Chicago Folks Operetta Announces 2017 Johnny Johnson Cast!

War and Remembrance

Chicago Folks Operetta is thrilled to announce our 2017 Cast for the Chicago premiere of Kurt Weill's witty anti-war parody Johnny Johnson.

2017 Johnny Johnson Cast

Johnny Johnson

June 24 to July 9

STAGE 773 1225 W. Belmont St. Chicago, IL

CHICAGO FOLKS OPERETTA brings Kurt Weill's and Paul Green's rarely heard anti-war parody JOHNNY JOHNSON to Chicago for its long overdue local premiere. Gabriel di Gennaro makes his CFO debut in the title role Johnny Johnson. He will be joined by Lyric Opera of Chicago's Robert Morrissey (Mayor) and Christine Steyer (Lady Liberty), as well as the CSO's Mary Lutz-Govertsen (Aggie Tompkins). Also making their CFO debuts will be Kaitlin Galetti (Minny Belle), William Dwyer (Private Harwood), Maxwell Seifert (Captain Valentine), Jonathan Zeng (English Sergeant) Teaira Burge (French Nurse), Joshua L. Smith (Anguish Howton) and Robert Nunez (Corporal George). CFO veterans Nich Radcliffe (Sergeant Jackson), Daniel Hurtado (Grandpa Joe), Gretchen Adams (Nurse) and Joseph Frantzen (Johan) round out the cast.

Conducted by Anthony Barrese (CFO Music Director)

Directed by George Cederquist (CFO Debut)

Johnny Johnson synopsis

It is World War I. The United States of America, having pledged to remain neutral, is pulled into the fight in order to make the world safe for democracy "over there." Lowly American tombstone cutter Johnny Johnson, has been persuaded to enlist in the U.S. army both by his sweetheart, Minny Belle Tompkins, and by President Woodrow Wilson's promise of "a war to end all wars." But confronted by the horrors of the trenches in France, he is outraged at the absurdity of it all, and by dint of laughing-gas, he fools the Allied generals into calling a cease-fire. Johnny is arrested, shipped back to America, and locked up in a lunatic asylum for his "peace monomania." Released some twenty years later, he makes a living selling handmade toys as the trumpets of war once more sound in the distance.

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