E.T.C. producing artistic director D. Lynn Meyers will stage the musical, which will play the Ohio venue through Sept. 28.
Neva Rae Powers (Little Women) will embody two generations of women in Grey Gardens, starring as "Big Edith" Ewing Bouvier Beale for the first act and as iconic "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale in the musical's second act.
Penned by composer Scott Frankel, lyricist Michael Korie and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Doug Wright, Grey Gardens will also feature Cincinnati theatre veteran Dale Hodges as "Big Edie" in the 1973-set second act and newcomer Ashley Kate Adams as "Little Edie" in the 1941-set first act.
Completing the cast are Charlie Clark (Joe Kennedy/Jerry), Scot Woolley (Gould), Greg Hudson (Bouvier/Peale), Tim Taylor (Brooks Jr. & Sr.), as well as Olivia Diehl and Ellen Erhsam, playing young Lee and Jackie Bouvier Kennedy, respectively.
"I am thrilled to have such an outstanding ensemble to launch our 2008-2009 season," Meyers said in a statement. "It's amazing to embody a fascinating story about these extraordinary women's lives. It's an intelligent and heartfelt journey between the past and the present. The scenic design is a wonder in and of itself and will be a marvelous palate for these colorful characters to play upon." Press notes for the E.T.C. production read: "Grey Gardens brings to life both the delightfully eccentric aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Once among the brightest names in the pre-Camelot social register, Edith ('Big Edie') Ewing Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edith ('Little Edie') Bouvier Beale became East Hampton’s most notorious recluses, living in a dilapidated 28-room mansion alongside dozens of cats and piles of rubbish. Set in two eras—in 1941 when the estate was at its full grandeur and in 1973 after it had been reduced to squalor—Grey Gardens brings to life an undoubtedly unique and memorable tale of fallen American royalty. "
Grey Gardens cast member Woolley, who plays Gould, will also serve as the musical director for the E.T.C. production. The creative team also includes Patti James (choreography), Brian C. Mehring (scenic and lighting design), Reba Senske (costume design) and Chuck Hatcher (sound design).
Frankel, Korie and Wright (I Am My Own Wife) adapted Albert and David Maysles' 1975 documentary for the musical stage. Grey Gardens first premiered at Playwrights Horizons in 2006 and subsequently transferred to Broadway where it ran for 307 performances at the Walter Kerr Theatre. Grey Gardens earned a Tony nomination for Best Musical and garnered Tony Awards for leads Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson, as well as for costume designer William Ivey Long.
Tickets to Grey Gardens are available by phoning (513) 421-3555 or by visiting CincyETC.
The Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati is located at 1127 Vine Street in Cincinnati, OH.
