Photo Coverage: 'Curtains' in Post-Strike Dance Rehearsal

The "Show People" of Curtains, the Musical Comedy Whodunit from the authors of Cabaret and Chicago, were back onstage yesterday, Thursday, November 29, in dance-rehearsals before their first performance post-strike.  Curtains, starring 2007 Tony Award winner and four-time Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce and Tony and Emmy Award winner Debra Monk, is playing at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street).

Curtains is an original musical comedy with a book by Rupert Holmes (multiple Tony Award-winner for The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Say Goodnight Gracie), music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb (the Tony Award-winning songwriters of Cabaret, Chicago, New York New York), original book and concept by Tony Award-winner Peter Stone (1776, Titanic, The Will Rogers Follies), and additional lyrics by John Kander & Rupert Holmes.  Curtains is directed by five-time Tony Award-nominee Scott Ellis (She Loves Me, 1776, 12 Angry Men, Steel Pier).  Choreography is by Tony Award-winner Rob Ashford (Thoroughly Modern Millie).

"Curtains unfolds backstage at Boston's Colonial Theatre in 1959, where a new musical could be a Broadway smash, were it not for the presence of its talent-free leading lady.  When the hapless star dies on opening night during her curtain call, Lieutenant Frank Cioffi (David Hyde Pierce) arrives on the scene to conduct an investigation.  But the lure of the theatre proves irresistible and after an unexpected romance blooms for the stage-struck detective, he finds himself just as drawn toward making the show a hit, as he is in solving the murder," explain press notes.

The production stars Tony and four-time Emmy Award David Hyde Pierce as Lieutenant Frank Cioffi, Tony and Emmy Award winner Debra Monk as producer Carmen Bernstein, Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba as lyricist Georgia Hendricks, Jason Danieley as composer Aaron Fox, Jill Paice as ingénue Niki Harris and Edward Hibbert as director Christopher Belling, with John Bolton as theatre critic Daryl Grady, Michael X. Martin as stage manager Johnny Harmon, Michael McCormick as investor Oscar Shapiro, Noah Racey as choreographer Bobby Pepper, Ernie Sabella as producer Sidney Bernstein and Megan Sikora as understudy Bambi Bernét.

The 31-member cast also features Nili Bassman (Arlene Barucca), Bridget Berger (Roberta Wooster), Kevin Bernard (Roy Stetson/Detective O'Farrell), Ward Billeisen (Brick Hawvermale), Paula Leggett Chase (Marjorie Cook), Jennifer Dunne (Jan Setler), David Eggers (Swing),  J. Austin Eyer (Swing), Matt Farnsworth (Harv Fremont),  Patty Goble (Jessica Cranshaw/Connie Subbotin), Mary Ann Lamb (Mona Page), Lorin Lattaro (Swing), David Loud (Sasha Iljinsky), Brittany Marcin (Peg Prentice), Jim Newman (Randy Dexter), Joe Aaron Reid (Ronnie Driscoll), Christopher Spaulding (Russ Cochran), Jerome Vivona (Swing) and Stephanie Youell (Swing).

Performance schedule for Curtains is Tuesday at 7:00 PM, Wednesday through Saturday at 8:00 PM, with matinees Wednesday and Saturday at 2:00 PM, and Sunday at 3:00 PM. 

Tickets are on sale at Telecharge at 212-239-6200, online at www.telecharge.com or in person at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre box office (302 West 45th Street). Visit www.CurtainsTheMusical.com

Photos by Ben Strothmann

Karen Ziemba, David Hyde-Pierce and Michael X. Martin rehearse with the cast of Curtains

Curtains cast members rehearse their stunts

David Hyde-Pierce and Jill Paice

David Hyde-Pierce and Jill Paice

Cast members of Curtains

Cast members rehearsing

Cast of Curtains rehearsing

Karen Ziemba

David Hyde-Pierce and Jill Paice

David Hyde-Pierce and Jill Paice

Cast members rehearsing "That-A-Way!"

Practice makes perfect!

Curtains in dance-rehearsal

Karen Ziemba and the cast of Curtains in rehearsal

Curtains cast members practice their dance stunts