ULTIMATE MACFARLANE Press Archive

09/05/2012

(Washington, D.C.) Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater produces the 2011 Tony Award-winning production of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart, directed by George C. Wolfe. Wolfe, who directed the show’s sold-out Broadway engagement last season, mounts the professional D.C.-area premiere of this production, which features returning Broadway cast members Patrick Breen and Luke MacFarlane, among others. Presented by special arrangement with Daryl Roth, The Normal Heart runs June 8-July 29, 2012 in the Kreeger Theater.

“It is a real privilege for Arena Stage to bring Larry Kramer’s work to his native Washington, which I saw in New York in a powerful and masterful production,” shares Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith. “Under the guidance of veteran director George C. Wolfe, I believe this important play will inspire D.C. audiences by offering a deep look at a group of people who bravely fought the unknown of the beginning of the AIDS epidemic.”

Breen (Broadway’s Next Fall), who portrayed Mickey Marcus in the Broadway production, and MacFarlane (Scotty on ABC’s Brothers & Sisters), who portrayed Craig Donner/Grady, return to take on new roles of Ned Weeks and Felix Turner respectively. Noted TV actress Patricia Wettig (Holly Harper on ABC’s Brothers & Sisters, FOX’s Prison Break) will play the paraplegic doctor Emma Brookner.

They are joined by Tom Berklund (Broadway’s The Addams Family) as Craig Donner/Grady, Michael Berresse (Broadway’s A Chorus Line) as Mickey Marcus, Christopher Dinolfo (Round House Theatre’s Next Fall) as David, Christopher J. Hanke (Broadway’s How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying) as Tommy Boatwright, Jon Levenson (understudy for Broadway’s The Normal Heart) as Hiram Keebler/Examining Doctor, Nick Mennell (Broadway’s A Free Man of Color) as Bruce Niles and John Procaccino (Lincoln Center Theater’s Blood and Gifts) as Ben Weeks.

“Last year when we did the revival on Broadway it was thrilling to see critics rediscover what a great American play The Normal Heart is, and to see audiences, young and old, respond with such emotion and ferocity to the story,” says Wolfe. “I’m so excited to be a part of bringing Larry’s astonishing, funny, moving play to D.C. and to The Arena.”

Fueled by love, anger, hope and pride, a circle of friends struggle to contain the mysterious disease ravaging New York’s gay community in The Normal Heart. Dismissed by politicians, frustrated by doctors and fighting with each other, their differences could tear them apart—or change the world. Hailed by critics as “riveting” (Newsday) and “a great night at the theater” (New York Times), Kramer’s masterwork is an outrageous and totally unforgettable look at sexual politics during the AIDS crisis and remains one of the theater’s most powerful evenings ever.

“I consider Washington my hometown and it’s been exceedingly upsetting to me that it’s taken so long for The Normal Heart to be professionally produced there and doubly exciting that Arena is doing it at last,” adds Kramer. “This is the most important city for this play. I hope Washington will respond to it as it finally joins with the many productions it’s had all over the world.”

“The Normal Heart has been a labor of love for me from the first Benefit reading, to our 2011 Broadway Tony Award-winning production, and now here at Arena Stage,” contributes Roth. “Having this play in D.C. at this time was very important to me in order that The Normal Heart would be a part of the dialogue during AIDS 2012. It is a testament to Larry Kramer’s ‘righteous rage’ 25 years ago when the play was written that allows us to again engage and touch those who remember, but most importantly, enlighten a younger generation learning their history and legacy.”

The Normal Heart is an Affiliated Independent Event of AIDS 2012, the biennial International AIDS Conference July 22-27, 2012 in D.C. The world’s preeminent gathering for those working in the field of HIV, as well as policy makers, persons living with HIV and other individuals committed to ending the pandemic, this global conference returns to the United States after 22 years. This also marks the first performing arts event that has ever been affiliated with the international conference. For more information, visit aids2012.org.

In order to spread awareness of the ongoing fight against AIDS, Arena Stage will be holding related events and partnering with organizations throughout the run of The Normal Heart. Sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display in the Mead Center, along with images from the HIV and AIDS related collections of the Archives Center at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History; local clinics and HIV testing providers will have HIV testing vans parked outside the Mead Center on select weekends; panel discussions with guest speakers will follow select matinees to explore the impact of AIDS on our society today; and Arena Stage and the Washington AIDS Partnership will host a benefit performance of The Normal Heart July 23. For event and partnership details, see below under Related Events.

The Normal Heart reunites Broadway design team members Set Designer David Rockwell, Costume Designer Martin Pakledinaz, Lighting Designer David Weiner, sound design/original music by David Van Tieghem and projections by Batwin & Robin. Joining the creative team are Restaging Director Leah C. Gardiner, Stage Manager Amber Dickerson and Assistant Stage Manager Kurt Hall.

The 2011 production of The Normal Heart was produced on Broadway by Daryl Roth, Paul Boskind and Martian Entertainment in association with Gregory Rae and Jayne Baron Sherman/Alexander Fraser. The 25th anniversary Broadway staged reading of The Normal Heart was held on October 18, 2010, produced by Daryl Roth and directed by Joel Grey.

Future engagements of this production of The Normal Heart will be announced at a later date.

Larry Kramer (Playwright) Co-founder, Gay Men’s Health Crisis (world’s first HIV/AIDS service organization). Founder, ACT UP (the international network of activists responsible for the development/release of most HIV/AIDS treatments). BA Yale (1957). Film: Women in Love, producer and screenplay (Oscar nomination). Plays: Sissies’ Scrapbook, The Normal Heart, Just Say No, The Destiny of Me and A Minor Dark Age. Non-fiction: Reports from the holocaust, The Making of an AIDS Activist and The Tragedy of Today’s Gays. Fiction: Faggots and The American People (forthcoming from Farrar Straus). Recipient: Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters; first openly gay person to receive a Public Service Award from Common Cause. He and his lover, architect-designer David Webster, live in New York.

