South Florida premiere of 'An Officer And A Gentleman' musical on tap for Kravis Center

WEST PALM BEACH — "An Officer And A Gentleman," a new musical based on the Oscar-winning film and original screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart, will launch its South Florida premiere performances Tuesday at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.

“A great movie can imbed itself into the cultural memory of a generation. Our goal was to build on that memory, finding new ways into the story through the lens of musical theater,” producer Stephen Gabriel of Work Light Productions said in a prepared statement.

Originally planned as the final performance in this season's Kravis on Broadway series, "An Officer And A Gentleman" is now the penultimate show after "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical" was moved to May 20-26 because of the rise in COVID-19 infections following the surge of the omicron variant in January.

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"An Officer And A Gentleman" tells the story of Zack Mayo, who has the raw talent and strength for the U.S. Navy’s Officer Training School. Graduating from the elite program will secure Zack’s career and future but only the brave and determined can endure the relentless commands of his drill instructor, Sgt. Foley, who is determined to weed out all those unable to pass the strenuous tests of knowledge, coordination and strength.

On his journey of self-discovery, Zack finds comfort in the arms of a strong-willed local factory worker, Paula. But it isn’t until tragedy befalls a fellow candidate that Zack learns the importance of friendship, commitment and honor, finds the courage to be his best self, and wins the heart of the woman he loves.

“Like all good stories, 'An Officer And A Gentleman' is set in a specific world with its own culture, customs and costumes — the U.S. Navy,” book writer and director Dick Scanlan said in a prepared statement. “And like all great stories, its themes are universal: love, valor and the ways in which our reasons for pursuing a dream determine whether or not we’ll achieve it.”

The production features hits from Rick Springfield, Styx, Debbie Gibson, Richard Marx, Wilson Phillips, Pat Benatar, and the Grammy-winning No. 1 hit single “Up Where We Belong,” by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes. The original film starring Richard Gere and Debra Winger was released in 1982.

The cast for the North American tour will star Wes Williams as Zack and Mia Massaro as Paula, along with Emily Louise Franklin as Lynette, Cameron Loyal as Sid, Amaya White as Casey Seeger, Roxy York as Esther and David Wayne Britton as Marine Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley.

Written and directed by multiple Tony Award-nominee Dick Scanlan ("Thoroughly Modern Millie," "Everyday Rapture"), "An Officer And A Gentleman" is choreographed by Patricia Wilcox ("Motown," "A Night with Janis Joplin") with music supervised and arranged by Dan Lipton ("The Band’s Visit," "The Last Ship"). Orchestration is by Dan Lipton and Nathan Dame and dance arrangements are by Gary Adler.

The design team includes scenes by Brett Banakis, costume design by Emilio Sosa, lighting design by Jen Schriever, sound design by Jon Weston, wig and hair design by Kelley Jordan, video design by Austin Switser and casting by Wojcik | Seay Casting. The live stage production is based on an original book by Douglas Day Stewart and Sharleen Cooper Cohen.

The production runs through Sunday at the Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Tuesday to May 7, with 2 p.m. matinee performances on Wednesday, and May 7 and 8. Tickets start at $32 and may be purchased at kravis.org, or by calling the box office at 561-832-7469 Monday through Friday, noon to 5 pm.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Kravis Center musical 'An Officer And A Gentleman' premieres Tuesday