Charles Kimbrough and Michael Berresse Join No, No, Nanette at Encores!

Charles Kimbrough and Michael Berresse have joined the cast of the upcoming No, No, Nanette, New York City Center's final Encores! production for the 2008 season. Directed by former Encores! artistic director Walter Bobbie, Nanette will give six performances May 8 through May 12.

Kimbrough, who replaces the previously announced Fred Willard, and Berresse join cast members Sandy Duncan, Rosie O'Donnell, Beth Leavel, Mara Davi, Shonn Wiley, Nancy Anderson, Jennifer Cody and Angel Reda. The ensemble includes David Baum, Brandon Davidson, Leah Edwards, Sara Edwards, Zak Edwards, Mary Giattino, Luke Hawkins, Matthew J. Kilgore, Cara Kjellman, Todd Lattimore, Deborah Lew, Ryan Malyar, Brent McBeth, Alessa Neeck, Carolann M. Sanita, Kiira Schmidt, Chad Seib, Kelly Sheehan, Anna Aimee White and Jacob ben Widmar.

Based on the comedy My Lady Friends by Frank Mandel and Emily Nyitray, No, No, Nanette is a light-hearted tale of millionaires, misunderstood wives, bathing beauties, wanton women and flappers. Nanette Davi, a young Manhattan heiress, tries to experience life by running away to the big, bad and bawdy town of Atlantic City, only to be followed by her straight-laced, tap-dancing fiancé Wiley, her cook/chaperone O'Donnell, her lawyer and his wife Leavel and her legal guardian Kimbrough, who just want everyone to “be happy.”

No, No, Nanette, which has music by Vincent Youmans, lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, and book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel, originally opened on Broadway in 1925 and was reconceived in 1971 in a production supervised by Busby Berkeley and adapted and directed by Bert Shevelove. Encores! will present the 1971 version of Nanette. The show features such classic songs as "Tea for Two" and "I Want to Be Happy."

Kimbrough's Broadway credits include the original and first revival of Sunday in the Park with George, the original company of Company and the 1974 revival of Candide. Off Broadway, he has appeared in Sylvia with Sarah Jessica Parker, and in Later Life. Kimbrough is also known for his playing Jim Dial on the hit TV series Murphy Brown.

Berresse played Zach in the Broadway revival of A Chorus Line and appeared on Broadway in A Light in the Piazza, Kiss Me, Kate, Chicago and Carousel. Off-Broadway credits include The Cocoanuts, One Touch of Venus and Forever Plaid. He directed the off-Broadway production of [title of show] and will helm the forthcoming Broadway mounting of the musical.

Nanette's creative team includes music direction by Rob Fisher and choreography by Randy Skinner.