The James Kirkwood comedy — with former "Dynasty" co-stars Joan Collins and Linda Evans — is scheduled to play the Wilshire Jan. 16-28, 2007.
Legends is currently playing Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre through Oct. 22. Collins and Evans have taken on the roles originally played on the road by Carol Channing and the late Mary Martin. Collins stars as fading film actress Sylvia with Evans as Leatrice.
The two actresses are joined onstage by Joe Farrell as Martin Klemmer, Tonye Patano as Aretha, Will Holman as Boom-Boom and Ethan Matthews as the Cop. Matthews also understudies the role of Martin Klemmer; Chaundra Cameron is the understudy for the part of Aretha.
John Bowab is directing Legends!, which is billed as "a comedy about big stars and bigger egos." The creative team also features Jesse Poleshuck (set design), Phil Monat (lighting design), Nolan Miller (costume design) and Robin L. McGee (associate costume design). Producers are Ben Sprecher, William P. Miller, Percy Gibson, Wendy Federman, Spring Sirkin, Max Cooper, David Mirvish and Ed Mirvish.
The current tour itinerary follows.
Sept. 12-Oct. 22 in Toronto at the Royal Alexandra Theatre
Oct. 24-Nov. 5 in Philadelphia at The Forrest Theatre
Nov. 7-12 in Hartford at the Bushnell
Nov. 14-19 in East Lansing at the Wharton Center
Nov. 21-Dec. 3 in Washington, D.C. at the National Theatre
Dec. 5-10 in Kansas City at the Lyric Theatre
Jan. 9-14, 2007 in San Diego at the Civic Center
Jan. 16-28 in Los Angeles at the Wadsworth
Jan. 30-Feb. 4 in Phoenix at the Orpheum Theatre
Feb. 20-March 4 in Chicago at The LaSalle
March 6-11 in Boston at the Shubert Theatre
March 20-April 1 in Cleveland at the Palace Theatre
April 3-8 in Fort Worth at the Bass Performance Hall
April 10-15 in Fayetteville at the Walton Arts Center
April 17-22 in Memphis at the Orpheum Theatre
April 24-29 in Ft. Myers at the Barbara Mann PAC
May 1-6 in Raleigh at the BTI Center
May 8-13 in New Haven at the Shubert Theatre Legends!, according to press notes, "centers on two somewhat desperate and waning movie stars named Sylvia (Collins) and Leatrice (Evans). Both actresses are courted by an unscrupulous young producer to star together in a Broadway show, despite the fact that they have hated each other for decades. He convinces both ladies to go along by misleading them into believing that they will be starring in the show with Paul Newman. This hilarious set-up provides the background for the full-blown comic confrontation between these two divas and the surprising and hilarious resolution.
For further information visit www.legendsthecomedy.com.
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Legends! originally played a 23-city tour in the mid-eighties with plans to bring the comedy about two former, feuding movie stars to Broadway. Martin, however, pulled out of the production when her second-act speech about breast cancer was cut. In Kirkwood's "Diary of a Mad Playwright," he writes about the moment Martin gave her notice: "This is a very rare moment in my professional career. Not only is the speech ruined for me, but also the play is ruined for me. I will go on, but I will not play London, and I will not come to New York. I'll fulfill my contract, and then you can get someone else and cut anything you want."
