, Peck participated in a private NYC reading this past June; the reading also included Tony nominee Kate Baldwin as Adult Marie, Tony and Olivier winner Robert Lindsay as Edgar Degas, Tony winner Karen Ziemba as Martine, Tony nominee Dee Hoty as Mary Cassatt, Christopher Gurr as Corbeil, Kyle Harris as Christian, Scarlett Strallen as Antoinette and Sami Bray as Charlotte. Casting for the 5th Avenue Theatre production will be announced at a later date.

The 5th Avenue Theatre's 2018-2019 season will also include Come From Away (October 9-November 4, 2018), Annie (November 23-December 30, 2018), Rock of Ages (February 1-24, 2019), Urinetown (April 6-June 9, 2019), West Side Story (May 31-June 23, 2019) and The Lightning Thief (April 23-29, 2019).