Magic Theatre Announces Cast of Han Ong’s 'Grandeur'

From Magic Theatre: Magic Theatre (Loretta Greco, Artistic Director and Jaimie Mayer, Managing Director) announced the complete cast of Han Ong’s World Premiere Grandeur. Previews begin on Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at Magic Theatre’s Fort Mason location, with a press opening on Wednesday, June 7. The production is helmed by Magic’s Artistic Director Loretta Greco. Tickets are on-sale now.

The Company is led by Carl Lumbly (ABC’s Alias, CBS’ Cagney & Lacey) as “Gil Scott-Heron,” and features Safiya Fredericks as “Julie Toussaint” and Rafael Jordan as “Steve Barron.”

Grandeur imagines a meeting between an ambitious young journalist and the shape-shifting music legend, Gil Scott-Heron. Questions of legacy, art, hope, and redemption drive this funny and gut-wrenching exchange. It’s a homecoming for MacArthur Genius award winner Han Ong, who returns to Magic after a 25-year hiatus.

“In 1992 Han Ong made his professional debut at Magic in 1992 with Reasons to Live,” said Artistic Director Loretta Greco, who is directing Grandeur. “So, it is serendipitous that after a sojourn from the theater (in order to write his wonderful novels) he is returning home to Magic with his first play in 16 years! Grandeuris a stunning-- powerful ride; both wickedly funny and poignant in its social relevance, we are honored to be premiering it. Grandeur provides the rare opportunity to spend an evening with the shape-shifting titan of music: the great Gil Scott Heron (played with gusto by the exceptional Carl Lumbly). Just as Diebenkorn chasing the tail of Matisse has captured our collective imagination, Han has doggedly trailed and lovingly reassembled another artist of color’s rise and fall in order to evoke perspective on some of life’s larger questions and to leave a more intricate and complicated tale which asks us to reconsider what constitutes a man’s worth.”

In addition to Mr. Ong and Ms. Greco, the creative team includes Hana S. Kim (Scenic / Video Design), Alex Jaeger (Costume Design), Raymond Oppenheimer (Lighting Design), Sara Huddleston (Sound Design) and Jackie Scott (Props Design).

Magic Theatre is located in the Marina District of San Francisco, at the historic Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture (Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd., Building D, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94123). The entrance to Fort Mason is at the intersection of Marina Blvd and Buchanan Street. The performance schedule is Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday – Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. There is no Tuesday performance during Previews, and there will be two additional 2:30 p.m. performances (on Saturday, June 10 and Wednesday, June 14). There will be a Salon with the Director and Playwright following the 2:30 p.m. performance on Sunday, June 4, and Friday post-show Talkbacks with the actors following the 8:00 p.m. performances on June 9, June 16 and June 23. Tickets, priced from $35.00 to $75.00, are available online at MagicTheatre.org; by calling Magic Theatre at (415) 441-8822; or visiting Magic Theatre’s Box Office, Monday - Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during non-performance dates. On performance dates, the Box Office is open Tuesday – Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday one hour prior to the show. For more information, visit MagicTheatre.org.

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Images via Magic Theatre