George C. Wolfe (Director) Theatre directing credits include Jelly’s Last Jam (Drama Desk and Outer Critics awards), Angels In America: Millennium Approaches (Tony and Drama Desk awards) and Perestroika (Drama Desk Award), Bring In ‘Da Noise, Bring In ‘Da Funk (Tony and Drama League awards), Topdog/Underdog (Obie Award), Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 (Drama Desk Award), Elaine Stritch At Liberty (Tony Award, Unique Theatrical Event), The Tempest, The Wild Party, Caroline Or Change, A Free Man Of Color and The Normal Heart (Drama Desk Award). He is the writer of the award-winning The Colored Museum, directed Spunk (Obie Award), created Harlem Song for the world famous Apollo Theatre and conceived/directed a celebration of the American Musical at the White House. Mr. Wolfe directed the films Nights in Rodanthe and Lackawana Blues, for which he earned The Directors Guild Award, a National Board of Review Award, a Christopher Award and the Humanitas Prize. Additional awards include The Society of Directors and Choreographers’ Mr. Abbott Award, The Dramatist Guild’s Hull-Warner Award, Actors Equity Paul Roberson Award, The New Dramatist Outstanding Career Achievement Award, The NAACP Lifetime Achievement Award, The Lambda Liberty Award, The Spirit of the City Award, The Brendan Gill Prize, The Distinguished Alumni Award from NYU, a Princess Grace Award for fostering the careers of young artists, a Cultural Laureate Award and a Library Lion. From 1993-2005 he was the Producer of The Public Theatre/New York Shakespeare Festival, serves on The President’s Committee For The Arts and The Humanities and was named a living landmark by the New York Landmark’s Conservancy.

Daryl Roth (Producer) is proud to hold the singular distinction of producing 7 Pulitzer Prize-winning plays: Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women, Anna in the Tropics, How I Learned to Drive, Wit, Proof (Tony Award), August: Osage County (Tony Award), and Clybourne Park.  She has produced over 75 award winning productions on and Off-Broadway, including: Edward Albee’s The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?, The Play About the Baby and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Bea Arthur on Broadway; Caroline, or Change; A Catered Affair; Closer Than Ever; Curtains; De La Guarda; The Divine Sister; Driving Miss Daisy; Fela!; Irena’s Vow; Leap of Faith; A Little Night Music; Love, Loss, and What I Wore; Medea; One Man, Two Guvnors; Salome; The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife; The Temperamentals; Thom Pain; Through the Night; Thurgood; Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992; and The Year of Magical Thinking.  Her production last year of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart was the recipient of 3 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Play. Upcoming: John Grisham’s A Time To Kill, adapted by Rupert Holmes; and Kinky Boots, book by Harvey Fierstein, music by Cyndi Lauper.

The Cast of The Normal Heart (in alphabetical order)
Tom Berklund (Craig Donner/Grady) Broadway: The Addams Family (Ancestor, u/s Lurch) and A Chorus Line (Greg, u/s Zach). Regional: Leap of Faith (Ahmanson Theatre), Paper Mill Playhouse, Houston TUTS and Portland Center Stage. TV/film: Enchanted (Disney) and the Academy Awards.

Michael Berresse (Mickey Marcus) Broadway: [title of show] (dir./chor., Obie Award), A Chorus Line, The Light in the Piazza, Kiss Me, Kate, Chicago, The Gershwin’s Fascinating Rhythm, Damn Yankees, Guys and Dolls, Carousel, Fiddler on the Roof, A Wonderful Life (concert), Busker Alley (tour) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (tour). Off-Broadway: Now. Here. This. (dir./chor.), Forever Plaid and The Cocoanuts. Encores!: No, No, Nanette, Chicago, Call Me Madam and One Touch of Venus. Film: AI and State of Play. TV: Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Great Performances and Live From Lincoln Center.

Patrick Breen (Ned Weeks) Broadway: The Normal Heart, Next Fall, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Big River. Off-Broadway: Fuddy Meers, The Substance Of Fire, Celebration/The Room, View Of The Dome, Baby Anger, The Hothouse and Life And Limb. Films include: Men In Black, Get Shorty, Cirque Du Freak, Galaxy Quest, Radio, One True Thing, Christmas With The Kranks, Just A Kiss and The Bleeding House. TV: The Good Wife, Nurse Jackie, Kevin Hill, Sex and the City, Law and Order, Will and Grace, CSI, Frasier, 21 Jump Street and Council of Dads (Fox pilot).

Christopher Dinolfo (David) DC: Next Fall (Round House Theatre), King Lear and The Master and Margarita (Synetic Theater), Clybourne Park (Woolly Mammoth) and numerous credits with Shakespeare Theatre Company, The Studio Theatre and Studio Theatre 2ndStage, Folger Theatre, The Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences, The Keegan Theatre and The Maryland Shakespeare Festival.

Christopher J. Hanke (Tommy Boatwright) Broadway: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Bud Frump), Cry-Baby (Baldwin), Rent (Mark) and In My Life (J.T.). NYC: Claude in Hair (The Public’s Shakespeare in the Park), Buddy Baxter in Golden Age, Eddie in Indian Blood (LCT), Alvin in The Story of My Life (Manhattan Theatre Club). Tours: Deaf West’s Big River (Tom Sawyer) and The Full Monty (Ethan). Regional: The Matchmaker (Barnaby). TV: Three Rivers (series regular), Brothers & Sisters and HBO’s Big Love (recurring).

Jon Levenson (Hiram Keebler/Examining Doctor) Broadway: The Normal Heart. Off-Broadway: Harold in The Boys in the Band (Transport Group), The Hairy Ape (Irish Repertory Theatre) and Crime and Punishment (59 E 59). Regional: Orlando in As You Like It, The Baker in Into the Woods (Clarence Brown Theatre) and Treplev in The Seagull (Porchlight Theatre).

