Jennifer Tilly, Melora Hardin & More Lead Roundabout's DON'T DRESS FOR DINNER this Spring; John Tillinger Helms

By: Feb. 02, 2012
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Roundabout Theatre Company in association with Damian Arnold, has announced casting for the Broadway premiere of Marc Camoletti's classic farce Don't Dress For Dinner, starring Ben Daniels as "Robert," Melora Hardin as "Jacqueline," Adam James as "Bernard" and Jennifer Tilly as "Suzanne" with Spencer Kayden as "Suzette." Don't Dress For Dinner is adapted by Robin Hawdon and directed by John Tillinger.

Don't Dress For Dinner will begin previews on March 30 and open officially on April 26, 2012 at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway. This will be a limited engagement through June 17, 2012.

An additional cast member will be announced shortly. The design team includes John Lee Beatty (Sets), William Ivey Long (Costumes), Ken Billington (Lights), David Van Tieghem (Sound).

Marc Camoletti's Don't Dress for Dinner is the wildly funny sequel to the Broadway hit Boeing-Boeing. Bernard's plans for a romantic rendezvous with his mistress are complete with a gourmet caterer and an alibi courtesy of his friend, Robert. But when Bernard's wife learns that Robert will be visiting for the weekend, she decides to stay in town for a surprise tryst of her own... setting the stage for a collision course of hidden identities and outrageous infidelities. The cook is Suzette, the lover is Suzanne, the friend is bewildered, the wife is suspicious, the husband is losing his mind and everyone is guaranteed a good time at this hilarious romp through the French countryside. Tony Award® nominee John Tillinger directs. Don't Dress For Dinner opened in Paris in 1987, under the original title Pajamas Pour Six, and ran for over two years. Robin Hawdon's adaptation of the original French play premiered in London at the Apollo Theatre in 1991 and ran for six years.

Ben Daniels returns to Roundabout after starring opposite Laura Linney in the 2008 revival of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Jennifer Tilly returns to Roundabout after the 2001 production of The Women. Ben Daniels is appearing with the permission of Actors' Equity Association.

Tickets are available by calling Roundabout Ticket Services at (212)719-1300, online at www.roundabouttheatre.org or at the American Airlines box office (227 West 42nd Street). Ticket prices range from $67.00-117.00.

Don't Dress for Dinner will play Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8:00PM with Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00PM.

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Ben Daniels (Robert). Roundabout: Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Tony nomination, Drama League nomination, Outer Critics Circle nomination, Theatre World Award winner). Theatre includes, at the Royal National Theatre: Thérèse Raquin, Iphigenia at Aulis, Three Sisters, All My Sons (Olivier Award, WhatsonStage Award). For the Donmar Warehouse: Luise Miller, The Wild Duck, The God of Hell, Tales From Hollywood. For the Royal Court: Haunted Child Other credits include As You Like It (Lyric, TMA nomination), Martin Yesterday (Royal Exchange, MEN nomination),Naked (Almeida/Playhouse), 900 Oneonta (Old Vic/Ambassadors, Evening Standard Award nomination), Waiting for Godot (Lyric Hammersmith), Cracks (King's Head), Entertaining Mr. Sloane (Greenwich), Never the Sinner (The Playhouse, Olivier nomination), The Tutor (Old Vic). Film includes Jack the Giant Killer, Luna, Doom, Fogbound, Married/Unmarried, Fanny and Elvis, Madeline, I Want You, Beautiful Thing, Passion in the Desert. Television includes "Law and Order UK", "Merlin", "Women in Love," "The Lehman Brothers," "The Passion," "Lark Rise to Candleford," "Who Killed Mrs. De Ropp," "The State Within," "Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen," "MI-5," "Miss Marple," "Conspiracy," "Brittanic," "Real Men," "Ian Fleming: Bondmaker," "Cutting It," "Aristocrats," "Truth or Dare," "Inspector Alleyn Mysteries," "Romeo and Juliet," "The Lost Language of Cranes," "Silent Witness." Ben trained at LAMDA.

