Joan Almedilla (Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, The King and I) will play the late opera star Maria Callas in Sierra Madre Playhouse's upcoming production of Terrence McNally's Tony-winning Master Class.

Directed by Tim Dang, performances are scheduled for February 14–March 9 at the California venue.

The cast will also include Joanna Kim as Sophie, Francesca Ling as Sharon, Kurt Kanazawa as Tony, Joshua Foy as Music Director Manny, and Ricardo Mota as the Stagehand plus understudies Mariah Rae and Kit DeZolt.

“Because Maria Callas’ artistry transcends cultures and continues to inspire people around the globe, Master Class provides a particularly poignant culmination to our Lunar New Year festival, which embraces the shared values that unite us all,” says Sierra Madre Playhouse Artistic and Executive Director Matt Cook in a statement. “Tim Dang, a superb director who creates transformative theatrical landscapes, and the entire cast, led by Joan Almedilla, who vividly embodies Maria Callas, infuse the production with tremendous humanity. The production also reflects Sierra Madre Playhouse’s commitment to offering a rich tapestry of programming for Lunar New Year that highlights how the themes of renewal and unity resonate within and beyond the broader Asian and Asian American communities.”

Callas' famed mentoring sessions at Juilliard are immortalized in the late McNally's Master Class, which opened on Broadway in 1995 and won Tony Awards for Best Play, Best Actress in a Play for Zoe Caldwell, and Best Featured Actress in a Play for Audra McDonald. Caldwell, who played Callas, was succeeded by Tony winner Patti LuPone and Designing Women's Dixie Carter. Oscar winner Faye Dunaway starred in the national tour, and Tony winner Tyne Daly headed the cast of the 2011 Broadway revival.

The creative team also includes music director Joshua Foy, scenic designer Christopher Scott Murillo, lighting and projection designer Lily Bartenstein, and stage manager Joshua Payuan-Cruz.

Visit SierraMadrePlayhouse.org.