Jessica Chastain

The play is based on the classic Henry James novel Washington Square and became an Academy Award-winning film.  Written by Ruth Goetz & Augustus Goetz, the show will be directed by Tony Award® nominated playwright and director Moisés Kaufman and will open in the Fall of 2012 at a theatre to be announced.

This production marks 17 years since the celebrated play was last seen on Broadway.  The original production premiered on Broadway in 1947 at the Biltmore Theatre.

A Juilliard graduate, Chastain’s stage work includes the title role of Salome, opposite Al Pacino, Othello at the Public Theater and Rodney’s Wife at Playwrights Horizons.

Paula Wagner, one of the producers said of Chastain: “I was immediately struck by Jessica’s talent and skill when I saw her on stage opposite Al Pacino in Salome. She is an actress with that rare ability to transition effortlessly between the stage and screen. Moisés Kaufman had the vision to see Jessica as the perfect actress to play one of the great psychologically complex female characters.”  The director, Moisés Kaufman, was quoted as saying “Jessica Chastain is a great actress with chameleon-like prowess and enormous emotional intelligence; I think she’s one of the best actresses of her generation. I’m thrilled to be working with her on The Heiress.”

Below is her biography per the press release:

JESSICA CHASTAIN (Catherine Sloper) has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most sought after actors of her generation. Born and raised in Northern California, Chastain attended the Juilliard School in New York City. While there she starred in Romeo and Juliet and went on to receive glowing reviews for her performances in The Cherry Orchard opposite Michelle Williams at Williamstown, and Richard Nelson’s Rodney’s Wife opposite David Strathairn off-Broadway at Playwright’s Horizons. Chastain can most recently be seen starring opposite Brad Pitt and Sean Penn in the drama Tree Of Life, written and directed by Terrence Malick for River Road Productions. The story concerns the loss of innocence as seen through the eyes of the son of the characters played by Chastain and Pitt. The film was shot in Texas in early 2008 and released in May 2011. Chastain also stars as the female lead in Miramax’s The Debt alongside Helen Mirren and Sam Worthington. Chastain is an Israeli Mossad agent sent on a mission to apprehend the WWII Nazi surgeon from the concentration camp who tortured Jewish prisoners. Production took place in Budapest and Tel Aviv. Chastain will also be seen in Ami Mann’s upcoming feature film, Texas Killing Fields. This psychological thriller is based on true events that took place in a small Pennsylvania town in 1973. In this project Jessica will star alongside Sam Worthington and Chloe Moretz. Chastain recently wrapped production on Dreamworks’ adaptation of the best-selling Kathryn Stockett novel The Help playing Celia Foote, an insecure Southern lady constantly trying to fit in with the high society women who reject her. The story centers on black maids working in white households in the early 1960s in Jackson, Miss. Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard and Octavia Spencer are among the cast. The film released in August 2011. Chastain recently wrapped production on Wettest County, opposite Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy. The film was directed by John Hillcoat and produced by Doug Wick. Chastain has also been seen playing the character Virgilia in Coriolanus, a film adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy. The film, shot in Belgrade, Serbia in 2010, also stars Gerard Butler and Ralph Fiennes. This film is set to release in 2011. In 2009, Jessica played the role of Desmonda in the classic play Othello opposite Phillip Seymor Hoffman. Directed by Peter Sellars, the project ran beginning in Vienna, then Germany and finishing in New York. At the senior class Juilliard showcase, Jessica landed a coveted talent deal with Emmy award winning executive producer and writer John Wells, the show runner of “E.R.”, “West Wing” and producer of White Oleander. After completing a pilot for John Wells and director PJ Hogan (My Best Friend’s Wedding), Jessica returned to the stage in the Los Angeles Wadsworth Theatre production of Salome, where Academy Award Winners Estelle Parsons (director) and Al Pacino hand-picked Jessica to play the title role of Salome opposite Pacino. Continuing the collaboration, producer Barry Navidi commenced the film version of Salome entitled Wild Salome directed by Al Pacino, where they filmed behind the scenes and portions of the play’s production. Chastain’s stage work in Salome received enormous critical attention and led to her landing the dynamic title role in Jolene in the Dan Ireland directed production opposite Rupert Friend, Frances Fisher, Dermot Mulroney and Michael Vartan. This adaptation of the E.L. Doctorow (Ragtime) short story Jolene depicts a young woman’s odyssey of relationships over the course of ten years. Chastain won the Best Actress Award at the 2008 Seattle Film Festival for this role. In 2011, Chastain received several nominations and awards for her recent work including the New York Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress for the Tree of Life, The Help and Take Shelter. Chastain is also nominated for the Independent Spirit Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress for Take Shelter. Chastain currently lives in California.

