Photos: Bobby Conte and More in COPPERFIELD! Off-Broadway

Charles Dickens’ COPPERFIELD!, The New Musical, with book, music, and lyrics by Jeffrey Scharf, and directed and choreographed by Gabriel Barre, is currently in performances at The Duke on 42nd Street at New 42 Studios. The off-Broadway production has set an opening for October 19 in a limited engagement through December 6. See photos!

In a stirring new musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ favorite and most autobiographical novel, brought to life by a spirited company of actor-musicians, COPPERFIELD! follows its resilient protagonist David from a difficult childhood through to adulthood. As a child, David endures the sadism of his stepfather Murdstone, the depredations of the villainous schoolmaster Creakle, and the mind-numbing routine of a London sweatshop. As an adult, he is visited by happiness and success as well as tragedy and loss. 

Along the way, he meets some of Dickens’ most memorable characters: including his formidable Aunt Betsey Trotwood, the loyal Peggotty family, the eccentric Mr. Micawber, the gentle Agnes Wickfield, the charming but reckless Steerforth, the naïve Dora Spenlow, and the deceitful Uriah Heep.

Through friendship, hardship, love, betrayal, and personal triumph, David discovers his identity and purpose in a story that celebrates resilience, compassion, and the enduring strength of the human spirit.

Bobby Conte stars in the musical as David Copperfield, and the cast of COPPERFIELD! also includes Amelia Cormack, Jed Feder, Calvin Knegten, Kent M. Lewis, Kara Mikula, Miyuki Miyagi, Nancy O’Connor, Dan Piering, Aaron Michael Ray, Will Reynolds, Owen Squire Smith, Alexander Sovronsky, Erica Spyres, Andy Taylor, Cathryn Wake, Tatiana Wechsler, and Henry Witcher.

COPPERFIELD! features scenic design by Edward Pierce, costume design by Jen Caprio,  lighting design by Jeff Croiter, sound design by Shannon Slaton,  hair and wig design by J. Jared Janas, and Ashley Wren Collins is the Associate Director & Associate Choreographer. Orchestrations and arrangements are by Sonny Paladino.

Photo credit: Jeremy Daniel