Luke MacFarlane (Felix Turner) Broadway: The Normal Heart. Off-Broadway: The Busy World is Hushed, Where Do We Live and Juvenilia. Feature film debut: Bill Condon’s Kinsey. TV: Scotty on ABC’s Brothers & Sisters, CBC miniseries Iron Road, starring role on FX’s Over There and Tanner on Tanner (directed by Robert Altman).

Nick Mennell (Bruce Niles) Broadway: A Free Man of Color. Off-Broadway: Hamlet, Lobby Hero, The Importance of Being Earnest, Misalliance, Macbeth, American Occupation, The Marriage of Figaro, Richard III, Woyzeck, Birds, Odyssey, Three Sisters, The Erotic Nature of Funerals, A Memory of Two Mondays and Web. Film: Friday the 13th, The Lost Tribe, Halloween, My Little Eye, Cold Turkey and Echo’s Pond. TV: Southland, Numb3rs and Sins of the City.

John Procaccino (Ben Weeks) Broadway: An American Daughter, A Thousand Clowns, Conversations With My Father and Art. National tour: The Light in the Piazza. Regional: Art, Good Boys and True (Steppenwolf); A Prayer for My Enemy and Down the Garden Paths (Long Wharf Theatre); A Moon for the Misbegotten, All the Kings Men, Arms and the Man and The Singing Forest (Intiman Theatre); Tartuffe, Caucasian Chalk Circle and Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Seattle Repertory); and The Night of the Iguana, Dinner With Friends, Side Man and The Crucible (ACT Theatre). Film and TV: The Runner Stumbles, Three Fugitives, Born to Be Wild, Law & Order, NYPD Blue, Northern Exposure and Rose Red.

Patricia Wettig (Emma Brookner) Circle Repertory Company: The Woolgatherer, A Tale Told, Childe Byron and Innocent Thoughts, Harmless Intentions. Other stage credits: Jon Robin Baitz’s A Paris Letter (Kirk Douglas Theater, world premiere), The Diviners, Angels Fall, The Dining Room, Crimes of the Heart, Nightfall, Three Sisters and A Streetcar Named Desire. New York Stage and Film, playwright: Headlong, A Life Imagined, F2M and My Andy (finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize). Film: City Slickers I &II, Guilty by Suspicion, Bong Water and Lackawanna Blues, directed by George Wolfe. TV: Brothers & Sisters (Holly Harper), Prison Break, Alias, St. Elsewhere, The Langoliers and thirtysomething (three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award).

Source: Pitch Engine

09/05/2012

Two unidentified male massage therapists have accused actor John Travolta of sexual battery, according to E! Online. The masseurs allege the Pulp Fiction actor touched them inappropriately, made advances and talked about sexual favors. ( The first alleged it happened in Beverly Hills, the second in Atlanta. ) Travolta’s rep said that the suits are “absurd and ridiculous.” Each plaintiff wants at least $2 million in damages.

Queen Latifah will headline her first gay-pride festival May 19 in Long Beach, Calif., Advocate.com reported. Latifah crossed over from rapping in the early ’90s to acting, with roles on TV’s Living Single and lesbian characters in the movies Chicago and Set It Off. Latifah is currently co-executive-producing an all-Black remake of the 1989 movie Steel Magnolias for Lifetime. For more info on the festival, see www.LongBeachPride.com .

Former New Orleans Saints linebacker and marriage-equality advocate Scott Fujita ( now with the Cleveland Browns ) has been suspended without pay for the first three games of the 2012 regular season for actions related to his time with the Saints, according to NFL.com . Fujita pledged a significant amount of money to a prohibited pool that would pay players for hurting people on other teams during the 2009 NFL playoffs. The Saints coach, Sean Payton, has been suspended for the entirre 2012 season, and other players won’t be allowed to play for various amounts of games.

The Human Rights Campaign has released a video ad featuring actor Stanley Tucci ( The Hunger Games; The Devil Wears Prada ) for its Americans for Marriage Equality campaign, according to a press release. In the 21st video connected with the campaign, Tucci asks, “Why shouldn’t gay and lesbian couples have the right to get married? Marriage is about love and commitment.” The videos can be viewed at www.hrc.org/marriageequality.

Movie mogul Tyler Perry’s Atlanta studio was damaged in a four-alarm fire, ABC News reported. A Perry spokeswoman said, “We are grateful that there were no injuries, and that 99 percent of the damage is limited to the backlot facade.” Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, which required more than 100 firefighters and took an hour to extinguish.

It looks like actress Scarlett Johansson may star in a Broadway revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Vanity Fair reported. Johansson, who won a Tony in 2010 for her work in A View from the Bridge, may co-star along Jeremy Renner, who is featured with her in the new film The Avengers. Among the actresses who have portrayed Johansson’s role of Maggie the Cat ( on stage and film ) are Elizabeth Taylor, Kathleen Turner, Ashley Judd and Debbie Allen.

MGM has offered Julianne Moore the role of the religious-fanatic mother in the remake of the 1976 film Carrie, Deadline.com reported. Chloe Moretz ( Hugo ) is set to play the title character, a girl with telepathic powers. Kimberly Peirce ( Boys Don’t Cry; Stop-Loss ) is set to direct.

The group Catholics in Media Associates ( CIMA ) has named Modern Family best television program, Advocate.com reported. Modern Family is ABC’s hit sitcom that features a same-sex household among its main characters—and has been the subject of controversy with more conservative organizations. CIMA President Haskell Vaughn Anderson III said the group’s goal is “not to criticize what we don’t like, but to praise what we do.”

Transgender personality Chaz Bono and Elijah Blue Allman made Gay.net’s list of sexy celebrity brothers. Also on the list are Donnie and Mark Wahlberg; Chris Evans and his gay actor brother, Scott; actor Colin Farrell and his gay brother, Eamon; and Shawn, Damon, Kennen Ivory and Marlon Wayans, among others.

Benedict Cumberbatch, the star of the BBC show Sherlock, has said he is flattered by some of the racier fan fiction about his character, Sherlock Holmes, Pink News reported. Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman ( assistant John Watson ) have downplayed any sexual element in their relationship, although the characters have long been the subjects of homoerotic theories. Cumberbatch said that he’s flattered by how some of the fan fiction depicts his “bodily proportions.”

Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson may be a couple again, according to the New York Post. Reports say that the twosome were “holding hands” and flirting “just like the old days” at the New York nightclub Le Baron. Lohan and Ronson dated on-and-off for about two years; after several public fights, the pair split in 2009. Ronson has indicated that the tune “Sometimes When You Win, You Lose”—on her new CD, Chasing the Reds—may be about Lohan.

Talking with ABC’s Diane Sawyer, Ellen DeGeneres reflected on her coming-out episode on The Ellen Show, which took place 15 years ago. The segment, entitled “The Puppy Episode,” aired April 30, 1997, and featured Oprah Winfrey and Laura Dern. “I decided this was not going to be something that I was going to live the rest of my life being ashamed of,” DeGeneres told Sawyer. Interestingly, a company that DeGeneres is currently a spokeswoman for ( JCPenney ) decided not to purchase airtime during that 1997 episode.

The 19 editors of Vogue magazines around the world made a pact to eliminate underweight models from the publications’ pages, according to Fox News. They agreed to “not knowingly work with models under the age of 16 or who appear to have an eating disorder,” and said they will ask casting directors to check IDs for photo shoots, fashion shows and ad campaigns.

Casting is complete for the national tour of the Tony Award-winning production of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart, Playbill.com reported. Patrick Breen will head the cast as AIDS activist Ned Weeks. Luke Macfarlane and Patricia Wettig—who co-starred on the TV show Brothers & Sisters—will also be featured, along with actors such as Christopher J. Hanke and Tom Berklund. The Normal Heart is about “a tight-knit group of friends that refused to let doctors, politicians and the press bury the truth of an unspoken epidemic behind a wall of silence.”

Celebrity biographer Charles Higham—a gay man whose books claimed, among other things, that industrialist Howard Hughes had an affair with movie star Cary Grant and that actor Errol Flynn was a Nazi spy—died of a heart attack at age 81, Advocate.com reported. Higham penned about two dozen biographies, and his subjects included Katharine Hepburn, Errol Flynn, Lucille Ball, Bette Davis and Audrey Hepburn, in addition to Flynn and Grant. Higham was married to Norine Lillian Cecil in the 1950s, but they split after both realized they preferred members of the same sex.

The ABC show “What Would You Do?” recently set up a scenario that tested patrons’ acceptance of a transgender server at Colonial Diner in Lyndhurst, N.J., according to ABC News. Carmen Carrera—a 26-year-old transgender woman who has appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race—played herself as a waitress at the diner while an actor named Kevin who called Carrera a “freak,” among other things. Some diners defended Carrera, with one saying, “It’s okay to be whoever you want to be. This is America.”

True Blood star Anna Paquin is defending herself after some critics have said that she’s not sincere about being bisexual, the Huffington Post reported. Paquin ( who is married to co-star Stephen Moyer, and is expecting their child ) told Zooey magazine, “For me, it’s not really an issue because I’m someone who believes being bisexual is actually a thing. It’s not made up. It’s not a lack of decision.” Two years ago, the Oscar winner ( for The Piano ) declared her bisexuality in a public-service announcement for the “Give a Damn” campaign.

On the May 6 episode of TV’s Celebrity Apprentice, comedian Lisa Lampanelli won $100,000 for Gay Men’s Health Crisis ( GMHC ) , the nation’s oldest HIV/AIDS care, prevention and advocacy provider, according to a press release. “We are honored that Lisa chose GMHC as her charity,” said Marjorie J. Hill, PhD, CEO of GMHC. “This year marks the 30th anniversary of GMHC and we could not be more pleased that Lisa worked hard to raise much-needed funds to support our care services for thousands of men, women and families affected by HIV/AIDS, our HIV prevention programs and advocacy efforts at all levels of government.”

Victoria’s Secret has released its list of sexiest female celebrities, according to USA Today. South African Charlize Theron is the sexiest actress, and “has a body to die for, a flawless face, a killer bod and an Oscar to boot,” according to the list. Also on the list are Stacy Keibler ( Sexiest Legs, who has 41-inch gams ) , Jessica Chastain ( Sexiest Smile ) , Jennifer Lawrence ( Sexiest Eyes ) , bisexual actress Amber Heard ( Sexiest Curves ) and Beyonce ( Sexiest Mom ) , among others.

Australian artist RJ Williams is claiming Madonna stole a logo for her Truth or Dare perfume that he has used since 2004, according to the New York Post. Williams is saying that he designed the logo years ago ( and trademarked it in 2011 ) to sell his clothing line. The logos are similar, with the letter “T” inscribed inside the letter “M.” However, while Williams’ design features chunky lines and a squat stance, Madonna’s logo stands taller and uses thin lines.

Rihanna is working on a fashion collection, the New York Post reported. At the Met Costume Institute Gala—where she wore a Tom Ford leather gown with an alligator print—Rihanna said that the upcoming collection “will reflect my personal style.” The “Umbrella” singer took a step towards becoming a fashion designer last year, collaborating with Emporio Armani on a small capsule collection.

Professional wrestler CM Punk apologized for telling an anti-gay fan to kill himself during a heated argument over North Carolina’s Amendment One, according to Advocate.com . CM Punk tweeted in support of marriage equality May 7, the day before the vote. When the fan posted his support for the amendment, Punk responded, “Kill yourself”—and told another fan to “drink bleach.” The grappler later apologized publicly, tweeting, “I don’t want you to kill yourself. I want to better yourself, just as I want to better myself.”

NBC has picked up The New Normal, yet another show by Ryan Murphy ( Glee; American Horror Story ), Advocate.com reported. The new comedy centers on a gay couple and a woman who becomes a surrogate to help them have children. Justin Bartha and The Book of Mormon’s Andrew Rannells will play the young couple. Ellen Barkin will play the surrogate’s grandmother and Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Nene Leakes will play a recurring character.

