Scott Elliott (Hurlyburly, The Women) will direct the Roundabout Theatre Company commission which will begin performances in Spring 2006, according to a Roundabout spokesperson.
Shawn (Aunt Dan and Lemon) translates and adapts the original German book and lyrics of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's classic musical Die Dreigroschenoper. Set in London in the 1800s, the The Threepenny Opera concerns a notorious bandit who marries a girl, much to the chagrin of her father. The peeved patriarch does everything in his power to imprison his son-in-law in this political and social satire.
Tony Award winner Cumming will reprise the role of Macheath — which he played in a recent workshop that also starred Falco, who will play the prostitute Jenny. McKay plays the young bride Polly. More casting and creatives to be announced.
Cumming, who won a Tony Award for his performance as the Emcee in the Broadway revival of Cabaret, currently appears in the sequel "Son of Mask". The Scottish thespian has starred on stage in Design for Living and his theatre company Art Party's inaugural production, Elle. He has also appeared on film in Circle of Friends," "Plunkett & Macleane," "Titus," "Nicholas Nickleby" and "The Anniversary Party" — which he wrote and directed with Jennifer Jason Leigh — as well as television roles in "Annie," "God, The Devil and Bob," "The Goodbye Girl" and the upcoming TV movie version of the musical Reefer Madness.
Falco — Emmy Award-winning star of the HBO mob hit "The Sopranos" — was last seen on Broadway in the Michael Mayer-directed revival of Marsha Norman's 'night, Mother. The actress made her Broadway debut in the Warren Leight play Side Man and has also appeared on Broadway in Terrence McNally's Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. Songstress McKay — who will perform as part of Jazz at Lincoln Center's "2005 American Songbook Series" March 1 — was signed to Columbia Records in 2003 and released her debut double-disc album, the jazz-influenced edgy "Get Away from Me" in Febuary 2004. The up-and-coming blond Harlem native has opened for Cyndi Lauper, Sting, Barenaked Ladies and Alanis Morissette as well as Lou Reed at Carnegie Hall.
Roundabout announced the work in June 2003 for the 2004-2005 season, but later bumped it from the lineup. The Brecht-Weill work was last revived for the Broadway stage in 1989 as 3 Penny Opera starring former "The Police" frontman Sting.
Actor-playwright Shawn stars opposite Ethan Hawke in the Elliott's new staging of David Rabe's Hurylyburly which also stars Bobby Cannavale, Josh Hamilton, Catherine Kellner and Parker Posey. He also appeared in the recent New York Theatre Workshop reading of David Hare's Stuff Happens as United Nations inspector Hans Blix. He is known for his turns in the films "My Dinner With Andre," "The Princess Bride" and as the voice of Rex in the "Toy Story" movies.
As a playwright, Shawn's Aunt Dan and Lemon was revived by The New Group last season. His other works include Marie and Bruce — his screen adaptation of which starring Matthew Broderick debuted at this year's Sundance Film Festival — and The Designated Mourner, which was staged in New York in 2000 with Shawn and Larry Pine in a cast directed by Andre Gregory.
Founding Artistic Director of Off-Broadway's The New Group, Elliott directed Shawn's Aunt Dan and Lemon for the company as well as the 2001 Broadway revival of The Women for Roundabout. Other credits include Three Sisters, Present Laughter, Kiki & Herb: A Coup de Theatre, The Women of Lockerbie, Comedians and Smelling a Rat. A one-time performer, he appeared on Broadway in Les Miserables and Ain't Broadway Grand.
