The actress kicked off the re-launch of the national tour of the popular Broadway and London play Oct. 29, 2004, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and was expected to stick around to Feb. 27 (the end of the Washington, DC run), but producers announced Jan. 3 that she will play Mrs. Robinson to May 1, when the tour closes.
Dan Fields, associate director of the Broadway production of The Graduate, stages the tour.
The dates beyond Washington, DC, with Fairchild includes New Orleans, LA (March 8-13 at Saenger Hall), Ft. Lauderdale (March 15-27 at Broward Center), Orlando (April 5-10 at Bob Carr Auditorium), San Antonio, TX (April 12-17 at the Majestic Theatre), Las Vegas (April 19-24 at The Aladdin), Seattle (April 28-May 1 at Paramount Theatre).
The Graduate is adapted by Terry Johnson, from the novel by Charles Webb and the screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry, and is produced by Jon B. Platt.
Fairchild, the lean blonde actress from soaps of the 1980s ("Flamingo Road") is Mrs. Robinson, who seduces her daughter's boyfriend, Benjamin, in the quirky coming of age tale. Fairchild's stage credits include High Infidelity and Geniuses in New York. Other recent stage appearances have included productions of Good-bye Charlie and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Her TV career began with a stint as paranoid murderess Jennifer Pace Phillips in the CBS-TV daytime series "Search for Tomorrow."
Nate Corddry plays Benjamin and Winslow Corbett is Elaine. Filling out the cast, in alphabetical order, are Denise Cormier, Peter Davies, Autumn Dornfeld, Tracy Griswold, Josh Heine, William Hill, Corinna May, Dennis Parlato and Brian Russell.
Peter Lawrence, who helmed the touring production that launched in summer 2003, was unavailable to stage the new tour. The first tour closed June 27, 2004, in Ottawa, with Kelly McGillis as Mrs. Robinson.
Production design is by Rob Howell (sets and costumes), Hugh Vanstone (lighting) and Christopher Cronin (sound).
The play features songs by Paul Simon, performed by Simon and Garfunkel, and original music composed and arranged by Barrington Pheloung. The Broadway production, with Kathleen Turner, played April 4, 2002, to March 2, 2003 at the Plymouth Theatre.
Director Fields staged and produced the first U.S. revival in 56 years of Arthur Miller's The Man Who Had All the Luck (Los Angeles Times Top 10 Productions of 2000; L.A. Weekly Revival of the Year). His production of Glen Berger's The Wooden Breeks was nominated for L.A. Weekly's Production of the Year and Best Direction. Fields was the original assistant director and then resident director of Disney's The Lion King on Broadway.
