Cole, Jackson, Rapp Lead THE NORMAL HEART Talkbacks, Beginning Today

Producer Daryl Roth announced previously that the premiere Broadway presentation of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart will host a series of post-show talkbacks, beginning tonight, May 3. Immediately following Tuesday performances of the ground-breaking play, distinguished members of the community will lead a Tuesday TalkOut. This series of talkbacks will underscore the themes and historical context of the play. Participants include Freedom to Marry president and founder EVan Wolfson, designer Kenneth Cole, amfAR CEO Kevin Front, stage and screen star Cheyenne Jackson, Friends In Deed president Cynthia O'Neal, original RENT star Anthony Rapp, HRC campaign strategist Brian Ellner and many more.

The full schedule for the Tuesday TalkOut series includes:

Tuesday, May 3
The Freedom to Marry In-and Since-The Normal Heart
With EVan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry and author of Why Marriage Matters.

Tuesday, May 10
Q & A
A discussion with Kenneth Cole, amfAR CEO Kevin Frost, and actor and activist Cheyenne Jackson.

Tuesday, May 17
Friends In Deed, AIDS and the RENT Connection
With Cynthia O'Neal, co-founder and president of Friends In Deed, and Anthony Rapp, actor and Friends In Deed board member.

Tuesday, May 24
Connecting the Dots of History: How Religion-Based Bigotry Stifled Early Proper AIDS Funding
With Mitchell Gold, of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, and Jimmy Creech, author of Adam's Gift: A Memoir of a Pastor's Calling to Defy the Church's Persecution of Lesbians and Gays

Tuesday, May 31
A Conversation About What It Means to be Gay in America Today
With Dr. Joy Browne, WOR radio psychologist

Tuesday, June 7
DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS-Its History and Purpose
With Steven Williams, Director of Community Relations and Operations, DIFFA

Tuesday, June 14
The Fight for Marriage Equality in New York
With Brian Ellner, HRC Senior Campaign Strategist

Tuesday, June 21
Responding to the Crisis-Past, Present and Future: The Actors Fund's HIV/AIDS Initiative
With Joseph P. Benincasa, President and CEO and Barbara Davis, COO, The Actors Fund

Additional talkbacks and participants will be announced shortly. For updates and complete information, visit http://thenormalheartbroadway.com/talkout.php.

The story of a city in denial, The Normal Heart unfolds like a real-life political thriller -- as a tight-knit group of friends refuses to let doctors, politicians, and the press bury the truth of an unspoken epidemic behind a wall of silence. First produced by Joseph Papp at New York's Public Theater, the play was a critical sensation and a seminal moment in theater history. So ahead of its time was this play that many of the core issues it addresses - including gay marriage, the healthcare system and, of course, AIDS - are just as relevant today as they were when it first premiered.

The cast of The Normal Heart includes Ellen Barkin (Ocean's 13), Patrick Breen (Next Fall), Mark Harelik (Mrs. Warren's Profession), John Benjamin Hickey ("The Big C"), Luke MacFarlane ("Brothers and Sisters"), Joe Mantello (Angels in America), Lee Pace ("Pushing Daisies"), Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory"), Richard Topol (The Merchant of Venice), and Wayne Alan Wilcox (Coram Boy).

The design team includes David Rockwell (sets), Martin Pakledinaz (costumes), David Weiner (lighting), David Van Tieghem (sound), and Batwin & Robin (projections).

Tickets, priced from $26.50 to $116.50, are available via Telecharge.com, by calling (212) 239-6200, or in person at the Golden Theatre box office (252 West 45th Street). General rush tickets are available for $36.50 at the box office on a first come, first served basis the day of the performance. (Limit two tickets per person; cash or credit card.)

The weekly performance schedule is as follows: Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday at 8:00 p.m., Thursday at 8:00 p.m., Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

The entire company of The Normal Heart is deeply committed to the message of this play, and so the production is proud to support The Actors Fund, Friends In Deed, amfAR and the Human Rights Campaign.

Paul Davis, the legendary graphic designer of Joseph Papp's Public Theater, has graciously lent his original logo for this production's use.

The premiere presentation of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart on Broadway is produced by Daryl Roth, Paul Boskind and Martian Entertainment in association with Gregory Rae and Jayne Baron Sherman/Alexander Fraser.

www.TheNormalHeartBroadway.com

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos