Ending months of speculation that Meryl Streep or Glenn Close would return to Broadway in Wendy Wasserstein's new drama, An American Daughter, it's confirmed now that the of the embattled U.S. Surgeon General will go to Kate Nelligan, star of Plenty, Bad Habits, Serious Money and The Spoils of War on Broadway, and the film Elena.

Nelligan made a splash in David Hare's Plenty, but has been searching since then for a hit commensurate with her abilities.

An American Daughter, is scheduled to open on Broadway April 13, 1997 at the Cort Theatre, under the auspices of Lincoln Center Theatre. Previews begin March 20.

Wasserstein's drama had its premiere in a workshop production at Seattle Repertory Theatre May 31-June 2, 1996 with Meryl Streep as its star. Both Streep and Close have performed the role in readings of the play as well.

Wasserstein's drama about a woman descendant of Ulysses S. Grant who gets tangled in a web of politics, media and emotions in contemporary Washington DC. Lincoln Center Theatre started its season with Christopher Durang's new comedy, Sex and Longing, and is showing off its renovated Vivian Beaumont Theatre with a revival of Juan Darien, a famous music theatre piece by Julie Taymor and Elliot Goldenthal. Taymor is scheduled to direct Disney's The Lion King on Broadway at the renovated New Amsterdam Theatre.

Also planned by LCT at the Beaumont: a revival of Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes, starring Stockard Channing, who has appeared under their auspices in Hapgood, Six Degrees of Separation, The House of Blue Leaves and other plays. Jack O'Brien will direct Foxes, which begins performances April 3 and opens April 27.

Spalding Gray's new (to New York) monolog, titled It's a Slippery Slope, plays Mondays and Sundays at the Beaumont Theatre through Jan 6.

Lincoln Center Theatre also operates an off-Broadway theatre, the Mitzi Newhouse, where it will present a new version of Craig Lucas' God's Heart, directed by Joe Mantello (Love! Valour! Compassion!).