Harden, Gandolfini, Daniels and Davis Depart Broadway's God of Carnage

By Adam Hetrick
14 Nov 2009

God of Carnage stars Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini and Marcia Gay Harden
God of Carnage stars Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini and Marcia Gay Harden
photo by Joan Marcus

Marcia Gay Harden, James Gandolfini, Jeff Daniels and Hope Davis give their final parental free-for-all in Yasmina Reza's hit Tony Award-winning comedy God of Carnage at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre Nov. 14.

After playing to acclaim in London, Reza's comedy arrived on Broadway with its starry American cast Feb. 28 and has played packed houses since its March 22 opening. Matthew Warchus is director.

God of Carnage earned Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Direction for Matthew Warchus.

All four cast members received Tony nominations for their work, with Harden taking home her first Tony Award for her performance. The foursome was originally scheduled to play a limited engagement through July, but later extended their contracts through November following a summer hiatus.

Succeeding the original Broadway company (starting Nov. 17) will be original London God of Carnage cast member Ken Stott as Michael with Oscar nominee Christine Lahti (The Heidi Chronicles, "Chicago Hope") as his wife Veronica. "Designing Women" favorite Annie Potts will make her Broadway debut as Annette alongside Jimmy Smits (Anna in the Tropics, "NYPB Blue") as her husband Alan.



God of Carnage, according to press notes, "is a comedy of manners without the manners. The play deals with the aftermath of a playground altercation between two boys and what happens when their parents meet to talk about it."

The Broadway production reunites the West End creative team: set and costume designer Mark Thompson, lighting designer Hugh Vanstone and sound designers Simon Baker and Chris Cronin with music by Gary Yershon.

God of Carnage is produced on Broadway by Robert Fox, David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers, Stuart Thompson, Scott Rudin, Jon B. Platt, The Weinstein Company and The Shubert Organization.

Tickets are currently on sale through June 20, 2010.

For tickets, visit Telecharge. The Bernard Jacobs Theatre is located in Manhattan at 242 West 45th Street.

For further information visit GodofCarnage.

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Jeff Daniels was recently seen in the new musical Turn of the Century at Chicago's Goodman Theatre. The actor is also known for such film work as "The Squid and The Whale," "Dumb & Dumber," "Terms of Endearment," "Gettysburg" and more. Daniels appeared on Broadway in Redwood Curtain, Fifth of July and The Golden Age and Off-Broadway in Blackbird. Daniels has also written plays, many of which have been staged at Chelsea, Michigan's Purple Rose Theatre Company — of which he is founder and executive director.

Hope Davis has been seen on Broadway in Ivanov and Two Shakespearean Actors. Her screen credits include "American Splendor," "The Secret Lives of Dentists," "Six Degrees," "Deadline," "Infamous" and "Proof," among others.

Marcia Gay Harden was Tony-nominated for her performance in Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and was also seen on Broadway in Angels in America: Perestroika. She won an Academy Award for her performance in "Pollock" and was Oscar-nominated for her work in "Mystic River."

Emmy Award winner James Gandolfini has appeared on Broadway in A Streetcar Named Desire (1992) and On the Waterfront (1995). He is best known, however, for playing Tony Soprano on "The Sopranos."

Marcia Gay Harden, Hope Davis, Jeff Daniels and James Gandolfini in God of Carnage
Marcia Gay Harden, Hope Davis, Jeff Daniels and James Gandolfini in God of Carnage
photo by Joan Marcus