Source: Windy City Media Group

09/05/2012

Arena Stage is set to host a benefit performance of The Normal Heart at the Mead Center for American Theater on Monday, July 23 beginning at 6:30pm. The event, presented with the Washington AIDS Partnership, will coincide with AIDS 2012, the biennial International AIDS Conference in D.C. July 22-27.

The Normal Heart is the story of a city in denial and unfolds like a real-life political thriller as a tight-knit group of friends refuses to let doctors, politicians, and the press bury the truth of an unspoken epidemic. The evening will include a pre-performance VIP cocktail hour, intermission champagne toast, and a festive after party following the performance.

As previously reported, The Normal Heart will star Patrick Breen as Ned Weeks, with Luke MacFarlane as Felix Turner, Patricia Wettig as Emma Brookner, Christopher J. Hanke as Tommy Boatwright, Tom Berklund as Craig Donner/Grady, Michael Berresse as Mickey Marcus, Christopher Dinolfo as David, Jon Levenson as Hiram Keebler/Examining Doctor, Nick Mennell as Bruce Niles and John Procaccino as Ben Weeks.

Source: Theater Mania

04/05/2012

Casting is now complete for the national tour of the 2011 Tony Award-winning production of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart — presented by special arrangement with Daryl Roth, and directed by George C. Wolfe — which will launch in June at Arena Stage.

Performances of the award-winning drama are scheduled for June 8-July 29 in the Kreeger Theatre.

As previously reported, Patrick Breen, who played Mickey Marcus in the Broadway production, will head the cast as AIDS activist Ned Weeks, the role played on Broadway by Tony winner Joe Mantello. “Brothers and Sisters” star Luke Macfarlane, who played Craig Donner/Grady on Broadway, will be Felix Turner, and How to Succeed‘s  Christopher J. Hanke will play the role of Tommy Boatwright.

These three artists will be joined by the newly announced Patricia Wettig (Holly Harper on ABC’s “Brothers & Sisters,” FOX’s “Prison Break”) as Dr. Emma Brookner, Tom Berklund (Broadway’s The Addams Family) as Craig Donner/Grady, Michael Berresse (Broadway’s A Chorus Line) as Mickey Marcus, Christopher Dinolfo (Round House Theatre’s Next Fall) as David, Jon Levenson (understudy for Broadway’s The Normal Heart) as Hiram Keebler/Examining Doctor, Nick Mennell (Broadway’s A Free Man of Color) as Bruce Niles and John Procaccino (Lincoln Center Theater’s Blood and Gifts) as Ben Weeks.

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“Last year when we did the revival on Broadway it was thrilling to see critics rediscover what a great American play The Normal Heart is, and to see audiences, young and old, respond with such emotion and ferocity to the story,” said director Wolfe in a statement. “I’m so excited to be a part of bringing Larry’s astonishing, funny, moving play to D.C. and to The Arena.”

“I consider Washington my hometown and it’s been exceedingly upsetting to me that it’s taken so long for The Normal Heart to be professionally produced there and doubly exciting that Arena is doing it at last,” added playwright Kramer. “This is the most important city for this play. I hope Washington will respond to it as it finally joins with the many productions it’s had all over the world.”

The Normal Heart reunites Broadway design team members set designer David Rockwell, costume designer Martin Pakledinaz, lighting designer David Weiner, sound designer/original music composer David Van Tieghem and projections designer by Batwin & Robin. Joining the creative team are restaging director Leah C. Gardiner, stage manager Amber Dickerson and assistant stage manager Kurt Hall.

The story of a city in denial, The Normal Heart, press note state, “unfolds like a real-life political thriller—as a tight-knit group of friends refuses to let doctors, politicians and the press bury the truth of an unspoken epidemic behind a wall of silence. A quarter-century after it was written, this outrageous, unflinching and totally unforgettable look at the politics of New York during the AIDS crisis remains one of the theater’s most powerful evenings ever.”

The Normal Heart played a limited, sold-out engagement on Broadway last season at the John Golden Theatre.

Future engagements of this production will be announced at a later date.

For ticketinformation visit www.arenastage.org.

Source: Playbill

04/05/2012

Patricia Wettig will join previously announced cast members, Christopher J. Hanke (How to Succeed), Patrick Breen (Next Fall) and Luke MacFarlane (Brothers & Sisters) in the upcoming national tour of the Tony-winning revival of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart. The tour, helmed by Broadway co-director George C. Wolfe, begins at Arena Stage in Washington D.C., where it will run June 8 through July 29.

Set in the early days of the AIDS epidemic, The Normal Heart unfolds as a tight-knit group of friends refuse to let doctors, politicians and the press bury the truth of an unnamed disease behind a wall of silence.

In addition to Wettig, who will play the paraplegic doctor Emma Brookner, the cast will also feature Tom Berklund (The Addams Family) as Craig Donner/Grady, Michael Berresse (A Chorus Line) as Mickey Marcus, Christopher Dinolfo (Next Fall) as David, Jon Levenson (The Normal Heart) as Hiram Keebler/Examining Doctor, Nick Mennell (A Free Man of Color) as Bruce Niles and John Procaccino (Blood and Gifts) as Ben Weeks.

Wettig is best known for her TV roles on Brothers & Sisters and Prison Break. Her film credits include Guilty by Suspicion, City Slickers and City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold.

Source: Broadway.com

03/05/2012

Full casting has been announced for Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart, which will launch a national tour with an engagement at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. June 8-July 29. The production is a restaging of the the 2011 Tony Award-winning production, directed by George C. Wolfe.

The play focuses on the terrifying early years of the AIDS epidemic in New York.

As previously reported, Patrick Breen will play Ned Weeks, Luke MacFarlane will play Felix Turner, and Christopher J. Hanke will play Tommy Boatwright.

The cast will also feature Patricia Wettig as Emma Brookner, Tom Berklund as Craig Donner/Grady, Michael Berresse as Mickey Marcus, Christopher Dinolfo as David, Jon Levenson as Hiram Keebler/Examining Doctor, Nick Mennell as Bruce Niles and John Procaccino as Ben Weeks.

