Mark Clements (Speaking in Tongues) directs Marc Kudisch, Ron Bohmer, Leah Hocking, Daniel Reichard and Jennifer Simard in the production with musical staging by Tony Award-winner Rob Ashford (Thoroughly Modern Millie). The new comedy began performances Aug. 6.
The Thing About Men, billed "a musical comedy affair," features music by Jimmy Roberts with book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro. I Love You,... producers Jonathan Pollard and Bernie Kukoff team up with Tony Converse to present the work that has been in development for a number of years.
The show — once simply Men — is based on the German filmmaker Doris Dörrie's 1985 movie "Männer" (Men). The plot finds a middle-aged ad exec (Kudisch) who moves out after discovering his wife (Hocking) is cheating on him. The spurned man then takes up residence with an artist (Bohmer) — who is "the other man." The interactions between the love triangle are accented by a male and female narrator-like duo (Reichard and Simard) — who also play all the show's other eclectic and eccentric characters.
Kudisch was recently seen on Broadway in Thoroughly Modern Millie. Bohmer starred in The Scarlet Pimpernel. Hocking played last in Dance of the Vampires. Reichard, star of Radiant Baby, and original I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change cast member Simard were involved in a December reading with Kudisch.
The design team includes Richard Hoover (set), Ken Billington (lighting), Gregory A. Gale (costume), Jon Weston (sound) and Elaine J. Mccarthy (projections). Bruce Coughlin handles orchestrations and Lynne Shankel serves as musical director. The songlist includes "Oh, What A Man!," "No Competition For Me," "Opportunity Knocking," “Free, Easy Guy,” "Take Me Into You," "Because," "The Greatest Friend," "Downtown Bohemian Slum," "You Will Never Get Into This Restaurant," "Me, Too," "One-Woman Man," "Take Me Into You" (reprise), "Highway of Your Heart," "The Better Man Won," "The Road To Lucy," "Make Me a Promise, Thomas," "New, Beautiful Man" and "Finale."
For tickets to The Thing About Men at the Promenade, 2162 Broadway (at 76th Street), call (212) 239-6200 or click here. For more information, visit www.thethingaboutmen.com.
