Columnist Kevin Sessums reports in his column in thedailybeast.com that Lane will star in the classic opposite Brian Dennehy as Larry Slade in a Chicago production directed by Robert Falls. It would seem that The Goodman Theatre (where Falls is artistic director) would be the Windy City spot for such a meeting of minds. Dennehy and Falls have worked on O'Neill plays there for years; their Desire Under the Elms and Long Day's Journey Into Night moved to Broadway from there, and their Hughie was aiming for Broadway this year, but that seems to have dematerialized.
The Goodman has yet to announce one title in its coming 2010-11 season. So, is Tony Award winner Lane going to the Windy City?
Falls was out of the country, but a spokesperson for The Goodman told Playbill.com on April 9, "Robert Falls and Brian Dennehy are in constant conversation about their next big Eugene O'Neill collaboration. The Iceman Cometh is a piece that is near and dear to both artists — as the Goodman's 1990 production featuring Mr. Dennehy as Hickey earned enormous critical and popular acclaim, and continued abroad to Ireland's Abbey Theatre in 1992. Mr. Falls has long admired Nathan Lane's work, and would be delighted to collaborate with him in the future. No plans to revisit The Iceman Cometh have been set at this time."