Allen, Irons, Mason, De Shields Begin Impressionism Run on Broadway

By Kenneth Jones
February 28, 2009

Tony Award winners Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons return to Broadway Feb. 28 with the 8 PM first preview of the new American play, Impressionism, by Michael Jacobs, at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.

Directed by Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien (Hairspray, The Coast of Utopia), Impressionism — the story of an international photojournalist and a New York gallery owner "who discover each other and also that there might be an art to repairing broken lives" — will open on March 12. This is an 18-week limited engagement.

The cast also features four-time Academy Award nominee Marsha Mason (Steel Magnolias, Night of the Iguana), Hadley Delany, Tony nominee André De Shields (The Full Monty, Play On!), Michael T. Weiss (TV's "The Pretender"), Aaron Lazar (Les Misérables, Tale of Two Cities) and Margarita Levieva.

The production marks Allen's first return to Broadway since The Heidi Chronicles in 1989, and Irons' first time on Broadway since The Real Thing in 1984.

Playwright Jacobs is also the author of the Carbonell Award-winning Cheaters, which was produced on Broadway in 1978 at the Biltmore Theatre; and Getting Along Famously, which was produced Off-Broadway at the Hudson Guild Theatre. For film, he produced "Quiz Show" (1994, nominated for Academy Award) and "As Seen Through These Eyes," a 2007 documentary. For TV he created, produced or developed 15 series including "Boy Meets World," "Dinosaurs," "My Two Dads," "The Torkelsons" and "Charles in Charge." His television shows have won the Emmy, People's Choice, Parents Choice, Environmental Media Awards and more.

The creative team includes Tony winner Scott Pask (scenic design), Tony winner Catherine Zuber (costume design), Tony winner Natasha Katz (lighting design), Elaine McCarthy (projection design), Leon Rothenberg (sound design), Tom Watson (hair and wig design). Original music is by Bob James. Michael J. Passaro is production stage manager.

The play is produced by Ostar Productions, Roy Furman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Chase Mishkin, Thomas Murphy, Jamie deRoy, Broadway Across America, Michael Filerman, Eric Falkenstein, Morris Berchard, Randall L.Wreghitt, Matt Murphy, Philip Geier/Donald R. Keough, Jennifer Manocherian/Wendy Federman, Max OnStage/Hugh Hysell/Richard Jordan.

The understudies include Neal Bledsoe, Stevie Ray Dallimore, Elizabeth Olsen, Caroline Rosenblum, Henny Russell and Harold Surratt.

The Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre is located at 236 West 45th Street. Tickets are available by visiting www.telecharge.com or by calling (212) 239-6200.

For more information visit www.impressionismtheplay.com.