MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB
ANNOUNCES
STEPHEN COLLINS & TONY ROBERTS
TO JOIN CAST OF
THE ROYAL FAMILY
NEW BROADWAY PRODUCTION OF GEORGE S. KAUFMAN & EDNA FERBER CLASSIC
TO OPEN THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8 AT MTC’S SAMUEL J. FRIEDMAN THEATRE
Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director) and Barry Grove (Executive Producer) are pleased to announce that Emmy Award nominee Stephen Collins (“7th Heaven,” Monty Python’s Spamalot) and Tony Award nominee Tony Roberts (Xanadu, The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife) will join the cast of Manhattan Theatre Club’s upcoming production of THE ROYAL FAMILY.
Collins, who is best known to television audiences from the hit series “7th Heaven,” returns to MTC after having appeared in their production of the Stephen Sondheim revue Putting It Together. He most recently played the role of ‘King Arthur’ in the Broadway production of Monty Python’s Spamalot. In THE ROYAL FAMILY, Collins will play the role of ‘Gilbert Marshall.’
Roberts is returning to MTC after appearing in the hit production of Charles Busch’s The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife directed by Lynne Meadow. He most recently appeared on Broadway in the critically acclaimed cult musical Xanadu. Roberts will play the role of ‘Oscar Wolfe.’
The new Broadway production of THE ROYAL FAMILY by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber will be directed by Tony Award winner Doug Hughes (Mauritius, Doubt). The production will begin previews Tuesday, September 15 and open Thursday, October 8 at MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street).
It’s half past one in the fabulously cluttered Cavendish duplex in the East Fifties, and anyone who’s anyone is still asleep. So begins THE ROYAL FAMILY, the classic comedy of theatrical manners, written by two of the theatre’s greatest writers, George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber, whose other storied collaborations include Dinner at Eight and Stage Door.
This devilishly funny play follows the Cavendishes, the famous family of stage stars, as they go about the drama of the day: choosing scripts, dashing off to a performance, and stealing kisses with handsome beaus. But what’s this business about the younger Miss Cavendish wanting to quit the stage for domestic bliss? Never, darling!
In addition to Collins and Roberts, the cast for THE ROYAL FAMILY will include Tony winner John Glover as ‘Herbert Dean,’ Tony Award winner and Oscar nominee Rosemary Harris as ‘Fanny Cavendish,’ Tony Award nominee and Drama Desk Award winner Jan Maxwell as ‘Julie Cavendish, and Tony Award nominee and Drama Desk Award nominee Reg Rogers as ‘Tony Cavendish.’
This will mark Harris’ second time appearing in THE ROYAL FAMILY on Broadway. In the acclaimed 1976 production, she played the role of ‘Julie Cavendish,’ the role that will be played by Jan Maxwell in the upcoming Broadway production.
Additional casting, creative team, single ticket information, and other listings information for THE ROYAL FAMILY will be announced in the coming weeks.
THE ROYAL FAMILY will be the first production of MTC’s 2009-2010 theatrical season. Other productions will include the Broadway premiere of Donald Margulies’ Collected Stories directed by Lynne Meadow and featuring Linda Lavin. Off-Broadway at City Center, MTC’s season will include Donald Margulies’ Time Stands Still directed by Daniel Sullivan, Nightingale written by and starring Lynn Redgrave and directed by Joseph Hardy, and the New York premiere of Polly Stenham’s That Face.
In the coming weeks, MTC will announce one more production for the Friedman Theatre. That announcement will complete MTC’s upcoming season which will include three productions at the Friedman Theatre and three productions at New York City Center.
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, MTC has become one of the country’s most prominent and prestigious theatre companies. MTC productions have earned a total of 16 Tony Awards and six Pulitzer Prizes, an accomplishment unparalleled by a New York theatrical institution. Renowned MTC productions include Ruined; The American Plan; Top Girls; Come Back, Little Sheba; Blackbird; Translations; Shining City; Rabbit Hole; Doubt; Proof; The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife; Love! Valour! Compassion! ; A Small Family Business; Sylvia; Putting It Together; Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune; Crimes of the Heart; and Ain’t Misbehavin’.
Last season, MTC’s Broadway stage was renamed the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street). The landmarked theatre has been the institution’s home on Broadway since 2003 and was rehabilitated by MTC following a two-year, $35 million capital campaign. In addition, MTC operates an Off-Broadway home at New York City Center (131 West 55th Street), where it has been in residence since 1984.
