Christopher Ryan Grant, Van Hughes, Patti Murin to Lead The Ballad of Johnny and June at La Jolla

Christopher Ryan Grant, Van Hughes and Patti Murin will lead La Jolla Playhouse's world premiere of the new musical The Ballad of Johnny and June, about the country music stars Johnny Cash and June Carter. Tony winner Des McAnuff will direct the production, which begins performances at the Mandell Weiss Theatre on May 28. The limited engagement will run through July 7.

Stepping into the role of Johnny Cash, Grant served as an understudy for The Thanksgiving Play and The Iceman Cometh on Broadway. Murin, who starred as Princess Anna in Frozen on Broadway, plays June Carter. Hughes plays Johnny and June’s son John Carter Cash; he has performed in the Broadway casts of Almost Famous, Spring Awakening, American Idiot 9 to 5 and Hairspray.

The show will also star Maddie Shea Baldwin as Anita, Paula Leggett Chase as Carrie, Drew Wildman Foster as Carl Smith/Jack Cash/Marshall Grant, Gabriella Joy as Vivian, Bart Matthew Shatto as Ray Cash/Sam Phillips/W.S. Holland and Correy West as Luther Perkins/Rip Nix. Understudies include Summer Broyhill, Michael Louis Cusimano, Cody Ingram and Baily Day Sonner.

The Ballad of Johnny and June features a book by Robert Cary (Summer: The Donna Summer Musical) and music and lyrics by Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash and others, including hit songs like "I Walk the Line," "Ring of Fire" and "Hey Porter." The show is told through the eyes of John Carter Cash, covering the country music stars' childhoods, their 1956 meeting at the Grand Ole Opry, the onstage proposal in 1968 and the highs and lows of fame, life on the road, addiction, arrests, controversies, marriage, family and devotion. It was created with the support of the Cash family.

The upcoming production will also have music supervision, arrangements and orchestrations by Ron Melrose, music direction by Lisa LeMay, choreography by Byron Easley, scenic design by Robert Brill, costume design by Sarafina Bush, lighting design by Amanda Zieve, sound design by Peter Fitzgerald, media design by Sean Nieuwenhuis and wig design by Alberto “Albee” Alvarado.