Weather 
Ogunquit Playhouse has announced complete casting for its world premiere of Small Town, A John Mellencamp Musical, featuring 24 of the singer’s hits, and a book by Obie Award-winning playwright Naomi Wallace (One Flea Spare). Director Lisa Peterson will bring the tale to the stage, weaving Mellencamp’s American songbook into a story of love, longing, and the choices that shape our lives. Performances begin Thursday, October 1, for a limited run through November 1, 2026.
Kathleen Marshall was previously announced to direct and choreograph this production. There has been no announced reason for her departure. In response to a query about the reason for Marshall’s departure, the theater said only: “Kathleen Marshall is no longer involved.”
“Collaborating with an artist of John Mellencamp’s stature underscores Ogunquit Playhouse’s deepening commitment to the development of New Works,” said Executive Artistic Director Brad Kenney. “Acclaimed playwright Naomi Wallace and director Lisa Peterson challenge the conventions of the jukebox musical, weaving John’s remarkable lyrical storytelling into the lives of characters we’ve known through his music for more than four decades. We are beyond thrilled to share this bold new theatrical experience with audiences and the world.”
Small Town will star Dillon Klena (Jagged Little Pill Nat’l Tour) as Jack, Morgan Higgins (Broadway’s Bad Cinderella) as Diane, with Ron Bohmer (Broadway’s Les Misérables) as Jack’s father Sean, Annie Golden (Broadway’s The Full Monty) as Lou, Matt Saldívar (Broadway’s The Great Gatsby) as Diane’s father Sergio, Dale Soules (OP’s Billy Elliot, Broadway’s Grey Gardens) as Jack’s Aunt Box, and Luna Lauren Velez (Broadway’s Into the Woods) as Diane’s mother Maria.
The cast also includes Angela Chatelain Avila (La Mirada’s Come From Away), Mayelah Barrera (TheaterWork’s El Otro Oz), Zach Cossman (Shucked Nat’l Tour), Mollie Diaz (TUTS’s Frozen), Louis Jannuzzi III (OP’s Mr. Holland’s Opus), Noah LaPook (MV Playhouse’s The Campaign That Failed), Victoria Lourdes (Street Theatre Company’s We Are the Tigers), Kaitlyn O’Leary (OP’s When Elvis Met The Beatles), Sam O’Neill (Timberlake’s Rock of Ages), Alex Paez (Broadway’s Roza), Kendall Rivera (NSMT’s On Your Feet!), Lionna Romans (USC’s Legally Blonde), Deandre Sevon (Broadway’s A Beautiful Noise), and Ariana Valdes (Beef & Boards’ Pretty Woman).
Small Town features Direction by Lisa Peterson (Broadway’s Good Night, Oscar), Choreography by Richard J. Hinds (OP’s Come From Away), Music Supervision by Andy York (Alliance Theatre’s Ghost Brothers of Darkland County), and Music Direction by Jason Hart (Broadway’s American Psycho). Scenic Design by Klara Zieglerova (OP’s When Elvis Met The Beatles), Lighting Design by Richard Latta (OP’s The Producers), Costume Design by Haydee Zelideth (Playwright Horizon’s Wet Brain), Sound Design by Kevin Heard (OP’s The Producers), and Wig/Hair & Make-Up Design by Roxanne De Luna (OP’s City of Angels). Lisa Stevens (OP’s Witches of Eastwick) is the Intimacy Coordinator/Fight Choreographer, Tavia Rivée Jefferson (Broadway’s Stranger Things: The First Shadow) is the Cultural Coordinator and Natalie Villamonte Zito is the Dramaturg. Nikki Lint (OP’s City of Angels) is the Production Stage Manager. Casting is by ARC.
Step into the story of a small town in free-fall. Including John Mellencamp’s greatest hits, this isn’t just a musical—it’s a pulse-pounding story of the men and women living on the edge of the promise. Follow Jack and Diane, two star-crossed lovers refusing to let the world break them or bury their youthful fire. Through the echoes of “Hurts So Good,” “Lonely Ol’ Night,” “Small Town,” and the iconic “Jack & Diane,” witness a multigenerational community at a crossroads, making tough choices in a desperate bid for a better life.