Melora Hardin (Jacqueline) is probably most recognized for her portrayal of 'Jan Levinson,' Steve Carell's rigid former-corporate boss and love interest, on the hit NBC series, "The Office." She is also known for playing Tony Shalhoub's dead wife in the hit USA Network series, "Monk." Having last been seen as the love-interest to Jimmy Smits on NBC's short-lived legal drama, "Outlaw," Hardin will next star in the new TBS television series, "The Wedding Band," with Brian Austin Green. While in production on a film in New Orleans, she simultaneously recorded the live album titled, "All The Way To Mars," making this Hardin's third, but first studio-released album. It features songs from Broadway, standards, pop and a few she wrote herself. People who have heard the album are amazed by the versatility and range that Hardin exhibits. It was released on the LML Music Label last year and is currently available in stores nationwide and online at Amazon & iTunes. Hardin starred in back-to-back #1 weekend theatrical box-office features as Billy Ray Cyrus's love interest in the big-screen, Hannah Montana: The Movie and the film 17 Again, opposite Zac Efron. Other feature credits include Thank You for Smoking, Absolute Power opposite Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman, 27 Dresses with Katherine Heigl and The Rocketeer. She made her directorial debut with the independent feature entitled, You. Hardin starred on Broadway as 'Roxie Hart' in Chicago and played 'Fantine' in the Hollywood Bowl production of Les Miserables. She recently performed at Feinstein's. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband actor/writer, Gildart Jackson, and their two young daughters.

Adam James (Bernard). Theatre credits include The Pride (MCC, NY, Lucille Lortel Award, Drama Desk Nominee) Much Ado About Nothing (West End); Blood and Gifts (National Theatre); 13 (National Theatre); Gethsemane (National Theatre); Now or Later (Royal Court); Rabbit (Trafalgar Studios & 59E59); My Child (Royal Court); French Without Tears (ETT); The Importance of Being Earnest (No1 Tour); Original Sin (Sheffield Crucible Theatre); Time & the Conways, King Lear, Snake in Fridge and Poor Superman (Manchester Royal Exchange); Chimes at Midnight and The Glass Menagerie (Chichester/Minerva Theatres); PVT Wars &Lone Star (Bristol Old Vic). TV credits include "Lewis", "A Touch of Frost", "Foyles War"," The Execution of Gary Glitter","Sleep With Me"," Dr.Who" (Easter Special), "Hustle", "Jonathan Creek" (Xmas Special), "Consuming Passion", "Wired", "Secret Diary of a Call Girl", "Bonekickers", "Ashes to Ashes"," Extras" (Xmas Special), 2 3 Brothers", "Murder in the Orient Express". Film credits include Last Chance Harvey, Road to Guantanamo, Shiny "Waking the Dead", "Sold", "The Amazing Mrs Pritchard", "England Expects", "Lost Battalion", "Band of Shiny Bright New Hole In My Heart, De Lovely, High Heels & Low Lifes.