The original creative team from the Broadway production — David Rockwell (scenic design), Martin Pakledinaz (costume design), David Weiner (lighting design), David Van Tieghem (sound design and original music) and Batwin & Robin (projection design) — returns for this engagement. Joining the creative team are Restaging Director Leah C. Gardiner, Stage Manager Amber Dickerson and Assistant Stage Manager Kurt Hall.
Future engagements of this production of The Normal Heart will be announced at a later date.

Source: Theater Mania

03/05/2012

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater produces the 2011 Tony Award-winning production of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart, directed by George C. Wolfe. Wolfe, who directed the show’s sold-out Broadway engagement last season, mounts the professional D.C.-area premiere of this production, which features returning Broadway cast members Patrick Breen and Luke MacFarlane, among others. Presented by special arrangement with Daryl Roth, The Normal Heart runs June 8-July 29, 2012 in the Kreeger Theater.

“It is a real privilege for Arena Stage to bring Larry Kramer’s work to his native Washington, which I saw in New York in a powerful and masterful production,” shares Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith. “Under the guidance of veteran director George C. Wolfe, I believe this important play will inspire D.C. audiences by offering a deep look at a group of people who bravely fought the unknown of the beginning of the AIDS epidemic.”

Breen (Broadway’s Next Fall), who portrayed Mickey Marcus in the Broadway production, and MacFarlane (Scotty on ABC’s Brothers & Sisters), who portrayed Craig Donner/Grady, return to take on new roles of Ned Weeks and Felix Turner respectively. Noted TV actress Patricia Wettig (Holly Harper on ABC’s Brothers & Sisters, FOX’s Prison Break) will play the paraplegic doctor Emma Brookner.

They are joined by Tom Berklund (Broadway’s The Addams Family) as Craig Donner/Grady, Michael Berresse (Broadway’s A Chorus Line) as Mickey Marcus, Christopher Dinolfo (Round House Theatre’s Next Fall) as David, Christopher J. Hanke (Broadway’s How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying) as Tommy Boatwright, Jon Levenson (understudy for Broadway’s The Normal Heart) as Hiram Keebler/Examining Doctor, Nick Mennell (Broadway’s A Free Man of Color) as Bruce Niles and John Procaccino (Lincoln Center Theater’s Blood and Gifts) as Ben Weeks.

“Last year when we did the revival on Broadway it was thrilling to see critics rediscover what a great American play The Normal Heart is, and to see audiences, young and old, respond with such emotion and ferocity to the story,” says Wolfe. “I’m so excited to be a part of bringing Larry’s astonishing, funny, moving play to D.C. and to The Arena.”

Fueled by love, anger, hope and pride, a circle of friends struggle to contain the mysterious disease ravaging New York’s gay community in The Normal Heart. Dismissed by politicians, frustrated by doctors and fighting with each other, their differences could tear them apart—or change the world. Hailed by critics as “riveting” (Newsday) and “a great night at the theater” (New York Times), Kramer’s masterwork is an outrageous and totally unforgettable look at sexual politics during the AIDS crisis and remains one of the theater’s most powerful evenings ever.

“I consider Washington my hometown and it’s been exceedingly upsetting to me that it’s taken so long for The Normal Heart to be professionally produced there and doubly exciting that Arena is doing it at last,” adds Kramer. “This is the most important city for this play. I hope Washington will respond to it as it finally joins with the many productions it’s had all over the world.”

“The Normal Heart has been a labor of love for me from the first Benefit reading, to our 2011 Broadway Tony Award-winning production, and now here at Arena Stage,” contributes Roth. “Having this play in D.C. at this time was very important to me in order that The Normal Heart would be a part of the dialogue during AIDS 2012. It is a testament to Larry Kramer’s ‘righteous rage’ 25 years ago when the play was written that allows us to again engage and touch those who remember, but most importantly, enlighten a younger generation learning their history and legacy.”

The Normal Heart is an Affiliated Independent Event of AIDS 2012, the biennial International AIDS Conference July 22-27, 2012 in D.C. The world’s preeminent gathering for those working in the field of HIV, as well as policy makers, persons living with HIV and other individuals committed to ending the pandemic, this global conference returns to the United States after 22 years. This also marks the first performing arts event that has ever been affiliated with the international conference. For more information, visit aids2012.org.

In order to spread awareness of the ongoing fight against AIDS, Arena Stage will be holding related events and partnering with organizations throughout the run of The Normal Heart. Sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display in the Mead Center, along with images from the HIV and AIDS related collections of the Archives Center at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History; local clinics and HIV testing providers will have HIV testing vans parked outside the Mead Center on select weekends; panel discussions with guest speakers will follow select matinees to explore the impact of AIDS on our society today; and Arena Stage and the Washington AIDS Partnership will host a benefit performance of The Normal Heart July 23.

The Normal Heart reunites Broadway design team members Set Designer David Rockwell, Costume Designer Martin Pakledinaz, Lighting Designer David Weiner, sound design/original music by David Van Tieghem and projections by Batwin & Robin. Joining the creative team are Restaging Director Leah C. Gardiner, Stage Manager Amber Dickerson and Assistant Stage Manager Kurt Hall.

The 2011 production of The Normal Heart was produced on Broadway by Daryl Roth, Paul Boskind and Martian Entertainment in association with Gregory Rae and Jayne Baron Sherman/Alexander Fraser. The 25th anniversary Broadway staged reading of The Normal Heart was held on October 18, 2010, produced by Daryl Roth and directed by Joel Grey.

Future engagements of this production of The Normal Heart will be announced at a later date.

