Josh Rhodes returns to direct and choreograph the classic MGM musical, kicking off Asolo Rep’s 2026–27 season, The Greatest Season on Earth.
October 13, 2026
SARASOTA, FL – Asolo Repertory Theatre, Florida’s premier professional theatre, opens its 2026 – 27 season with Singin’ in the Rain, running November 18, 2026 – January 2, 2027, in the Mertz Theatre. Directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodes, the production brings the glamour, comedyand unmistakable music of the classic MGM film to the stage as part of Asolo Rep’s Greatest Season on Earth.
It’s Hollywood, 1927. Silent-film star Don Lockwood is at the top of his game when the arrival of talking pictures turns the movie business upside down. Suddenly, movie stars need more than a face made for the silver screen: they need a voice to match. With the help of his best friend Cosmo Brown and aspiring actress Kathy Selden, Don must figure out how to survive a new era of moviemaking, while his less-than-melodious co-star Lina Lamont has plans of her own.
“We are thrilled to launch our 2026-27 season with the greatest movie musical of all time,” states Producing Artistic Director Peter Rothstein. “Our season celebrates the centennial of John Ringling moving his circus to Sarasota, instigating the cultural mecca that we experience here today.1927 was an extraordinary year in American culture: the first solo transatlantic flight, the first Great American Musical, the invention of television and the first talking picture—the setting of Singin’ in the Rain.”
The musical features a screenplay by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and songs by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed, including “Make ’Em Laugh,” “Good Morning,” “You Were Meant for Me,” and, of course, “Singin’ in the Rain.”
The production also brings Rhodes back to Asolo Rep, where his work has included Jesus Christ Superstar, Cabaret, Hair, The Sound of Music, Evita and Guys and Dolls. On Broadway, Rhodes directed and choreographed the revival of Spamalot and choreographed Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, First Date, It Shoulda Been You, and Bright Star.
Performance Dates
November 18, 2026 – January 2, 2027
Previews: November 18 – 20
Opening Night: November 21
Cast
Leading the cast as Don Lockwood is Tyler Hanes, making his Asolo Rep debut. Hanes has appeared in 10 Broadway productions, including A Chorus Line, On the Town, Hairspray, Sweet Charity and Cats, earning a Chita Rivera Award nomination for his performance as Rum Tum Tugger.
Sara Esty returns to Asolo Rep as Kathy Selden after appearing in Come from Away and Crazy for You. Her credits include the original Broadway company and first national tour of An American in Paris, the final Broadway company of The Phantom of the Opera, and Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. Esty is a Princess Grace Award recipient for excellence in dance.
Making his Asolo Rep debut as Cosmo Brown is Colin Bradbury, whose Broadway credits include BOOP!, Elf The Musical, Funny Girl, Carousel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Come Fly Away.
And stepping into the spotlight as Lina Lamont is Ryah Nixon, also making her Asolo Rep debut. Nixon recently appeared as Myrtle in The Great Gatsby on Broadway and was part of the original Broadway companies of The Queen of Versailles, BOOP!, and Once Upon a One More Time.
The company also includes Jerome Harmann-Hardeman (R.F. Simpson) Broadway: The Notebook; Edward Juvier (Roscoe Dexter) Broadway and National Tour: Les Misérables; Lily Kaufmann (Zelda) Broadway: Tammy Faye; Zoie Lee (Olga) National Tour: Chicago the Musical; Owen Scales(Production Singer) New York Theatre: Broadway Backwards; and Tregoney Shepherd (Miss Dinsmore and Dora Bailey) Broadway and National Tour: Wicked.
The ensemble features Devin Cortez (Off-Broadway: Heathers); Devin Johnson (Regional: Dames at Sea); Laura Leo Kelly (International Tour: West Side Story); Juliana Lamia (National Tour: Elf The Musical); Minju Michelle Lee (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre: 42 Balloons); Lily Rose (Asolo Rep: Crazy for You); Sam Sanderson (Regional: The Producers); and Jessica Wockenfuss (NY City Center Encores!: Hey, Look Me Over! and Me and My Girl).