Jennifer Tilly (Suzanne) received an Academy Award nomination for her role in Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway for her memorable portrayal of the terribly untalented Olive, actress wannabe, and gangster's moll. Her performance in Liar Liar as Jim Carrey's gold digging client earned her an American Comedy Award nomination, as well as a Blockbuster award nomination as Favorite Supporting Actress. But she is perhaps best known from the indie noir film Bound, which has earned her a cult following. Bound, directed by the Wachowski's follows two lesbian con artists trying to rip off the mob, and garnered many accolades including a GLAAD media award, and a Saturn award nomination (Best Actress) for Tilly. Other film credits include the Getaway, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Let It Ride, The Cat's Meow, Intervention,(Winner-Best Actress-San Diego Film Festival) Dancing at the Blue Iguana, Made in America, Bride of Chucky, (Saturn Award nominee-Best Actress) The Crew, The Wrong Guy, Inconceivable, (Winner-Best Actress-WIFT) An American Girl, Edie and Penn, Hide and Seek, Saint Ralph, The Doors, Second Best, Tidelands, and many more. She recently guested on "Modern Family," "Drop Dead Diva," and "CSI." She also has appeared on "Moonlighting," "Cheers," and "Frasier." She had recurring roles on "Hill Street Blues," "It's Garry Shandling's show (Ace award nomination-Best Actress) and "Out of Practice," and was a series regular on "Key West" and "Shaping Up." (NBC) She starred in the miniseries "Bella Mafia," with Vanessa Redgrave, and "Sister Mary Explains It All," with Diane Keaton, for Showtime. Also a remake of "The Magnificent Ambersons," with Madeleine Stowe. (A&E) For her performance in the Showtime movie "Heads" she received a Gemini Award nomination. Tilly is also in great demand as a voice over actor. For the last eleven years she has delighted audiences as the perpetually pregnant Bonnie on "Family Guy." She played the snaky haired Celia in Pixar's classic movie Monster's Inc., Grace, the new age cow in Disney's "Home on the Range," a con mouse in "Stuart Little," and Madame Leota in "The Haunted Mansion."

Spencer Kayden (Suzette). Broadway: Urinetown (Tony, Drama Desk, Lortel nominations, Outer Critics Circle Award, Theatre World Award, Actor's Equity Derwent Award). Regional: Don't Dress for Dinner (Jeff Award). Way Off-Broadway: Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind-30 Plays in 60 Minutes, improvisation with Centralia, Burn Manhattan, and Boom Chicago. Television: "MADtv", "EGG the arts show," voice of Mrs. Pepper on "Blue's Clues." Equally at home on stage as well as film, she has many theatre credits under her belt. She received a TheatreWorld Award (Best Newcomer) for her performance in Second Stage's One Shoe Off at the Joseph Papp Theatre. In 2001 she starred in the Roundabout's revival of The Women with Cynthia Nixon, and Kristen Johnson on Broadway. Other plays include Tartuffe, (LA Public Theatre) Boy's Life (LAAT) and Baby With The Bathwater, (LAPT) Vanities, (Dramalogue Award-Best Actress) and others too numerous to mention . Most recently she appeared with Miranda Richardson in the critically acclaimed production of Wallace Shawn's new play Grasses of a Thousand Colors at The Royal Court Theatre in London. Currently she is a regular performer in the smash hit, Celebrity Autobiography. Upcoming films include Amelia's 25th with Danny Trejo, 30 Beats with Justin Kirk and Paz de la Huerta, and The Secret Life of Nerds, with Jim Belushi.

Marc Camoletti (Playwright) was a French citizen born in Geneva in 1923 and initially trained as an architect. Playwriting took over when in 1958 his theatre career got off to a flying start with three plays being presented simultaneously in Paris, the first La Bonne Anna running for 1300 performances and going on to play throughout the world. Already an established success in Paris as Pyjama pour Six, the initial London production of the English language version Don't Dress for Dinner (translated by Robin Hawdon), ran for six years in the West End, opening at the Apollo Theatre and transferring to the Duchess Theatre. The play has also been performed in several US venues, as well as in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and in different languages throughout the world, always to great acclaim. Marc Camoletti's first great British success was Boeing-Boeing, which recently enjoyed a smash hit revival on Broadway following its West End triumph. The original London production ran for seven years at the Apollo and Duchess Theatres, notching up over 2000 performances. In a long theatrical career, Marc Camoletti gained worldwide acclaim through the multitude of productions of his plays in numerous languages in 55 countries. In Paris alone 18 of his plays have enjoyed around 20,000 performances in all. Ten of Marc Camoletti's plays have also been shown on television, the latest being Sexe et Jalousie (Ding Dong). An Associate of the Societe Nationale des Beaux Arts, Marc Camoletti became a Chevalier de la Legion d'Honeur – one of France's highest honours. He died in 2003.

