The Old Globe is getting ready to launch another world premiere show this month. And this one's particularly special because it's the first time Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein is directing a musical.
"Rain," running March 24 through May 1, 2016, is a musical adapted from Somerset Maugham's classic short story about two traveling couples - the Davidsons and the MacPhails.
On the fifth week of rehearsals, Edelstein gave local theater press a sneak peek at how the show looks so far.
Here are five behind-the-scenes tidbits:
1. The set is a three-story boarding house that will automatically rotate, sometimes in the middle of a song. At the rehearsal, the set was under construction with two of the three floors completed.
2. Because "Rain" is adapted from a short piece, the story was too sparse to fill an entire musical production. So book writer Sybille Pearson and composer and lyricist Michael John LaChiusa added back story, creating new depth to the already known characters.
"This is a 2.0 version of Maugham's story," Edelstein said.
3. One of the songs is titled "Sunshine." It's mostly performed by Eden Espinosa, who plays Sadie Thompson with a blend of power, vulnerability and lots of sex appeal. The other song performed was "Takes Some People Longer," a melancholy piece sung by Jared Zirilli who plays religious missionary Alfred Davidson.
4. Though musicals are often associated with big, flashy dance numbers and large singing choruses, this show feels quiet and intimate. There are only nine actors in the production, and they will be accompanied by a small orchestra
5. On Thursday, March 24, there will be three Globe musicals playing in three different cities. "Rain" has its first preview in Balboa Park; "Bright Star" will be staged on Broadway's Cort Theatre; and "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder" will be at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre.
