Displaying items by tag: Missy Wise Vanderzee

Kokandy Productions is pleased to announce full casting for its revival of Stephen Sondheim's stunning masterpiece Sunday in the Park with George, playing August 13 – November 1, 2026 in the intimate Chopin Downstairs Studio, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago. Tickets are on sale now at kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/SundayChicago. 

This beloved musical will feature Kevin Webb (Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods) as George and Missy Wise Vanderzee (Bonnie & Clyde) as Dot/Marie with an ensemble including Nick Arceo as Boatman, Danny Andrew Bennett as Jules, Rachel Carreras as Nurse, Ella Carson as Louise, Emily Holland as Celeste 1, Lauren Miller as Old Lady, Z Moore as Franz, Samantha Ringor as Celeste 2, KyraJo Petit-Walla as Frieda, Nathe Rowbotham as Yvonne, Jack Saunders as Soldier and Abraham Shaw as Louis. Swings include Brittney Brown, David Gordon-Johnson, Gabriel Levi, Brady Magruder, Halli Morgan, Sarah Seidler and Elexis Selmon.

The first Chicago storefront production Sunday in the Park with George in over 15 years is directed and choreographed by Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham with music direction by Nick Sul, book by James Lapine and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

About the Production

Inspired by the painting, "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat, Sunday in the Park with George merges past and present into beautiful, poignant truths about life, love and the creation of art. One of the most acclaimed musicals of our time, this moving study of the enigmatic painter, Georges Seurat, won a Pulitzer Prize and was nominated for an astounding ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

"Sunday in the Park with George was one of the first shows I pitched to direct when interviewing to join the company back in 2018," says Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham. "It's almost a decade later and we're finally visiting this astonishing masterpiece. It feels like the right time. The show offers us a chance to reflect on what we've been creating and to look forward at what we still hope to achieve – both as a company and as individual artists. Sunday reminds us not to linger too much on the future or the past, but to focus on the present moment, to connect with each other in real space and time. What a gift that will be. What a gift it is to be together in a room, taking in a piece of art, having communal and singular experiences at the same time."

The production team includes Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Design), G "Max" Maxin IV (Lighting Design), Matt Reich (Sound Design), Syd Genco (Makeup Design), Keith Ryan (Wig and Hair Design), Shane Roberie (Casting Director), Nicholas Reinhart (Production Manager), Kendyl Meyer (Stage Manager), Ethan Colish (Assistant Stage Manager), Michael Coppola (Stage Management Intern), Scot Kokandy (Executive Producer) and Derek Van Barham (Producing Artistic Director).

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: Sunday in the Park with George

Book: James Lapine

Music & Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim

Director and Choreographer: Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham

Music Director: Nick Sula

Cast (in alphabetical order): Nick Arceo (Boatman), Danny Andrew Bennett (Jules), Ella Carson (Louise), Rachel Carreras (Nurse), Emily Holland (Celeste 1), Lauren Miller (Old Lady), Z Moore (Franz), KyraJo Petit-Walla (Frieda), Samantha Ringor (Celeste 2), Nathe Rowbotham (Yvonne), Jack Saunders (Soldier), Abraham Shaw (Louis), Kevin Webb (George) and Missy Wise Vanderzee (Dot/Marie).

Swings: Brittney Brown, David Gordon-Johnson, Gabriel Levi, Brady Magruder, Halli Morgan, Sarah Seidler and Elexis Selmon

Location: Chopin Downstairs Studio, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago

Dates: 

Previews: Thursday, August 13 – Friday, August 28, 2026

Regular run: Sunday, August 30 – Sunday, November 1, 2026

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm; Sundays at 5 pm.

Tickets: Previews $28.52* general admission, $39.19* reserved seating. Regular run $55.20* general admission, $65.87* reserved seating. Students/seniors $44.52*. There will be a limited number of lower-priced tickets (with code ARTIST) available to artists for each performance. Tickets are on sale now at kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/SundayChicago. *Ticket prices include processing fees

Sunday in the Park with George is presented through

special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

About the Artists

Derek Van Barham (Director and Choreographer) is the Producing Artistic Director of Kokandy Productions. Directing credits include Children of Eden in Concert (Broadway In Chicago), Jekyll & Hyde (BIC/Kokandy), Amélie, Into the Woods, Alice by Heart, Sweeney Todd, American Psycho, Head Over Heels (4 Jeff Awards and 3 Jeff nominations, Kokandy); Spring Awakening (Flint Rep); Rock of Ages (Metropolis); The View Upstairs (Circle Theatre); Miracle by Dan Savage, Poseidon (Hell in a Handbag) Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Carrie, Bat Boy, Merrily We Roll Along (CCPA/Roosevelt University). Choreography credits include Evil Dead (Jeff nomination), Coraline the Musical, Ghost Quartet and Shockheaded Peter (Black Button Eyes). He was previously named one of Windy City Times' 30 Under 30, and one of Newcity Magazine's 50 Players 2024 and 2026. MFA: CCPA/Roosevelt University. IG: @dvbarham

Nick Sula (Music Director) is an award-winning pianist and music director, proud to return to Kokandy Productions and the Chopin Theatre where he served as music director for the Jeff Award-winning productions of Jekyll & Hyde (Jeff Award for Outstanding Music Direction), Sweeney Todd (Jeff Award for Outstanding Music Direction), Into the Woods (Jeff Awards for Outstanding Music Direction and Orchestrations) and the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival. Other Chicago theatre music direction credits include: Octet (Raven Theatre); Anything Goes (Porchlight Music Theatre); Ghost Quartet (Black Button Eyes Productions). As a professor of musical theatre he serves as a music director, instructor and vocal coach at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.

About Kokandy Productions

Founded in 2010, Kokandy Productions seeks to leverage the heightened reality of musical theatre to tell complex and challenging stories, with a focus on contributing to the development of Chicago-based musical theatre artists, and raising the profile of Chicago's non-Equity musical theatre community.

The company's artistic staff is comprised of Derek Van Barham (Producing Artistic Director), Scot Kokandy (Executive Producer) and Adrian Abel Azevedo & Leda Hoffman (Artistic Associates). The Board of Directors includes Preston Cropp, Scot T. Kokandy, Danielle Sparklin and Katie Svaicer. 

For additional information, visit kokandyproductions.com.