
I surprised this role was not wrote with Ryan in mind as this type of role was her bread and butter back then. Kim Basinger also turned it down because she thought the premise was ridiculous (Good move Kim!!) After Michelle Pfeiffer, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jodie Foster all declined as well, Meg Ryan landed the role. Amazingly the role of Annie was originally offered to Julia Roberts, who turned it down. He is heartbreakingly excellent as the widower. Both are very different, but are equally brilliant.
CAST OF SLEEPLESS IN SEATLE MOVIE
Who is drawn to Jim based on his story, despite already being engaged to Walter (Bill Pullman) 1993 was a massive year for Tom Hanks with both this movie and "Philadelphia" being huge hits. Among the many women who hear Sam's story and fall in love with him solely because of it is Annie Reed (Meg Ryan) a Baltimore-based newspaper writer. Sam ends up pouring his heart out about his magical and perfect marriage to his late wife, and how much he still misses her. On Christmas Eve, Jonah calls a national radio talk show and ask for a "new wife" for his Dad. His eight year old son Jonah (Ross Malinger) misses his mother, but he wants his father to get a new wife despite Sam having not even contemplated dating again. Plot In A Paragraph: Eighteen months after losing his wife, Sam (Tom Hanks) is still grieving and can't sleep. For more information, visit will not lie to you, I will admit right from the off that I am biased. The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, CA. It was nominated for two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. The film grossed over $227 million dollars worldwide. The American Film Institute (AFI) lists "Sleepless in Seattle" among the Top 10 Best Romantic Comedies of all time. Believing they are meant to be together, Annie sets out for Seattle to meet Sam, who, meanwhile, contends with an onslaught of letters from available women equally touched by his phone call." Thousands of miles away in Baltimore, Annie hears the program and immediately falls in love with Sam, despite the fact that she has never met him and that she is engaged to another man. When Sam's son, Jonah calls into a talk radio program looking for a new mother, Sam ends up getting on the phone and laments about his lost love.

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According to Playhouse notes, " Sleepless in Seattle - The Musical centers around Sam, a widower and single father. The creative team includes choreographer Spencer Liff (The Playhouse's A Snow White Christmas, "So You Think You Can Dance"), scenic designer John Iacovelli (The Playhouse's The Heiress, Art and Blues for an Alabama Sky), lighting and projection designer Brian Gale (The Playhouse's Intimate Apparel and The Heiress), sound designer Carl Casella ( One Night With Janis Joplin), costume designer Kate Bergh (The Playhouse's Under My Skin), music supervisor Tony nominee Larry Blank ( Catch Me If You Can, The Drowsy Chaperone, Irving Berlin's White Christmas), musical director David O and orchestrator Tony winner Michael Starobin ( Next to Normal, Assassins). It's based on the Columbia Pictures film that starred Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Sleepless in Seattle has a book by Jeff Arch, music by Ben Toth and lyrics by Sam Forman. Rounding out the ensemble are Sachin Bhatt ( Bombay Dreams), Terron Brooks ("The Temptations," The Lion King), Jay Donnell ("Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean"), Charissa Hogeland, Teya Patt ("Weeds") and Yuka Takara ( A Chorus Line, Rent, Flower Drum Song). The cast includes Gleason ( The Phantom of the Opera) as Sam, West ( A Christmas Story) as Jonah, Schwartz ( Wicked, Gypsy) as Annie, Sabrina Sloan ("American Idol," Catch Me if You Can) as Becky, Todd Buonopane ("30 Rock," Happy Days) as Rob, Cynthia Ferrer ("General Hospital," "Georgia Rule") as Eleanor, Katharine Leonard ( Hairspray) as Victoria, Robert Mammana ( Les Misérables, "Dexter") as Walter, Adam Silver ("Californication," "The Runaways") as Greg, Lowe Taylor ( The Marvelous Wondrettes) as Suzy and Carter Thomas ( Mary Poppins national tour) as Jonah alternate. Sheldon Epps ( Baby It's You!, Play On! and Blues in the Night), artistic director of Pasadena Playhouse, directs the production, which continues through June 23. The romantic musical based on the hit film began previews May 24.

Tim Martin Gleason and Chandra Lee Schwartz
