Jessica Walter Exits Anything Goes July 31; Kelly Bishop in the Wings

By Kenneth Jones
31 Jul 2011

Jessica Walter in Anything Goes.
Jessica Walter in Anything Goes.
Photo by Joan Marcus

Jessica Walter sheds her fur wrap as dowager Evangeline Harcourt in Broadway's Tony Award-winning revival of Anything Goes on July 31, which is when the revival was originally scheduled to close.

All Roundabout productions are limited engagements, unless critics and audiences demand they continue. Anything Goes, which won Tony Awards for Best Choreography (Kathleen Marshall), Best Revival and Best Actress in a Musical (Sutton Foster) has now been extended into 2012 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. Marshall also directed the Cole Porter musical.

Walter is widely known for starring in TV's "Arrested Development." Kelly Bishop, the original Tony Award-winning Sheila of A Chorus Line, will step into the role of Mrs. Harcourt on Aug. 9. Until that time, Linda Mugleston (of the company) will play the role.

Bishop's breakout role, after years of working in the business, was Sheila in Michael Bennett's A Chorus Line, for which she won Tony (Best Featured Actress in a Musical) and Drama Desk Awards (Outstanding Actress in a Musical). Her other Broadway plays include Neil Simon's Proposals, The Last Night of Ballyhoo and Six Degrees of Separation at Lincoln Center. For seven years, she was Emily Gilmore on TV's "The Gilmore Girls."

The Anything Goes cast currently features Joel Grey as Moonface, John McMartin as Elisha Whitney, Colin Donnell as Billy Crocker, Adam Godley as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, Laura Osnes as Hope Harcourt, Jessica Stone as Erma, Walter Charles as Captain, Robert Creighton as Purser, Andrew Cao as Luke, and Raymond J. Lee as John. Additional cast members include Clyde Alves, Ward Billeisen, Joyce Chittick, Margot De La Barre, Daniel J. Edwards, Kimberly Fauré, Josh Franklin, Justin Greer, Tari Kelly, Michelle Lookadoo, Shina Ann Morris, Linda Mugleston, Kevin Munhall, Mary Michael Patterson, Adam Perry, Hayley Podschun, William Ryall, Jennifer Savelli, Anthony Wayne, Kristen Beth Williams.

Tickets are available by calling Telecharge.com at (212) 239-6200 or (800) 432-7250 or online at www.Telecharge.com/AG.

Visit www.roundabouttheatre.org.