The entire cast of Chicago's Famous Door Theatre's production of British playwright Jonathan Harvey's Beautiful Thing will repeat their performances when the play makes its New York debut. Previews begin Feb. 4, 1999 at the Cherry Lane Theatre for an official opening Feb. 14 and an open ended run. Gary Griffin will direct a cast featuring Matt Stinton, Dan Gold, Susan Bennett, Kirsten Sahs and Kurt Brocker. Sahs won a Joseph Jefferson Award for her performance 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.
