Ramin Karimloo and Anoushka Lucas to Lead World-Premiere Musical A Face in the Crowd, with Music by Elvis Costello

Tony nominee Ramin Karimloo and Anoushka Lucas will lead the world premiere of A Face in the Crowd, a new musical with original songs by Grammy Award winner Elvis Costello. The show will run at the Young Vic Theatre in London from September 10 through November 9, with an official opening set for September 17.

The musical is an adaptation of the classic 1957 film that starred Andy Griffith as charismatic country singer Larry “Lonesome” Rhodes. The film re-teamed On the Waterfront writer and director Budd Schulberg and Elia Kazan. The new version will be directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah in his final production as the artistic director of the Young Vic. The book is by In the Next Room (or the vibrator play) playwright Sarah Ruhl.

In the role of Larry Rhodes, Karimloo has played The Phantom in the West End productions of The Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies, Jean Valjean in the 2014 Broadway revival of Les Misérables (Tony nomination), Gleb in Broadway's Anastasia and Nick Arnstein in the 2022 Broadway revival of Funny Girl. Lucas plays Marcia Jeffries, one of the women Larry picks up and discards (played by Patricia Neal in the film). She was recently nominated for an Olivier for her turn as Laurie in Oklahoma!. Her further London stage credits include Henry V, Jack Thorne’s After Life and Jesus Christ Superstar.

The creative team also brings together lighting designer Jackie Shemesh, musical supervisor and director Phil Bateman, sound designer Emma Laxton, choreographer Lizzi Gee and casting director Heather Basten CDG. Anne Fleischle designs the production.

When local radio producer Marcia Jeffries interviews drunk drifter ‘Lonesome Rhodes’ in his jail cell, she immediately sees his potential and gives him a slot on her show. But as Lonesome's fans grow more clamorous and the politicians start taking notice, Marcia realizes she has unleashed a force she can no longer control. A Face in the Crowd is a cautionary tale, highlighting the dangers of elevating celebrities to positions of unchecked power.