Maxwell Caulfield, Zoë Doano and Chris Peluso are to head the cast of Death Takes A Holiday, the third Charing Cross Theatre musical directed by Artistic Director Thom Southerland following the critically acclaimed Titanic and Ragtime, which has just received an all-time record 14 Off West End Award nominations as well as WhatsOnStage Award nominations for Best Musical Revival and Best Off West End Producton.
Death Takes A Holiday has a lush, romantic score by multi Tony Award-winner Maury Yeston (Titanic, Nine) and a book by multi Tony Award-winners Thomas Meehan and Peter Stone. It is based on the 1928 Italian play of the same name, which also inspired the movie, Meet Joe Black, starring Brad Pitt.
In Northern Italy, shortly after World War One, Death disguises himself as a handsome young prince to try to understand why life is so precious and death so feared. But when he unexpectedly falls in love with a newly engaged young woman, this mysterious stranger discovers that love may in fact be stronger than death.
Hollywood star Maxwell Caulfield (Dynasty, The Colbys, Grease 2) made his West End debut as Billy Flynn in Chicago and subsequently played the role on Broadway. He recently starred as Nathan Detroit in the No1 tour of Chichester Festival Theatre’s Guys & Dolls. His other major musical theatre roles include R.F. Simpson in the Chichester production of Singin’ in the Rain, Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady and Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm in A Little Night Music. He also appeared on Broadway in the National Theatre’s multi award-winning production of An Inspector Calls.
Zoë Doano has just finished a year in the West End as Cosette in Les Misérables. Before this she played Johanna in the West End transfer of the Tooting Pie Shop Sweeney Todd. She also starred as Marianne in the European première of Jerry Herman’s The Grand Tour, directed by Thom Southerland at the Finborough Theatre.
American rising star Chris Peluso made his West End debut this year starring as Chris in Miss Saigon at the Prince Edward Theatre and then played Gaylord Ravenal in Showboat at the New London Theatre. On Broadway, he was in the original cast of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, played Sky in Mamma Mia!, was in Elton John’s Lestat and the Balladeer in Sondheim’s Assassins. He was Fiyero in the US national tour of Wicked. His other major credits include The Glorious Ones (Lincoln Center), Tony in West Side Story, Marius in Les Misérables, Ted Hinton in Frank Wildhorn’s Bonnie and Clyde and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet.
Please note: Chris Peluso appears in the production until 11 February, at which time the role will be taken over by James Gant.
Also starring in Death Takes A Holiday will be Kathryn Akin, Anthony Cable, Trudi Camilleri, Ken Christiansen, Scarlett Courtney, Sophie-May Feek, James Gant, Matthew McDonald, Gay Soper, Ashley Stillburn, Samuel Thomas, Helen Turner.
Death Takes A Holiday plays at the Charing Cross Theatre 16 January – 4 March 2017. Get discounted tickets here
