Scott Ellis (Twelve Angry Men, The Little Dog Laughed) will direct the work at Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre. The long-developing musical comedy, a backstage murder-mystery, begins previews July 25 and opens August 9 for a run through Sept. 10.
Set in 1959's Boston, Curtains finds itself at a pre-Broadway tryout of a new musical "where it's literally 'curtains' for the leading lady who dies mysteriously onstage during the applause at the end of the show."
The entire company — the producer (Monk), the songwriters, the director, the actors, the stage manager — are possible suspects and each has an motive to be sorted out by a local detective (Pierce).
The detective, of course, "is a fervent musical theatre fan, [who] allows the company to continue rehearsing while he conducts his murder investigation," according to CTG. "He soon finds himself in the middle of the uproarious bedlam of theatrical egos and eccentricities, more murders and even a budding love affair."
Jill Paice, John Bolton, Michael X. Martin, Michael McCormick, Megan Sikora and Robert Walden are also featured in the cast. The ensemble will include Nili Bassman, Ward Billeisen, Jennifer Dunne, David Eggers, J. Austin Eyer, Matt Farnsworth, Patty Goble, Mary Ann Lamb, Brittany Marcin, Jim Newman, Jessica Lea Patty, Joe Aaron Reid, Darcie Roberts and Christopher Spaulding. The design team for Curtains features Anna Louizos (set), William Ivey Long (costume), Peter Kaczorowski (lighting) and Brian Ronan (sound). Orchestrations are by William David Brohn and music director is David Loud. Beverley Randolph serves as the production stage manager.
Curtains marks one of the last collaborations by one of the longest-running songwriting teams in Broadway history — composer Kander and lyricist Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago, Zorba, The Rink, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Woman of the Year). Their The Visit was produced by The Goodman Theatre in Chicago but did not move to a New York run. Ebb died in 2004.
Rupert Holmes provides the book to Curtains featuring music by John Kander, lyrics by the late Fred Ebb and an original book and concept by the late Peter Stone. Additional lyrics by John Kander and Rupert Holmes. Scott Ellis is the director. Rob Ashford serves as the choreographer.
Curtains is produced by Roger Berlind, Roger Horchow, Daryl Roth and the Center Theatre Group (headed by Artistic Director Michael Ritchie). With the names attached, the work is expected to travel east.
Playbill.com first reported (Jan. 24) that Debra Monk, Edward Hibbert and Karen Ziemba would join announced star Pierce in the work. The trio of Broadway veterans Monk (Reckless, Chicago), Hibbert (The Drowsy Chaperone, Noises Off) and Ziemba (Contact, Steel Pier) previously appeared in a 2005 reading of the work.
Rupert Holmes won three Tony Awards in 1986 for his Broadway musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and from 1996 to 1999 he was the creator and writer of the television series "Remember WENN" on American Movie Classics.
Peter Stone, who died in 2003, won three Tony Awards for his librettos for Titanic, Woman of the Year and 1776.
Tickets to Curtains are currently available at the Center Theatre Group box office or by calling CTG Audience Services at (213) 628-2772. For more information, go online to www.CenterTheatreGroup.org.
