Tony winner Patti LuPone and movie actor Peter Riegert will open on Broadway Nov. 19 in David Mamet's trio of autobiographical one-act dramas, collectively titled The Old Neighborhood.
In previews singce Nov. 11, the production opens at the Booth Theatre under the auspices of director Scott Zigler, who staged Neighborhood at American Repertory Theatre in spring 1997. The Broadway incarnation will be produced by Carole Shorenstein Hayes (Fences) and Stuart Thompson (general manager of the 1997 A Doll's House revival).
Also named in the cast are Vincent Guastaferro, Rebecca Pidgeon and Jack Willis. The three actors were retained from the A.R.T. production.
LuPone, who triumphed on Broadway in such musicals as Evita and Anything Goes, last appeared on The Great White Way when she succeeded Zoe Caldwell in Terrence McNally's Master Class. LuPone drew rave reviews for her portrayal of opera diva Maria Callas and then repeated her work in the London production.
Riegert, known for his amiable, guy-next-door roles in such movies as Crossing Delancey, Chilly Scenes of Winter, and Local Hero, was last seen on Broadway in Wendy Wasserstein's short-lived An American Daughter this past spring. The Old Neighborhood consists of three autobiographical one-act plays set in and around Mamet's native Chicago. They are written in the mood of Mamet's Cryptogram, which also debuted at A.R.T.
The three interconnected plays are titled The Disappearance of the Jews, Jolly and Deeny (formerly titled D.). All three have one character in common, Bobby Gould.
In all three plays, the middle-aged characters recall or revisit their childhoods in search of truth and understanding. Mamet won the Pulitzer Prize for Glengarry Glen Ross, and is author of Oleanna, American Buffalo, Speed-the-Plow The Water Engine, and many other plays.
The play's A.R.T. designers will reprise their roles for Broadway: Kevin Rigdon (sets), Harriet Voyt (costumes), and John Ambrosone (lighting).
For a look back at David Mamet's career, see The Plays of David Mamet in Theatre Features.
Tickets ($45-$55) are on sale via Tele-charge (212-239-6200) and at the box office. You can also order tickets on Playbill On-Line.
