Jason Danieley & Hannah Elless to Star in World Premiere Ahrens & Flaherty Musical Knoxville

Beloved Broadway alums Jason Danieley and Hannah Elless have been selected to star as James and Mary in Knoxville, a new musical from Tony-winning songwriting team Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. The previously announced tuner, featuring a book and direction by Frank Galati, will make its world premiere at Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, FL from April 3-25.

Most recently seen on Broadway in Pretty Woman, Danieley's Broadway credits also include The Visit, Curtains, Next to Normal, The Full Monty, Candide and Chicago. Elless, a cast member of the recent Broadway staging of A Christmas Carol, has also been seen on stage in Bright Star, Godspell, Mamma Mia!, Benny & Joon, The Other Josh Cohen and Summer and Smoke.

Based on James Agee's autobiographical Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, A Death in the Family, the story unfolds as James Agee struggles to write his greatest novel—about the event that touched his young life and the effect it had on his mother, his town and his own future.

Rounding out the cast will be Sarah Ali as Sally, Jack Casey as Rufus, Katie Chapman as Jessie, Ellen Harvey as Mary, Barbara Marineau as Catherine, Ben Michael as Jay, William Parry as Joel, Nathan Salstone as Andrew, Joel Waggoner as Ralph and Scott Wakefield as Father Jackson.

Knoxville will feature choreography by Josh Rhodes and musical direction by Tom Murray, with scenic/costume design by Robert Perdziola and orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin.