Siegel is a veteran performer in her hometown of Eugene, OR. She sustained an injury at the age of nine that left her with vision loss in one eye. This will mark her Broadway debut.

When Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin ("Little Miss Sunshine") was announced to star in the revival of the William Gibson play, advocates for impaired performers complained that the casting process did not include seeking out a deaf or blind actress who could bring authenticity to the production (Keller could not see or hear). Some reports indicated that critics were unhappy with the choice of Breslin, who does not have vision loss or hearing loss.

The Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts has since released this announcement: "The Alliance fully supports artistic freedom and has never protested the casting of Abigail Breslin in The Miracle Worker. We support the creative freedom that all artists bring to the casting process. However, it was our disappointment not with the selection, but the process in which the production selected Ms. Breslin, an actor of immense talent, that required that we speak. It would be our hope that the producers of work such as The Miracle Worker consider in their casting process actors from the communities we service, actors who could also bring significant breadth and depth to the role. That is our hope for the future of this project, this role, and other roles and projects in this same position — consider those in the community represented on stage. And to be clear, it is not and never has been our position to call for the firing of any actor and we only wish Ms. Breslin the best in her Broadway debut."

Co-lead producer David Richenthal stated, "We were absolutely knocked out by Miss Siegel. Although we auditioned many young actresses, Kyra was by far the very best. She is a fine talent, an assured actress, and as totally fearless as young Helen was herself. We are so happy to welcome her to the company."

D-Scriptive is an automated audio-description system "allowing theatregoers to hear a detailed description of all visual aspects of the production, including physical drama and humor, choreography, lighting, sets and costumes." I-Caption is a hand-held captioning system, also automated, that displays verbatim texts of the entire show as it's performed, including lyrics, announcements and show information. Both systems are timed to the action of the show and integrated into the production's cueing system, "so that the commentary and captioning always keep pace with the action onstage and can adjust themselves according to any fluctuations in the performance."

As previously announced, The Miracle Worker will also star Alison Pill (Tony Award nominee for The Lieutenant of Inishmore) as Annie Sullivan. Directed by Kate Whoriskey (Ruined), the play will be staged in the round for the first time on Broadway, at Circle in the Square Theatre.

Previews will begin on Feb. 12, 2010. Opening night is March 3, 2010, at Circle in the Square Theatre (235 West 50th Street).

Understudy Siegel, age ten, began her performing career at six months of age with Dance Theatre of Oregon at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene, OR. Since then, she has been actively involved in dance, theatre and later gymnastics both in Oregon and on tour with parents Marc Siegel and Pamela Lehan-Siegel, who are professional dancers/artistic directors of Dance Theatre of Oregon. She recently completed a successful October 2009 run of The Miracle Worker in the role of Helen Keller at the Cottage Theatre in Cottage Grove, OR. She has performed extensively with Dance Theatre of Oregon in lead roles including her favorite role, as Mowgli in The Jungle Book, and also as Heidi in Heidi, and Mr. Nilsson in Pippi Longstocking; with Eugene Ballet in Dracula, Peter Pan, Midsummer Night's Dream and Nutcracker; at Cottage Theater in The Sound of Music, Wizard of Oz and Oliver; with Lane Community College as Mamillius in Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale and Gracie Shinn in The Music Man.

Set in Tescumbia, AL, in the 1880s, The Miracle Worker "tells the story of the young Helen Keller, who became blind and deaf following a childhood illness, and the extraordinary woman, Annie Sullivan, who teaches the angry and frustrated child how to communicate with the world."

Richenthal has produced several Tony Award-winning productions, including Death of a Salesman, Long Day's Journey Into Night, The Crucible and I Am My Own Wife. His production of Finian's Rainbow is currently playing at the St. James Theatre on Broadway. Co-lead producer Eric Falkenstein presented last year's production of Arthur Miller's All My Sons.

Additional casting, creative team and ticket information will be announced in the coming weeks.

Visit www.miracleworkeronbroadway.com.