The show will also star Bryce Pinkham as Carl Bruner and newcomer Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Oda Mae Brown. 

Preview performances will begin on March 15th, 2012 and opening night is scheduled for Monday, April 23.

A video that features the cast and some of the music, as well as cast bio’s are below.  

RICHARD FLEESHMAN (Sam Wheat) originated the role of Sam in both the West End and world premier Manchester productions of Ghost The Musical.  He first came to the public’s attention as a youngster, when he played Craig Harris in “Coronation Street.”  Other television credits include: “Blue Murder,” “Monday Monday,” “Midsomer Murders,” Jimmy McGovern’s “Moving On,” and Kyle Caddick in Debbie Horsfield’s six-part drama series “All the Small Things.”  Radio work includes: “When Twilight Falls” (Radio 4).  Film: An Angel for May.  After signing with Universal Records, Richard released his debut album and went on to complete three stadium tours supporting Sir Elton John around the UK and Europe.  He has also collaborated with Sir Elton, writing and performing the soundtrack of All the Small Things.  Last year, Richard made his West End debut playing Warner as part of the original cast of Legally Blonde (Savoy).  Ghost will mark Richard’s Broadway debut.  

CAISSIE LEVY (Molly Jensen) Caissie originated the role of Molly in both the West End and world premier Manchester productions of Ghost The Musical.  Most recently, she starred as Sheila in the 2009 Tony Award winning Broadway revival of Hair, reprising her role in the subsequent West End transfer.  Other Broadway credits include: Elphaba in Wicked (Los Angeles, Broadway u/s); Penny Pingleton in Hairspray (Broadway, first national tour); and Maureen in Rent (national tour).  In concert, she was a guest soloist for The United States Military Academy at West Point.  Recordings include the original London cast album of Ghost The Musical and the Grammy Award nominated cast recording of Hair, from which her rendition of “Easy to be Hard” was named USA Today’s Pick of the Week.    www.caissielevy.com  

BRYCE PINKHAM (Carl Bruner).   Broadway: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.  Lincoln Center: Knickerbocker Holiday (with Kelli O’Hara, Victor Garber and the American Symphony Orchestra.  Off-Broadway: Orphans’ Home Cycle (Signature Theater/Hartford Stage); Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Public Lab).  Regional: A Funny Thing Happened…, Our Town, Beyond Therapy (Williamstown); A View From The Bridge (Guthrie Theater); All’s Well That Ends Well, Woman Of No Importance (Yale Rep); The Just, Much Ado About Nothing (Chautauqua Theatre Co.); Dublin Carol (Nora Theatre).  TV: “God In America,” “The Good Wife.” Bryce is a proud collaborator with Theater of War, a program that performs Greek tragedy for American military audiences; his latest trips were to Guantanamo Bay and Japan.  Awards: Oliver Thorndike Acting Award and Lotte Lenya Singing Scholarship.  Education: M.F.A., Yale School of Drama; B.A., Boston College.

DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH (Oda Mae Brown) Da’Vine Joy Randolph, a Philadelphia native makes her Broadway debut in Ghost.   She received her bachelor’s from Temple University in classical vocal performance and transitioned into acting by attending Yale School of Drama for her Masters. Other regional credits include Servant of Two Masters at Yale Repertory Theater and HAIR at Prince Music Theater. 

The invasion of privacy from the release of the pictures seems to pale in comparison to other ways Johansson has felt exposed in the past few years.  Her divorce from Ryan Reynolds (the recipient of the aforementioned photos) was public and painful.  Johansson says, “I really didn’t know what to do with myself.  It was such a strange time.  There was nothing that was interesting to me.  I had a very public separation.  It was difficult.  I felt very uncomfortable.”

