Nielsen will remain out through the end of the week. Sarah Peterson will step into her role. Nielsen will return next week.

The show, directed by Bartlett Sher — who recently teamed with Lucas on The Light in the Piazza — also stars Robin Bartlett.

The new work debuted at Seattle's Intiman Theatre in July 2004. The New Haven production runs through Feb. 6.

Singing Forest interweaves the tales of three generations of one family, from New York in 2000 to post-World War II Paris to Vienna in the 1930s. The three-act drama was originally commissioned by Seattle’s ACT Theatre (under Gordon Edelstein) and developed with Trinity Repertory Company.

The cast of Singing Forest — many of whom play multiple roles — features Mark H. Dold (The Seagull - NYSF), Kristin Flanders (Singing Forest - Intiman Theatre), Ben Hammer (The Great Sebastians, Golda), Roderick Hill (Cymbeline - Theatre For A New Audience), Hamish Linklater (Recent Tragic Events), Henry Stram (Titanic, The Crucible) and John Vickery (The Lion King, The Real Thing).