Mark Brokaw (Cry-Baby, The Dying Gaul, How I Learned to Drive, The Long Christmas Ride Home) stages the darkly comic work starring Tony Award winner Lavin (Other Desert Cities, Collected Stories, Broadway Bound) as Rita, Tony winner Latessa (Hairspray) as Ben, Michael Esper (American Idiot, Intelligent Homosexual's Guide…) as son Curtis, Kate Jennings Grant (the 2009 Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls, as well as Proof) as daughter Lisa, Gregory Wooddell (Some Men in Philadelphia) as Brian and Brenda Pressley (original Broadway cast of Dreamgirls) as a nurse.
Here is the cast and guests on opening night:
The world premiere is billed this way by the Vineyard: "The Lyons — Silver's seventh new play to premiere at The Vineyard — is an outrageously funny and stirring work about a family grappling with the impending death of its patriarch. When Ben Lyons' wife, Rita, and their grown children gather to say goodbye, they learn that despite being a family, each of them is utterly isolated. Afraid of closeness and afraid of solitude, they are propelled into foreign territory — human connection."
Vineyard is at 108 E. 15th Street. Performances are Tuesdays at 7 PM, Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 PM and Saturdays and Sundays at 3 PM. Tickets are $70 and $100 and can be purchased online at www.vineyardtheatre.org, or by calling the box office at (212) 353-0303.
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Douglas Aibel is artistic director of the Vineyard Theatre, Jennifer Garvey-Blackwell is executive producer, Sarah Stern is co-artistic director and Rebecca Habel is managing director.
