Hammond, Innvar, Isola, Levenson, Rowat and More Are The Boys in the Band Off-Broadway

By Kenneth Jones
26 Dec 2009

Casting for Transport Group Theatre Company's new Off-Broadway revival of Mart Crowley's groundbreaking play, The Boys in the Band, a snapshot of a conflict-filled gathering of gay pals, has been revealed.

The troupe beginning performances Feb. 12, 2010, will include Ragtime's Jonathan Hammond as Michael; 110 in the Shade's Christopher Innvar as Larry; Brooklyn Boy and Twelfth Night's Kevin Isola as Alan; Irish Rep veteran Jon Levenson as Harold; London Ragtime Olivier nominee Kevyn Morrow as Bernard; Love Musik's Graham Rowat as Hank; Aaron Sharff, of Shakespeare & Company's Measure for Measure, as Cowboy; John Wellmann, of Transport Group's cul-de-sac, as Emory; and Juilliard grad Nick Westrate (Broadway's A Moon for the Misbegotten) as Donald.

The Boys in the Band, from 1968, was one of the first plays to deal with contemporary life among gay men. It played 1,000 performances in its original Off-Broadway production at Theatre Four. Robert Moore directed a cast that included Cliff Gorman (1968 OBIE Award Distinguished Performance), Leonard Frey, Laurence Luckinbill, Kenneth Nelson, Frederick Combs, Reuben Greene, Robert La Tourneaux and Keith Prentice.

A 1970 film version followed (it was released on DVD with special features in fall 2008). A new documentary about the play, "Making the Boys," was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival and is seeking a wider release.

According to Transport Group, "The Boys in the Band represents a major milestone in American theatre as the first play to openly portray the pleasures, miseries and private lives of gay men. It's set during Harold's 32nd birthday party. The evening begins as a hilarious and spirited celebration among friends until unexpected guests and games reveal tensions that unravel these men's souls. The party moves to a heart-wrenching, and climactic end."

Opening night is Feb. 19. Directed by Transport Group artistic director Jack Cummings III, the production will play 37 West 26th Street, 12th Floor (between Sixth Avenue and Broadway). Cummings said "the play will be staged environmentally at 37 West 26th Street. We are not doing it traditionally in a proscenium, but rather environmentally so the audience will feel like they are flies on the wall in Michael's apartment."

Tickets ($10-$45) are now available at transportgroup.org.

The production team includes associate director Greg Wiggans, stage manager Wendy Patten, set designer Sandra Goldmark, lighting designer R. Lee Kennedy and costume designer Kathryn Rohe.

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Transport Group is the recipient of a Special Drama Desk Award for its "breadth of vision and presentation of challenging productions." For more information, visit www.transportgroup.org.

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The Boys in the Band was seen in a Transport Group reading (followed by a panel discussion) in June 2008. That presentation featured Patrick Boll, Manoel Felciano, Barrett Foa, Malcolm Gets, David Greenspan, Jonathan Hammond, Christopher Innvar, Norm Lewis and John Wellman.