Robin Hawdon (Adaptor) has had an extremely varied career. From novelist and West End playwright to TV soap actor, B-movie film star and Hamlet, to director of one of England's foremost theatres, his activities have spanned numerous aspects of the arts. In his early twenties his face became well known to British television viewers through regular appearances in several series. He later co-starred with Michael Crawford in the ITV sit- com "Chalk and Cheese." He made a number of films, going on to star in When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth and Zeta One. On stage Hawdon was seen in several leading roles in London's West End, and also played a number of classical leads around the country, such as Hamlet, Henry V and Henry Higgins in Pygmalion. At the same time, his career as a writer flourished. His first major commercial success, The Mating Game, achieved a long run at London's Apollo Theatre and has subsequently played in over thirty countries around the world. This was followed by other much performed and published plays such as Birthday Suite, Revenge, Don't Rock the Boat, The Perfect Wedding, God and Stephen Hawking and the hugely successful Don't Dress for Dinner (his adaptation of the French play by Marc Camoletti). Robin has also directed a number of stage productions, and in the 1980s founded the Bath Fringe Festival and then became Director of the Theatre Royal Bath, England's premier touring theatre.

John Tillinger (Director). Broadway: Absurd Person Singular with Paxton Whitehead and Deborah Rush; Say Goodnight, Gracie with Frank Gorshin; Judgment at Nuremburg with Maximilian Schell, Martha Keller and George Grizzard; Night Must Fall with Matthew Broderick; The Sunshine Boys with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall; Inherit the Wind with Charles Durning and George C. Scott (Tony Award nomination, OCC Award); Arthur Miller's Broken Glass; The Price with Eli Wallach (Tony Award nomination); Sweet Sue with Mary Tyler Moore and Lynn Redgrave; Loot! with Joseph Maher (Tony Award nomination, OCC Award); Corpse! with Milo O'Shea; The Golden Age with Stockard Channing, Irene Worth and Jeff Daniels; Solomon's Child. Off-Broadway: Tea at Five with Kate Mulgrew; A Picasso; House and Garden; Comic Potential with Janie Dee; The Exact Center; Dealer's Choice; Sylvia with Sarah Jessica Parker; A Perfect Ganesh with Zoe Caldwell and Francis Sternhagen; The Last Yankee; Lips Together Teeth Apart with Nathan Lane, Christine Baranski and Swoosie Kurtz ; Prin with Dame Eileen Atkins; What the Butler Saw; Urban Blight; It's Only a Play with Christine Baranski, James Coco and Joanna Gleason; (all at Manhattan Theatre Club); After the Fall with Frank Langella and Dianne Wiest; Breaking Legs with Vincent Gardenia and Philip Bosco; The Lisbon Traviata with Nathan Lane (Lortel Award); Love Letters with many stars including Jason Robards and Colleen Dewhurst (Lortel Award); The Film Society; Little Murders with Christine Lahti; The Perfect Party (OCC Award); Entertaining Mr. Sloane (Drama Desk Award). Regional: Don't Dress for Dinner at the Royal George (Chicago); Eleanor with Jean Stapleton (Arena Stage); and many seasons at Long Wharf Theatre: Arsenic and Old Lace with JoAnne Woodward; As You Like It; The Road to Mecca with Julie Harris; Betrayal; The Lover; The Ruffian on the Stair; A Flea in Her Ear; Another Country with Peter Gallagher and Peter McNichol; This Story of Yours; A Christmas Garland. Westport Country Playhouse: Children, How the Other Half Loves, The Drawer Boy, Relatively Speaking, Time of My Life.

Damian Arnold trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) for three years. He has performed on stage in the U.K. and the U.S., and has worked for the BBC as an actor and also as a writer. He is the founding member of The British Stage Company (BSC). The BSC was established to present works of a chiefly comic nature, and Don't Dress for Dinner is its inaugural production.

For more information, visit www.roundabouttheatre.org.


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