Previous to the divorce, Johansson starred opposite Live Schreiber in a revival of Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge.  She dove into the role and experience and says that it “completely took me over in every way.  I’d spent four months bleeding all over the stage, completely exposed.” 

The run marked her Broadway debut, and she was rewarded for her emotional and physical exhaustion with the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play, a life changing event for the actress who says she’s wanted to be on Broadway since her childhood.  Johansson explains, “I felt I was forever changed by that experience.  It was unbelievable holding that Tony.”

But returning “home” has made things a bit difficult for O’Connell… because like struggling actors a lot younger than him, O’Connell actually moved back into his parents’ place!

O’Connell tells Broadway.com, “I was born and raised in Manhattan, and I’m staying in my parents’ apartment right now.  It’s a little awkward being well into my 30s and living with my parents again, but that’s how it goes.”

Of course, when you’re married to a beautiful woman like Rebecca Romijn it’s obvious that O’Connell won’t be sleeping at mom and dad’s for long.  Romijn is scheduled to join O’Connell in New York and was very supportive of his move.  He says, “When the opportunity to be part of Seminar came up, my wife and I knew it was something I would have to pursue.  It’s tough that we have to move, but I’m no stranger to New York; I take the number 1 [subway] train up here every day. There was no way I was going to turn Seminar down.”   O’Connell definitely sounds enthusiastic about taking the role, and with good reason — he’ll be sharing the stage with other actors like Alan Rickman, Lily Rabe, Hamish Linklater and Hettienne Park.  Yeah, that could probably make me crash with my parents for a few weeks, too!

Seminar opens on October 27 at the small John Golden Theatre in New York. Form tickets and information, click here.

Darren Criss

The Glee actor takes over the role from Daniel Radcliffe, who’s final performance will be January 1st.

Criss will only be in the show for 3 weeks because of his commitment to Glee.

I saw the show in April and loved it! I thought Radcliffe was great and worked his butt off. Criss will have some tough shoes to fill.

The press release is below.

“GLEE” BREAKOUT STAR DARREN CRISS CONFIRMED TO MAKE BROADWAY DEBUT AS BROADWAY’S NEXT ‘J. PIERREPONT FINCH’

THREE WEEKS ONLY JANUARY 3-22, 2012

DANIEL RADCLIFFE TO STAR IN SHOW THROUGH JANUARY 1, 2012

(New York, NY – Monday, August 1, 2011) The producers of the 50^th Anniversary production of the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical comedy HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING announced today that Darren Criss, breakout star of Fox’s Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning smash hit television show “GLEE”, will make his Broadway debut as J. Pierrepont Finch, performing a strictly limited three week engagement from January 3, through January 22, 2012.  He will replace Daniel Radcliffe, who will play his final performance on Sunday, January 1, 2012.  Tickets for Mr. Criss’ engagement in HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING are now on sale.

“Daniel gives an extraordinary performance eight times a week and we knew finding someone to fill his shoes would be nearly impossible. When we learned of Darren’s dream of performing on Broadway we knew we had found our Finch but presumed his “GLEE” schedule would eliminate any chance to work with him,” said director/choreographer Rob Ashford.  “We are ecstatic and grateful to Ryan Murphy and his “GLEE” team at 20th Century Fox TV for helping to make both Darren’s and our dream come true.”

Actor/musician/songwriter Darren Criss has gone from YouTube sensation to a six-time Billboard charting musician and composer, and cast member of Fox’s Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning series “GLEE.” He was recently promoted to a series regular after making a splash as a guest star in Season Two, playing Blaine Anderson.  Criss’ breakout performance of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” in his first episode set a milestone for “GLEE,” debuting at #1 on Billboard for the first time in the show’s history and selling over 200,000 tracks in its first week. He is also the co-founder of StarKid Productions, where he wrote and starred in A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequel. Additional credits under StarKid Productions include Me and My Dick and most recently Starship. His television credits include “Eastwick,” “Cold Case” and “Archer.”

HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING began previews on Saturday, February 26, 2011 and opened Sunday, March 27 at Broadway’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45^th Street). Nominated for eight 2011 Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING is directed and choreographed by Tony and Emmy Award-winner Rob Ashford, and currently stars Daniel Radcliffe as J. Pierrepont Finch, 2011 Tony Award winner John Larroquette as J. B. Biggley, Rose Hemingway in her Broadway debut as Radcliffe’s onstage romantic interest Rosemary Pilkington, Tammy Blanchard as Hedy La Rue, Christopher J. Hanke as Bud Frump, Rob Bartlett as Twimble/Wally Womper, Mary Faber as Smitty, Ellen Harvey as Miss Jones, 2011 Emmy Award winner Michael Park as Bert Bratt, and Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist Anderson Cooper making his Broadway debut as the voice of the narrator, in a cast of 30.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING has music and lyrics by Academy Award and Tony Award winner Frank Loesser, and a book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert, based on the book by Shepherd Mead. The creative team for HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING includes Derek McLane (Sets) Catherine Zuber (Costumes), Howell Binkley (Lighting), Jon Weston (Sound), Tom Watson (Hair), Doug Besterman (Orchestrations), and David Chase (Music Director and Arranger).  The 50^th Anniversary production of HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING is produced by Broadway Across America (John Gore, Thomas B. McGrath, Beth Williams), Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Joseph Smith, Michael McCabe, Candy Spelling, Takonkiet Viravan/Scenario Thailand, Two Left Feet Productions/PowerArts, Jen Namoff/Fakston Productions, Hilary A. Williams, HOP Theatricals, LLC/Paul Chau/Daniel Frishwasser/Michael Jackowitz, and Michael Speyer – Bernie Abrams/Jacki Barlia Florin - Adam Blanshay/Arlene Scanlan/TBS Service.

With the aid of a trusty self-help book “How to Succeed in Business” wily window washer J. Pierrepont Finch enjoys a riotous rise up the corporate ladder.  Will Finch’s unorthodox business practices at the World-Wide Wicket Company get him in hot water with the head honcho J.B. Biggley, and jeopardize his romance with secretary Rosemary Pilkington?  With a hilarious book and beloved score by Frank Loesser, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING is packed with hit standards such as “I Believe in You,” “Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm,” “The Company Way,” “Been a Long Day,” “Rosemary,” and “Brotherhood of Man.”

Tickets for HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING range from $52 – $132, and are available at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre box office and at Telecharge.com (212-239-6200).  The playing schedule is as follows: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7pm, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturday at 8pm, with matinees Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm and Sunday at 3pm.

For more information please visit: www.howtosucceedbroadway.com

Blair

The revival will open next March and the cast will be interracial.

No word yet on who will play Stella (yell it like Brando, I know you want to. I just did) and Blanche. “I don’t know who the producers are going to get, but two of my favorite actress are Anika Noni Rose and Sanaa Lathan. They are two Broadway babies I’d love to work with,” he said.

Personally, I think he’d rock the house in that show.

This is a totally inspirational story. Never give up your dreams!

From USAToday.com:

On the show, A Steady Rain:
The gritty account of two Chicago policemen whose lives are upended by shattering events, some inspired by a real-life case, marks Craig’s Broadway debut.

Daniel Craig: “I just was fascinated by this great piece of writing, very emotional and disturbing but quite funny at points.”

Hugh Jackman: “It’s very raw — there are not many plays like it on Broadway.”

On Their Roles and careers:
Jackman: “I suppose the roles are different from others we’ve done, but that’s what you want. To be remembered for different things is something that motivates both of us.”

Craig: “We both come from places where the movie industry isn’t something you can walk straight into.”

Jackman: “Or make a living in.”

Craig: “In drama school, we’d have one day a term where someone brought a camera in, and we’d film each other mucking about. That was it, basically. People say that acting in theater and film are different disciplines, but I can’t agree completely. The only thing that matters in acting is truth. It’s all about making the audience believe you.”

The importance of working with a great actor:
Craig: “I don’t know how much smoke I should blow up his a—, but Hugh’s tremendously talented. When you’re on stage, you want to be looking at someone who’s intelligent and who’s got your back. It makes my job that much easier, lazy actor that I am.”