GUTHRIE THEATER PRESENTS MATTHEW LÓPEZ’S SOMEWHERE, DIRECTED BY JOSEPH HAJ

A dance-filled love letter to musical theater with close ties to West Side Story

Previews begin Saturday, December 13; Opening on Thursday, December 18
Playing through Sunday, February 1 on the McGuire Proscenium Stage

(Minneapolis/St. Paul) — The Guthrie Theater (Joseph Haj, Artistic Director) today announced the cast and creative team for Somewhere, written by Tony Award-winning playwright Matthew López and directed by Joseph Haj. The show begins previews on Saturday, December 13, opens on Thursday, December 18 and will play through Sunday, February 1 on the McGuire Proscenium Stage. Single and group tickets are now on sale exclusively through the Box Office or online at guthrietheater.org. Accessibility services (ASL-interpreted, audio-described, open-captioned and relaxed performances) are also available on select dates.

“After directing West Side Story at the Guthrie in 2018, I’m thrilled to bring Matthew López’s Somewhere to our stage and explore the connections between these two plays,” said Artistic Director Joseph Haj. “Somewhere is a beautiful tribute to family, dreams and resilience that uses dance to propel the story forward with grace and urgency, reminding us that hope can flourish even in the face of challenges.” Haj continued, “I’m excited to collaborate with Maija García, who created the choreography for our 2018 production of West Side Story and will return as Choreographer for Somewhere. I’m eager for this incorporation of dance in the storytelling to create a thrilling and memorable theatergoing experience for our patrons this winter.”

In an interview with American Theatre in 2013, López wrote: “For me, musical theater has always been about escape. And that, in many ways, is what Somewhere is about, as well. With West Side Story, specifically, there is a unique family connection. When my father was 12 years old, my grandmother took him and his siblings (including my Aunt Priscilla) into Manhattan to work as extras on the film version. ... Somewhere began as a way to honor that wonderful family history.”

Somewhere takes us to 1959, when the musical West Side Story captured the hearts of America, including the tight-knit Candelaria family who dreams of making it big in show business: the siblings take acting and dance lessons, mother Inez works as an usher and father Pepe tours as a bandleader. Their aspirations are interrupted by devastating news — their Manhattan apartment building is being demolished to build Lincoln Center, and they have 30 days to vacate. Filled with music and dance, this heartfelt family drama explores the tension between pursuing dreams and managing the realities of life.

The cast of Somewhere will make their Guthrie mainstage debuts with this production, including Maggie Bofill as Inez Candelaria, Kassandra Cruz as Rebecca Candelaria, Preston Perez as Alejandro Candelaria, José Sabillón as Francisco Candelaria and Sam Stoll as Jamie.

The creative team includes Matthew López (Playwright), Joseph Haj (Director), Maija García (Choreographer), Lex Liang (Scenic Designer), Alejo Vietti (Costume Designer), Carolina Ortiz Herrera (Lighting Designer), John Gromada (Sound Designer/Composer), Carla Steen (Resident Dramaturg), Keely Wolter (Resident Vocal Coach), Annie Enneking (Fight Director), Jennifer Liestman, C.S.A. (Resident Casting Director), Tree O’Halloran (Stage Manager), Z Makila (Assistant Stage Manager), Dennis de Albuquerque Oliveira (Assistant Director) and McCorkle Casting, Ltd. (NYC Casting Consultant).

Somewhere premiered at The Old Globe in San Diego in 2011, with subsequent productions at TheaterWorks and Hartford Stage in 2013 and 2014, respectively. This is the first production of Somewhere at the Guthrie. In summer 2018, the Guthrie staged the musical West Side Story on the thrust and Lopez’s The Legend of Georgia McBride on the proscenium.

Biographies

Matthew López (Playwright) is an American playwright and screenwriter. His first play, The Inheritance, directed by Stephen Daldry, is the most honored American play in a generation, sweeping the Best Play awards in both London and New York, including the Tony Award, Olivier Award, Drama Desk Award, Evening Standard Award, London Critics’ Circle Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama League Award and GLAAD Media Award. He is the first Latine writer to win the Tony Award for Best Play. In New York, López’s work has been seen Off-Broadway with The Whipping Man and The Legend of Georgia McBride. Other works include Somewhere, Reverberation, The Sentinels and Zoey’s Perfect Wedding. He is currently co-writing the musical adaptation of the classic film Some Like It Hot and working on a reimagining of the iconic 1992 Whitney Houston box office hit The Bodyguard for Warner Bros. as well as a feature film adaptation of the novel Leading Men for Searchlight Pictures, which centers on Tennessee Williams and his longtime partner Frank Merlo. López made his directorial feature debut with the LGBTQIA+ romantic comedy Red, White & Royal Blue in 2023 for Amazon Studios. In addition to directing the film, he also adapted the script, based on Casey McQuiston’s bestselling novel. In October 2020, he signed an overall television development deal with Amazon Studios.

