Rifkin, Glover, Pace and Gold Expected for Baitz's The Paris Letter Off-Broadway
By Ernio Hernandez
01 Apr 2005
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Ron Rifkin (left) opposite Neil Patrick Harris in The Paris Letter debut.
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| photo by Craig Schwartz | Ron Rifkin — who starred in the world premiere of The Paris Letter in Los Angeles — as well as John Glover, Lee Pace and Daniel Eric Gold are expected to star in the upcoming Off-Broadway staging, Playbill.com has learned.
Previews will begin for the New York premiere of the new Jon Robin Baitz drama on May 13 toward a June opening for the limited engagement through Aug. 7.
Director Doug Hughes (Frozen) told Playbill.com's Harry Haun that the aforementioned male quartet — with one female counterpart — will begin rehearsals April 12 for the work from the playwright of Chinese Friends.
In Paris Letter, a Wall Street hotshot struggles to escape a past that catches up with him and threatens both his personal and professional lives.
Boston's Huntington Theatre Company commissioned the new work, which was seen in a New York City reading in December 2003. The drama was also developed at California's Ojai Playwrights Conference.
Originally thought to be headed for Broadway under the auspices of Elizabeth McCann, Scott Rudin and Hal Luftig, the world premiere played in Culver City, California at the new Kirk Douglas Theater Dec. 5, 2004-Jan. 2, 2005.
Baitz's one-act Show People was performed as part of a Mike Nichols produced benefit called Short Talks on the Universe in November 2002. He also penned the adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler used in the 2001 Broadway revival. His Ten Unknowns was produced by Lincoln Center Theatre, who have also presented the scribe's A Fair Country and The Substance of Fire. Other works include Mizlansky/Zilinsky or 'Schmucks,' Three Hotels and The Film Society.
Ron Rifkin (Cabaret, "Alias") — a constant star of Baitz works — starred in the reading directed by Jonathan Kent (Man of La Mancha) with Kate Nelligan (An American Daughter) and Richard Easton (The Invention of Love, Henry IV). He also headed up the Los Angeles cast which also featured Neil Patrick Harris (Assassins), Lawrence Pressman (Never Live Over a Pretzel Factory), Josh Radnor (The Graduate) and Patricia Wettig ("thirtysomething").
Production spokespersons for the Roundabout Theatre company could not confirm any casting.
The Laura Pels is currently home to Stephen Belber's McReele starring Anthony Mackie and Michael O'Keefe. Lynn Nottage's Intimate Apparel, Stephen Dietz's Fiction and a revival of Larry Shue's comedy The Foreigner starring Matthew Broderick and Frances Sternhagen have also played at the space, Oct. 15, 2004-Jan. 2, 2005. A Michael Mayer-directed staging of Noah Haidle's Mr. Marmalade is also expected in the coming year.
The Laura Pels Theatre in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre is located at 111 West 46th Street . For more information, call Roundabout Ticket Services at (212) 719-1300 or go online to www.roundabouttheatre.org.
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