Kushnier, Karl & Orfeh Set for Bright Lights, Big City at the Prince; Arima to Direct

Casting is complete for the return of Paul Scott Goodman's musical adaptation of Bright Lights, Big City. Jeremy Kushnier (pictured), Andy Karl and Orfeh will headline the production of the show, which plays at the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia from June 14 to July 2. Altar Boyz director Stafford Arima will direct and Andrew Palermo will choreograph.

Based on the iconic 1980's New York novel by Jay McInerney (which later became a film starring Michael J. Fox), Bright Lights, Big City centers around Jamie, an aspiring writer stuck in a job as a magazine fact-checker. After his mother dies and his rising supermodel wife leaves him, Jamie drowns his sorrows by plunging into a world of partying, drinking and drugging at Manhattan's hottest nightspots. The stage adaptation of Bright Lights, Big City premiered at New York Theater Workshop in 1999, featuring Patrick Wilson in the role of Jamie. In 2005, Sh-K-Boom Records released a well-reviewed studio recording of the now-reworked score which helped revive interest in the show. The engagement at the Prince will mark the premiere of the new Bright Lights, Big City.

Kushnier, who will play Jamie, created the leading role of Ren McCormack in Footloose and was also seen on Broadway as Roger in Rent. He played Radames in the national tour of Aida and recently starred in the off-Broadway premiere of Goodman's Rooms, part of the 2005 New York Musical Theater Festival. A singer/songwriter, Kushnier has released two CDs: In Time and a self-titled EP.

Playing Jamie's best pal Tad is Karl, who was recently seen creating roles in two off-Broadway musicals: Altar Boyz (as homeboy Luke) and Slut (as leading ladies man Adam Patterson). Karl has also been seen on Broadway in Saturday Night Fever (which he later also starred in on the road), in the world premiere tour of Disney's On the Record, the off-Broadway staging of Stephen Sondheim's Saturday Night and in Romeo and Bernadette, which earned him a Carbonell Award nomination. Karl previously appeared at the Prince Music Theater in Me and Mrs. Jones.

Orfeh, who is married to Karl and also appeared at the Prince in Me and Mrs. Jones, will take on the role of Jamie's boss Clara. She was last seen playing stripper Pippi in the off-Broadway premiere of The Great American Trailer Park Musical at Dodger Stages. Starting her career as a teen recording artist with the chart-topping dance group Or-n-More, Orfeh has appeared on Broadway in Footloose, Fascinating Rhythm and Saturday Night Fever (earning great acclaim for her performance as Annette). Other notable credits include playing Janis Joplin in Love, Janis off-Broadway and appearing as a guest star on Sex and the City and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Also starring in Bright Lights, Big City are Julie Toliver (Lone Star Love) as Vicky, Kelli Barrett as Amanda, Marian Murphy as Mom, Jonathan Shade as Michael, Don Daniels, Christopher de Prophetis, Alex Keiper and Alyse Wojciechowski.

Opening night of Bright Lights, Big City is set for June 17.

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