Joseph Haj (Director) is the Artistic Director of the Guthrie Theater where he has directed Cabaret, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The History Plays (Richard II, Henry IV and Henry V in rotating repertory), Hamlet, A Christmas Carol, Dickens’ Holiday Classic, The Glass Menagerie, Cyrano de Bergerac (his own adaptation), West Side Story, Romeo and Juliet, Sunday in the Park With George, King Lear, South Pacific and Pericles. Prior to joining the Guthrie in 2015, Haj served as Producing Artistic Director at PlayMakers Repertory Company, and he has directed and performed across the U.S. and internationally, including Berlin, Salzburg, Japan, Paris, Edinburgh, the West Bank and Gaza. Haj is the recipient of the 2014 Zelda Fichandler Award for leadership in the American theater and the 2017 Rosetta LeNoire Award from Actors’ Equity Association for commitment to diversity onstage. He currently serves as Vice President of the Executive Board of SDC, the union of Stage Directors and Choreographers. Haj holds a B.F.A. in Theatre from Florida International University and an M.F.A. in Acting from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Guthrie gratefully acknowledges U.S. Bank for their support of Somewhere.

Related Events

Post-Play Discussions
Patrons are invited to stay in the theater following select performances for a 20-minute conversation about the production facilitated by Guthrie staff. Cast members may join the discussion as they are able.

Sunday, December 21 at 1 p.m.
Tuesday, December 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 28 at 1 p.m.
Wednesday, December 31 at 1 p.m.
Saturday, January 17 at 1 p.m.

Accessible Performances

Relaxed Performance – Sunday, January 18 at 1 p.m.
A relaxed performance is intended to be sensitive to and accepting of any audience member who may benefit from a more relaxed environment. It is intentionally modified to accommodate patrons with sensory and vestibular sensitivities, anxiety, dementia, autism spectrum disorders learning differences and/or other challenges attending the theater.

ASL-Interpreted Performances
American Sign Language interpreters sign the performance as it plays out onstage.

Friday, January 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 17 at 1 p.m.

Audio-Described Performances
Audio describers provide live verbal descriptions of the action, costumes and scenery for people who are blind or have low vision.

Friday, January 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 17 at 1 p.m.

Open-Captioned Performances
LED screens display text simultaneously with the performance onstage.

Saturday, January 3 at 1 p.m.
Sunday, January 4 at 1 p.m.
Wednesday, January 7 at 1 p.m.
Friday, January 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 14 at 1 p.m.

The Guthrie also provides accessible services upon request. Requests must be received at least two weeks in advance and can be directed to 612.225.6390 or accessibility@guthrietheater.org.

Ticket Information
Single tickets range from $35 to $94 (handling fees included). Purchase single and group tickets (minimum requirement of 15 per group) through the Box Office at 612.377.2224 (single), 1.877.447.8243 (toll-free), 612.225.6244 (group) or online at guthrietheater.org. The Guthrie Theater Box Office is the only official and most secure source for Guthrie tickets. We cannot guarantee the validity of tickets purchased through any other vendor or third-party seller.

Land Acknowledgment
The Guthrie would like to acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the Dakota People and honor with gratitude the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations, including the Ojibwe and other Indigenous nations.

The GUTHRIE THEATER (Joseph Haj, Artistic Director) is an American center for theater performance in Minneapolis, Minnesota, dedicated to producing a mix of classic and contemporary plays and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. Under Haj’s leadership, the Guthrie is guided by four core values: Artistic Excellence; Community; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility; and Fiscal Responsibility. Since its founding in 1963, the theater has continued to set a national standard for excellence in the field and serve the people of Minnesota as a vital cultural resource. The Guthrie houses three state-of-the-art stages, production facilities, classrooms and dramatic public spaces. guthrietheater.org