The entire cast of Chicago's Famous Door Theatre's production of British playwright Jonathan Harvey's Beautiful Thing repeat their performances in the show's New York debut. Previews began Feb. 4 at the Cherry Lane Theatre for an official opening Feb. 14 -- Valentine's Day -- and an open ended run.
The production is a lift from a 1998 staging by Chicago's Famous Door Theatre. Gary Griffin, the busy Chicago director, helms a cast featuring Matt Stinton, Dan Gold, Susan Bennett, Kirsten Sahs and Kurt Brocker. Sahs won a Joseph Jefferson Award for her performance as a harried but loving mother in the Chicago mounting of the play.
Beautiful Thing first saw the light of day at London's Bush Theatre in a production that starred a then-unknown Johnny Lee Miller (subsequently to achieve fame as Sickboy in the film, "Trainspotting") as one of two teen-age boys acting on his dawning sexuality.
A Donmar Warehouse production in London in 1993 was a recast restaging, and subsequently transferred to the Duke of York's, before it was turned into a warmly-embraced movie.
The play captures the awakening love between two male teenagers growing up in southeast London. Griffin is one of the hottest resident directors in Chicago; last year he was nominated for four Best Director Jeff Awards for musicals staged in 1997-98. He recently staged the Chicago premiere of Gross Indecency at the Court Theatre and is an artistic associate at Apple Tree Theatre. This production will mark his Off-Broadway debut.
Beautiful Thing is produced by Roy Gabay, whose producing credits include How I Learned to Drive and Side Man.
For information, call (212) 239-6200.