Harrison Bryan and Katie Emerson Will Lead New Musical Marlise! at The Players Theatre

The work follows a once-beloved movie star whose career shatters overnight when she’s arrested for murder at the 1954 Oscars.

By Meg Masseron

July 15, 2026: Harrison Bryan (Marcel on the Train) and Katie Emerson will star in a developmental production of new musical comedy Marlise! at The Players Theatre later this summer. Performances will begin August 13, continuing through September 6. 

Marlise! follows Marlise Mattox, a once-beloved movie star whose career shatters overnight when she’s arrested for murder at the 1954 Academy Awards. The only person who believes in her innocence is her biggest fan: Arnold Berman, a lonely movie studio prop room assistant. After breaking her out of jail, Arnold convinces Marlise to solve the crime with him, filming every twist and turn as they go, in the hopes of creating the greatest comeback movie ever made.

With a book and lyrics by Jesse Ayala and music and lyrics by Justino Tesoro, the developmental staging will feature direction and choreography by Joe Barros and music direction by Dan Gibson. 

“We wanted Marlise! to feel like a Technicolor fever dream that lovingly spoofs the glamour and excess of Golden Age Hollywood and classic movie musicals, with an underlying universal message of finding love and acceptance,” said co-writer Jesse Ayala in a statement. “Harrison and Katie bring exactly the kind of larger-than-life performances, impeccable comic instincts, and genuine heart that make that style sing.”

“At its heart, this is a story about family and the indelible power of home. It’s about the families we choose, the families we're born into, and the impossible desire to rewrite our own story," adds Barros. "The show also argues that home is not a place we leave behind or a fantasy we achieve through fame. Home is the people who continue to see us, even after the illusion falls away.”

The original musical was developed through BerkleeNYC and the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, and Sharon Fallon Productions is executive producing the Players Theatre production.

For tickets and more information, visit MarliseMusical.com.

Read full article on playbill.com