Written by Tony nominee Douglas Carter Beane and Lewis Flinn, and directed and choreographed by Tony nominee Dan Knechtges, Lysistrata Jones — reimagining the ancient Greek play Lysistrata, about a sex strike in wartime, now placing it in the realm of college basketball — will begin previews Nov. 12 and open Dec. 14.
The Walter Kerr Theatre is at 219 W. 48th Street.
Lysistrata Jones will feature Patti Murin (Lysistrata Jones), Liz Mikel (Hetaira), Josh Segarra (Mick), Jason Tam (Xander), and Lindsay Nicole Chambers (Robin) with Alexander Aguilar (Uardo), Ato Blankson-Wood (Tyllus), Katie Boren (Lampito), Kat Nejat (Cleonice), LaQuet Sharnell (Mhyrinne), Teddy Toye (Harold) and Alex Wyse (Cinesius). Here's how the producers characterize the show: "The Athens University basketball team hasn't won a game in 30 years. But when spunky transfer student Lysistrata Jones (Patti Murrin) dares the squad’s fed-up girlfriends to stop 'giving it up' to their boyfriends until they win a game, their legendary losing streak could be coming to an end. In this boisterous new musical comedy, Lyssie J. and her girl-power posse give Aristophanes' classic comedy a sexy, modern twist and take student activism to a whole new level."
Beane is the Tony Award-nominated dramatist of Sister Act, Xanadu and The Little Dog Laughed. Composer-lyricist Flinn contributed to The Divine Sister. Director-choreographer Knechtges' choreography credits include Xanadu (for which he was Tony-nominated for his choreography), 110 in the Shade, Sondheim on Sondheim and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Tickets for Lysistrata Jones range from $25 to $130, and can also be purchased on Telecharge.com or by calling (800) 432-7250. For more information, visit www.LysistrataJones.com.
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Murin originated the role of Lysistrata Jones at the Dallas Theatre Center (where the show was called Give It Up!) and reprised it Off-Broadway with the Transport Group earlier this year, when the show was staged in a Greenwich Village gymnasium. She appeared in Xanadu on Broadway (Euterpe/Kira u/s), as Emma at the Old Globe Theatre and as The Little Mermaid at the Muny in St. Louis.
Producers Paula Herold and Alan Wasser are behind the Broadway show.