Jackson Dunlap (Regional: City of Angels); Joshua A. Griffin (Regional: Rock of Ages); Lacey Jack (Regional: A Chorus Line); Dana Liebezeit (Off-Broadway: Emergence); Anthony Savino (Regional: Grease); and Jubilee Tai (Regional: Pretty Woman) serve as swings.
Creative Team
Music direction is by Matthew R. Meckes, who returns to Asolo Rep after serving as music director and musician for Fiddler on the Roof. The creative team includes Drama Desk Award winner Paul Tate dePoo III (Scenic and Projection Design) Broadway: The Great Gatsby; Brian Hemesath(Costume Design) Asolo Rep: Evita; Tony Award-winning Kenneth Posner (Lighting Design) Broadway: Wicked; Connor Wang (Sound Design) Asolo Rep: The Mirror Crack’d; Jason Paul Tate (Fight Director) Asolo Rep: Jesus Christ Superstar; Lee Wilkins (Associate Director and Choreographer)Asolo Rep: Cabaret; Michelle Hart (Hair, Makeup and Wig Design) Asolo Rep: Fiddler on the Roof; Geoff Josselson Casting, Geoff Josselson, CSA and Felicia Rudolph, CSA (Casting) Asolo Rep: Fiddler on the Roof; Kimberly Ann McCann (Production Stage Manager) Asolo Rep: Fiddler on the Roof; Mars Wolfe (Assistant Stage Manager) National Tour: Kimberly Akimbo; and Lydia Konings (Assistant Stage Manager) Asolo Rep: Come from Away.
Orchestra
The production features a live orchestra conducted by Matthew R. Meckes (Keyboard), with Margaret Barbour (Violin) Asolo Rep: Come from Away; Douglas Butler (Woodwinds) Regional: Miss Saigon; John Gonzalez (Drums) Asolo Rep: Come from Away; Carl Haan (Keyboard) Asolo Rep: Cabaret; George Mancini Jr. (Trombone) Asolo Rep: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical; Isaac Mingus (Upright Bass/Tuba) Asolo Rep: Sweeney Todd; Victor Mongillo (Trumpet) Asolo Rep: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical; and Emmanuel Montalvo (Woodwinds) Pit Orchestra: State College of Florida.
Set in 1927, the year at the heart of Asolo Rep’s 2026 – 27 season, Singin’ in the Rain opens the Greatest Season on Earth with a story about Hollywood, a changing world and a group of artists trying to keep up.
And when all else fails, there’s always singing and dancing in the rain.
Tickets
Tickets for Asolo Rep’s 2026 – 27 season are on sale now. Show times are Tuesday – Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with 1:30 p.m. matinees on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and select Thursdays. For tickets and information, visit AsoloRep.org or call 941.351.8000.
SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
Sponsors and Presenters
Season Music Sponsors: Ken and JoAnn Johns
Main Stage Season Sponsors: Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation; Community Foundation of Sarasota County; The Exchange
Costume Sponsors: Michael Kors and Lance Le Pere
Co-Producers: James and Maryann Armour Family Foundation; Gail and Skip Sack; Douglas Thweatt, in loving memory of Paul Grootkerk; Dr. and Mrs. Jerome and Elizabeth Levy
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About Asolo Rep
Since 1958, Asolo Repertory Theatre has been recognized as one of the premier professional theatres in America and one of the largest in the Southeastern United States. Asolo Rep presents up to eight productions each season, including classics, contemporary drama, musicals, and world premieres. A theatre district in and of itself, Asolo Rep is committed to expanding its reach into the community, furthering its collaboration with leading theatre-makers, and cultivating the next generation of artists through its affiliation with the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Peter Rothstein and Managing Director Ross Egan, Asolo Rep’s ambitious theatrical offerings, commitment to new work, and groundbreaking education and engagement programs ensure the company’s lasting legacy for future generations. Learn more at AsoloRep.org.