Larry Kramer (Playwright) Co-founder, Gay Men’s Health Crisis (world’s first HIV/AIDS service organization). Founder, ACT UP (the international network of activists responsible for the development/release of most HIV/AIDS treatments). BA Yale (1957). Film: Women in Love, producer and screenplay (Oscar nomination). Plays: Sissies’ Scrapbook, The Normal Heart, Just Say No, The Destiny of Me and A Minor Dark Age. Non-fiction: Reports from the holocaust, The Making of an AIDS Activist and The Tragedy of Today’s Gays. Fiction: Faggots and The American People (forthcoming from Farrar Straus). Recipient: Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters; first openly gay person to receive a Public Service Award from Common Cause. He and his lover, architect-designer David Webster, live in New York.

George C. Wolfe (Director) Theatre directing credits include Jelly’s Last Jam (Drama Desk and Outer Critics awards), Angels In America: Millennium Approaches (Tony and Drama Desk awards) and Perestroika (Drama Desk Award), Bring In ‘Da Noise, Bring In ‘Da Funk (Tony and Drama League awards), Topdog/Underdog (Obie Award), Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 (Drama Desk Award), Elaine Stritch At Liberty (Tony Award, Unique Theatrical Event), The Tempest, The Wild Party, Caroline Or Change, A Free Man Of Color and The Normal Heart (Drama Desk Award). He is the writer of the award-winning The Colored Museum, directed Spunk (Obie Award), created Harlem Song for the world famous Apollo Theatre and conceived/directed a celebration of the American Musical at the White House. Mr. Wolfe directed the films Nights in Rodanthe and Lackawana Blues, for which he earned The Directors Guild Award, a National Board of Review Award, a Christopher Award and the Humanitas Prize. Additional awards include The Society of Directors and Choreographers’ Mr. Abbott Award, The Dramatist Guild’s Hull-Warner Award, Actors Equity Paul Roberson Award, The New Dramatist Outstanding Career Achievement Award, The NAACP Lifetime Achievement Award, The Lambda Liberty Award, The Spirit of the City Award, The Brendan Gill Prize, The Distinguished Alumni Award from NYU, a Princess Grace Award for fostering the careers of young artists, a Cultural Laureate Award and a Library Lion. From 1993-2005 he was the Producer of The Public Theatre/New York Shakespeare Festival, serves on The President’s Committee For The Arts and The Humanities and was named a living landmark by the New York Landmark’s Conservancy.

Daryl Roth (Producer) is proud to hold the singular distinction of producing 7 Pulitzer Prize-winning plays: Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women, Anna in the Tropics, How I Learned to Drive, Wit, Proof (Tony Award), August: Osage County (Tony Award), and Clybourne Park. She has produced over 75 award winning productions on and Off-Broadway, including: Edward Albee’s The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?, The Play About the Baby and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Bea Arthur on Broadway; Caroline, or Change; A Catered Affair; Closer Than Ever; Curtains; De La Guarda; The Divine Sister; Driving Miss Daisy; Fela!; Irena’s Vow; Leap of Faith; A Little Night Music; Love, Loss, and What I Wore; Medea; One Man, Two Guvnors; Salome; The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife; The Temperamentals; Thom Pain; Through the Night; Thurgood; Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992; and The Year of Magical Thinking. Her production last year of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart was the recipient of 3 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Play. Upcoming: John Grisham’s A Time To Kill, adapted by Rupert Holmes; and Kinky Boots, book by Harvey Fierstein, music by Cyndi Lauper.

The Cast of The Normal Heart (in alphabetical order):

Tom Berklund (Craig Donner/Grady) Broadway: The Addams Family (Ancestor, u/s Lurch) and A Chorus Line (Greg, u/s Zach). Regional: Leap of Faith (Ahmanson Theatre), Paper Mill Playhouse, Houston TUTS and Portland Center Stage. TV/film: Enchanted (Disney) and the Academy Awards.

Michael Berresse (Mickey Marcus) Broadway: [title of show] (dir./chor., Obie Award), A Chorus Line, The Light in the Piazza, Kiss Me, Kate, Chicago, The Gershwin’s Fascinating Rhythm, Damn Yankees, Guys and Dolls, Carousel, Fiddler on the Roof, A Wonderful Life (concert), Busker Alley (tour) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (tour). Off-Broadway: Now. Here. This. (dir./chor.), Forever Plaid and The Cocoanuts. Encores!: No, No, Nanette, Chicago, Call Me Madam and One Touch of Venus. Film: AI and State of Play. TV: Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Great Performances and Live From Lincoln Center.

Patrick Breen (Ned Weeks) Broadway: The Normal Heart, Next Fall, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Big River. Off-Broadway: Fuddy Meers, The Substance Of Fire, Celebration/The Room, View Of The Dome, Baby Anger, The Hothouse and Life And Limb. Films include: Men In Black, Get Shorty, Cirque Du Freak, Galaxy Quest, Radio, One True Thing, Christmas With The Kranks, Just A Kiss and The Bleeding House. TV: The Good Wife, Nurse Jackie, Kevin Hill, Sex and the City, Law and Order, Will and Grace, CSI, Frasier, 21 Jump Street and Council of Dads (Fox pilot).

Christopher Dinolfo (David) DC: Next Fall (Round House Theatre), King Lear and The Master and Margarita (Synetic Theater), Clybourne Park (Woolly Mammoth) and numerous credits with Shakespeare Theatre Company, The Studio Theatre and Studio Theatre 2ndStage, Folger Theatre, The Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences, The Keegan Theatre and The Maryland Shakespeare Festival.

Christopher J. Hanke (Tommy Boatwright) Broadway: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Bud Frump), Cry-Baby (Baldwin), Rent (Mark) and In My Life (J.T.). NYC: Claude in Hair (The Public’s Shakespeare in the Park), Buddy Baxter in Golden Age, Eddie in Indian Blood (LCT), Alvin in The Story of My Life (Manhattan Theatre Club). Tours: Deaf West’s Big River (Tom Sawyer) and The Full Monty (Ethan). Regional: The Matchmaker (Barnaby). TV: Three Rivers (series regular), Brothers & Sisters and HBO’s Big Love (recurring).

Jon Levenson (Hiram Keebler/Examining Doctor) Broadway: The Normal Heart. Off-Broadway: Harold in The Boys in the Band (Transport Group), The Hairy Ape (Irish Repertory Theatre) and Crime and Punishment (59 E 59). Regional: Orlando in As You Like It, The Baker in Into the Woods (Clarence Brown Theatre) and Treplev in The Seagull (Porchlight Theatre).

Luke MacFarlane (Felix Turner) Broadway: The Normal Heart. Off-Broadway: The Busy World is Hushed, Where Do We Live and Juvenilia. Feature film debut: Bill Condon’s Kinsey. TV: Scotty on ABC’s Brothers & Sisters, CBC miniseries Iron Road, starring role on FX’s Over There and Tanner on Tanner (directed by Robert Altman).

Nick Mennell (Bruce Niles) Broadway: A Free Man of Color. Off-Broadway: Hamlet, Lobby Hero, The Importance of Being Earnest, Misalliance, Macbeth, American Occupation, The Marriage of Figaro, Richard III, Woyzeck, Birds, Odyssey, Three Sisters, The Erotic Nature of Funerals, A Memory of Two Mondays and Web. Film: Friday the 13th, The Lost Tribe, Halloween, My Little Eye, Cold Turkey and Echo’s Pond. TV: Southland, Numb3rs and Sins of the City.

John Procaccino (Ben Weeks) Broadway: An American Daughter, A Thousand Clowns, Conversations With My Father and Art. National tour: The Light in the Piazza. Regional: Art, Good Boys and True (Steppenwolf); A Prayer for My Enemy and Down the Garden Paths (Long Wharf Theatre); A Moon for the Misbegotten, All the Kings Men, Arms and the Man and The Singing Forest (Intiman Theatre); Tartuffe, Caucasian Chalk Circle and Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Seattle Repertory); and The Night of the Iguana, Dinner With Friends, Side Man and The Crucible (ACT Theatre). Film and TV: The Runner Stumbles, Three Fugitives, Born to Be Wild, Law & Order, NYPD Blue, Northern Exposure and Rose Red.

Patricia Wettig (Emma Brookner) Circle Repertory Company: The Woolgatherer, A Tale Told, Childe Byron and Innocent Thoughts, Harmless Intentions. Other stage credits: Jon Robin Baitz’s A Paris Letter (Kirk Douglas Theater, world premiere), The Diviners, Angels Fall, The Dining Room, Crimes of the Heart, Nightfall, Three Sisters and A Streetcar Named Desire. New York Stage and Film, playwright: Headlong, A Life Imagined, F2M and My Andy (finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize). Film: City Slickers I &II, Guilty by Suspicion, Bong Water and Lackawanna Blues, directed by George Wolfe. TV: Brothers & Sisters (Holly Harper), Prison Break, Alias, St. Elsewhere, The Langoliers and thirtysomething (three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award).

For up-to-date information on related events visit arenastage.org/shows-tickets/the-season/productions/the-normal-heart/events/.

TICKETS: Tickets for The Normal Heart are $40-$94, subject to change and based on availability, plus applicable fees. For information on savings programs such as student discounts, Southwest Nights, Pay-Your-Age tickets, HOTTIX and Hero’s Discounts, visit arenastage.org/shows-tickets/single-tickets/savings-programs/. Tickets may be purchased online at arenastage.org, by phone at 202-488-3300 or at the Sales Office at 1101 Sixth St., SW, D.C.

The show runs Sunday, Tuesday & Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday & Sunday at 2:00 p.m., and weekdays at noon on Tuesday, 7/3; Wednesday, 7/11 and Wednesday, 7/18

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater is only one block from the Waterfront-SEU Metro station (Green Line). When exiting the station, walk west on M Street toward Sixth Street, and the main entrance to the Mead Center is on the right.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater is a national center dedicated to the production, presentation, development and study of American theater. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Molly Smith and Executive Producer Edgar Dobie, Arena Stage is the largest company in the country dedicated to American plays and playwrights. Arena Stage produces huge plays of all that is passionate, exuberant, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit, and presents diverse and ground-breaking work from some of the best artists around the country. Arena Stage is committed to commissioning and developing new plays through the American Voices New Play Institute. Now in its sixth decade, Arena Stage serves a diverse annual audience of more than 300,000.

Source: Broadway World

26/04/2012

Producers recently announced that Patrick Breen and Luke Macfarlane will be among the cast of the new touring version of Larry Kramer’s “The Normal Heart,” which will launch at Arena Stage in June.

Performances are currently scheduled for June 8 – July 29 in the Kreeger Theatre.

Breen appeared in the Broadway production as Mickey Marcus, but will head the cast as AIDS activist Ned Weeks in the touring version of the play. Tony winner Joe Mantello played Weeks on Broadway. Macfarlane also appeared in the Broadway production as Donner/Grady, though he will play Felix Turner in the new version.

Among other cast members announced are Christopher J. Hanke, known for his work in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” Hanke will play Tommy Boatwright in “The Normal Heart.”

“The Normal Heart” is Kramer’s autobiographical account of New York during the early days of the AIDS crisis. A press release states that the play “Unfolds like a real-life political thriller – as a tight-knit group of friends refuses to let doctors, politicians and the press bury the truth of an unspoken epidemic behind a wall of silence. A quarter-century after it was written, this outrageous, unflinching and totally unforgettable look at the politics of New York during the AIDS crisis remains one of the theater’s most powerful evenings ever.”

The play first premiered off-Broadway in 1985, and a Broadway revival was staged in 2011. The latter production went on to win a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.

In additional “Normal Heart” news, Glee creator Ryan Murphy will direct an upcoming film adaptation of the play. So far, Julia Roberts, Alec Baldwin and Jim Parsons of “Big Bang Theory” have signed on to star in the production. The role of Ned Weeks, which is based on Kramer, will be played by Mark Ruffalo.

Source: Broadway Tour

25/04/2012

Patrick Breen and Luke MacFarlane, who were both in the NORMAL HEART on Broadway, and Christopher J. Hanke (How to Succeed…) will star in the upcoming national tour of THE NORMAL HEART.

25/04/2012