Joanna Gleason Extends Stay Among Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

By Kenneth Jones
December 13, 2005

Joanna Gleason, Tony Award-nominated for playing Omaha's rich Muriel Eubanks in the musical comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, will continue in the role into 2006, the producers announced.

She extended her contract, as did Sherie Rene Scott (who takes a late winter and spring 2006 break to appear at Signature Theatre in New York) and Norbert Leo Butz (who won the 2005 Best Actor in a Musical Tony). Jonathan Pryce joins the troupe as one of the two title characters at the Imperial Theatre Jan. 17, 2006, and Rachel York takes on Scott's role of heiress Christine Colgate Feb. 5.

Gleason returned to New York theatre in the 2004 production of The Normal Heart at The Public Theater, and made her return to Broadway in the Jeffrey Lane-David Yazbek musical after a 14-year absence. She also received Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for this performance.

Gleason is also currently filming "The Pleasure of Your Company" for Greenstreet Productions. It also stars Jason Biggs, Isla Fisher, Michael Westin, Joe Pantoliono, Ed Hermann and Margo Martindale.

Upon re-signing her contract, Gleason stated, "I have been involved with this show for two years come February, and it's still a joy. The audiences are still on their feet, and gratefully, so am I."

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels won the 2005 Drama League Award as Best Musical, and was nominated for 11 Tony Awards. It also stars John Lithgow (to Jan. 15, 2006), Gregory Jbara and Sara Gettelfinger.

The production is directed by two-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell.