Oscar winner Dame Judi Dench begins previews in David Hare's Amy's View April 3. The limited run will open April 15 and close July 18.
Amy's View examines the relationship between stage legend Esme Allen (Dench) and her daughter Amy. The play begins in 1979 and follows the two women through to the present day.
Dench, who was nominated for an Olivier for Amy's View, won the 1999 Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her turn as Queen Elizabeth in "Shakespeare in Love." Other film work includes "M" in the most recent James Bond movies, Mistress Quickly in Kenneth Branagh's "Henry V" and her Oscar-nominated role as another queen (Victoria) in 1997's "Mrs. Brown." She has not been seen on Broadway since a 1961 U.S. tour with the Old Vic Theatre Company.
Samantha Bond also reprises her London role as the Amy of the title. Bond recently left London's production of Shelagh Stephenson's The Memory of Water to cross over for Broadway's View. Other theatre credits include Three Tall Women, Man of the Moment, Much Ado About Nothing, Les Liasons Dangereuses, Romeo and Juliet and the Royal Shakespeare Company's The Winter's Tale and As You Like It. Like Dench, she has logged time on two recent Bond films, "Goldeneye" and "Tomorrow Never Dies", playing Miss Moneypenny.
A final London Amy's View veteran returns -- Ronald Pickup portrays Frank Oddie. Just a few of the RADA-trained actors' credits include The Norman Conquests, Little Eyolf, Astrov in Uncle Vanya and The Cherry Orchard at the West End Theatre as well as Royal National Theatre productions of Juno and the Paycock, As You Like It (Rosalind), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (Guildenstern) and Long Days Journey Into Night (Edmund). An American addition, Tate Donovan, set to play Dominick Tyghe, most recently performed on Broadway in Picnic. Other theatre credits include The American Plan, Bent and The Thrill. His film credits feature "Memphis Belle," "Ethan Frome," "Love Potion No. 9," and the speaking voice of the title character in Disney's "Hercules."
The rest of the Amy's View cast features Tony Award nominee Anne Pitoniak (Picnic) as Evelyn Thomas, and Maduka Steady (Scapin) as Toby Cole.
London director Richard Eyre, former head of the Royal National, directs the piece again for New York.
Designing Amy's View are Bob Crowley (sets), Scott Myers (sound) and Mark Henderson (lighting). Music is by Richard Hartley. The show is being produced on Broadway by Robert Fox, Scott Rudin, Roger Berlind, Joan Cullman and The Shubert Organization.
Amy's View opened first in June 1997 at the National Theatre in London before transferring to the West End's Aldwych Theatre Jan. 17, 1998. The production closed there April 18, 1998.
By the end of the 1998-99 season, the prolific Hare will have opened three shows on Broadway: Amy's View, The Blue Room and the solo (in which he stars), Via Dolorosa. Last season, Hare's The Judas Kiss ran on Broadway with Liam Neeson playing Oscar Wilde. Other Hare plays include Skylight, The Secret Rapture and Racing Demon.
Tickets by phone can be ordered by calling (212) 239-6200. The Barrymore Theatre box office is located at 243 West 47th Street.