Subscriptions to MTC’s 2009-2010 season are currently available by calling (212) 399-3030, Monday – Friday, noon – 8 PM with a major credit card. Subscriptions are also available online at www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com.
Single tickets to all of MTC’s 2009-2010 productions will be available at a later date.
BIOGRAPHIES
STEPHEN COLLINS (Gilbert Marshall). Emmy-nominated Collins is one of Hollywood’s busiest talents, moving effortlessly between television, film, and theater. Television audiences are most familiar with his work as the lead in the WB’s “7th Heaven,” for eleven seasons and as Sela Ward’s love interest in the critically acclaimed drama series Sisters. He also starred in the series Tattingers, Working it Out and Tales of the Monkey. Collins has had starring roles in eight television miniseries, including “The Rhineman Exchange,” “Inside the Third Reich,” “Chiefs,” “Hold the Dream,” and “The Two Mrs. Grenvilles,” for which he earned an Emmy nomination. He also starred in the television movies “The Betty Broderick Story,” “The Babysitter’s Seduction,” “Summer Solstice,” and “Weekend War.” He also starred opposite Stockard Channing in “An Unexpected Family” and the sequel, “An Unexpected Life.” Collins has also directed episodes of “7th Heaven.” Collins’ numerous feature film credits include The First Wives Club, Jumpin Jack Flash, Brewster’s Millions, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Promise and the critically acclaimed All the President’s Men, as Hugh Sloan. Most recently, he starred opposite Diane Keaton in the feature film Because I Said So, and in Ed Zwick’s Blood Diamond with Leonardo DiCaprio. No stranger to the stage, Collins starred in the original Broadway productions of Moonchildren, Terrence McNally’s The Ritz, Christopher Durang’s Beyond Therapy and A.R. Gurney’s The Old Boy. He performed in the New York Shakespeare Festival in One of the Guys and Macbeth opposite Christopher Walken, and was directed by Joseph Papp in Twelfth Night. Collins also directed a successful regional production of The Old Boy. His play, Super Sunday, was produced at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, and his first novel, Eye Contact, is now in its seventh printing while his second, Double Exposure, recently hit book stores.
TONY ROBERTS (Oscar Wolfe). Roberts’ ability to portray a variety of characters on stage, in films and on television has made him one of the busiest actors in America. He has appeared in over 20 Broadway plays and musicals, and has been twice nominated for the Tony Award. In 1969, he won the coveted critic’s Poll Award for his performance in Promises, Promises in London. Broadway credits include Jerome Robbins’ Broadway; Victor/Victoria; How Now, Dow Jones (Tony Nomination for Best Actor in a Musical); Play It Again, Sam (Tony Nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play); Sugar; Absurd Person Singular; Don’t Drink the Water; Doubles; Something About a Soldier (Professional debut); Saul Bellow’s The Last Analysis; The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife; and Xanadu. He played Scrooge at Madison Square Garden and starred with the New York City Opera Company in Brigadoon, and South Pacific. Other Broadway credits include Barefoot In the Park; Promises, Promises; They’re Playing Our Song; The Sisters Rosenzweig; Take Her, She’s Mine; Never Too Late; and Arsenic & Old Lace. Roberts had major roles in the films Annie Hall; Play it Again, Sam; Serpico; La Sauvage; Star Spangled Girl; Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy; Hannah And Her Sisters; Stardust Memories; Radio Days; The Taking of Pelham, One Two Three; 18 Again; Amityville 3D; Just Tell Me What You Want; and Switch. On television Roberts has starred on NBC in Leonard Stern’s “Rosetti and Ryan” on CBS in Alan Alda’s “The Four Season’s,” and on ABC in Mike Nichols’ “The Thorns.” His TV work includes Arthur Miller’s “The American Clock” and Saul Bellows “Seize the Day” for PBS. He has starred in three episodes of “Law & Order” and tracked down Anthony Hopkins in the TV movie “The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case.” Among his output are some 50 or more books on tape featuring portrayals of ‘Sam Spade’ in The Maltese Falcon for Random House, and ‘Stone Barrington,’ the hero of the very popular Stuart Woods detective series. He is the voice on the audio version of Rudolph Gulliani’s Leadership, for which he won an audio book award, and the narrator of the Bravo Profiles Television Series. Mr. Roberts makes his home in New York City where he was born. He attended the High School of Music and Art and graduated from Northwestern University where he majored in Drama and studied Acting with Alvina Krause.
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