Initial casting announced for world premiere of GLORY RIDE

Initial casting has been announced for new musical Glory Ride, which plays at Charing Cross Theatre from 22 April-29 July.

With a book, music and lyrics by Victoria Buchholz & Todd Buchholz, and direction by Kelly Devine, the musical reveals the secret wartime heroics of Gino Bartali, one of the most beloved athletes of all time.

The cast includes Josh St. Clair (Frozen, West End) as Gino Bartali, Amy Di Bartolomeo (Six, West End) as Adriana Bani, Fed Zanni (Head Over Heels, Hope Mill) as Major Mario Carita, Daniel Robinson (Heathers, The Other Palace) as Giorgio Nico, Ruairidh McDonald (Half a Sixpence, Kilworth House Theatre) as Felix, Ryan Bennett (The Addams Family, UK tour) as Commander Graziani, Peter Watts (Macbeth, UK tour) as Fantali, Jamie Coyne (professional debut) as Cosmo, Loris Scarpa (Once in Concert, London Palladium) as Lorenzo, Susianna Paisio (La Conferenza degli Uccelli’m ‘Chotto Desh, Akram Khan Company) as Rosetta, Steve Watts (Passion, Hope Mill) as Torello, and Alice Spigariol (professional debut) as Ensemble.

A Tour de France winner, in the 1940s he was considered the second most famous man in Italy - after Mussolini. His cycling achievements on the Alps and Pyrenees were legendary, but until recently, few knew that he risked his life by saving hundreds of people from fascism during World War II.

With his cycling career as a cover, Bartali cycled thousands of miles between cities across Italy. Hidden in the frame of his bike were falsified identity cards and other secret documents to help victims cross borders to safety. His bravery rescued hundreds of persecuted Jews and other refugees, many of whom were children. In 2013, Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, recognised Gino Bartali with the honour of Righteous Among the Nations.

Glory Ride transports the audience to the golden hills of Tuscany during the darkest days of the Second World War, with a story combining heist, history, humour, and humanity and a soaring new score.

The production has musical direction by Dave Rose, set, costume & video design by PJ McEvoy, lighting by Rob Halliday, orchestrations by Jen Green, and casting by Harry Blumenau.

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