The 1999 Steppenwolf Theatre Company production of Warren Leight's Side Man certainly gets around. After opening the Chicago theatre's 1999-2000 season, it travelled to Ireland's Galway Arts Festival in June 2000. Now, with the new year of 2001, the show will see a new continent: Australia. The jazz-inflected memory play, which won the 2000 Tony Award, will play the Playhouse at the Victorian Arts Center in Melbourne, Oct. 11-21.

The show's Tony-winning star, Frank Wood, will repeat his role as the zoned-out trumpet player Gene, who blithely neglects his family in favor of his horn. Steppenwolf Ensemble member Tim Hopper will play his son Clifford, who narrates the story in flashback. Rondi Reed is Gene's fiery, slightly off-balance wife Terry. Also in the cast are James Saltouros, Christian Stolte, Jason Wells and Carmen Roman.

Side Man is designed by Mark Wendland (sets), Karin Kopischke (costumes), Kevin Adams (lights) and Joe Cerqua (sound). Anna D. Shapiro directs.

Leight's latest, Glimmer, Glimmer and Shine played Off-Broadway this season.

—By Robert Simonson