Tony Award-winner John Lithgow visited his former Dirty Rotten Scoundrels co-star, Tony Award-winner Norbert Leo Butz backstage after catching a performance of Is He Dead?, a new comedy by Mark Twain at the Lyceum Theatre on Tuesday, January 15.
Butz leads the cast of Is He Dead?, which
includes Jeremy Bobb, Marylouise Burke,
Patricia Conolly, Jenn Gambatese, Tony Award nominee
Byron Jennings, Tony Award nominee Michael McGrath, five-time Tony Award nominee John McMartin, Tony
Award nominee David Pittu, Bridget Regan and Tom Alan Robbins.
"In this newly discovered Mark Twain comedy, the original
master of American humor dishes out a sly critique of the art world with
acerbic wit and social commentary well ahead of his time. Is He
Dead? is a fast-paced play about a struggling artist who stages his own
death to drive up the price of his paintings.
As the riotous scheme unfolds, Twain poses daring questions about fame,
greed and the value of art, and pokes his signature, mischievous fun at
everyone involved," explain press notes.
Written in 1898, Is He
Dead? remained unpublished until it was rediscovered in 2002 by noted Twain
scholar Shelley Fisher Fishkin.
The design team for Is
He Dead? includes scenic design by Tony Award nominee Peter J. Davison,
costume design by two-time Tony Award winner Martin Pakledinaz, lighting design
by Tony Award winner Peter Kaczorowski and music/sound design by David Van
Tiegham.
Tickets for Is He Dead?
are available by calling Telecharge at 212-239-6200 or 800-432-7250 outside
the NY metro area, or online at Telecharge.com. The Lyceum Theatre Box Office (149 W. 45th Street,
between 7th and 6th Avenues) will open on October 22, 2007.
Ticket prices for all performances are $26.50, $ 46.50,
$76.50 & $98.50. All prices include a $1.50 facility fee.
Tuesday through
Saturday evenings at 8pm, Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2pm, Sunday
matinees at 3pm. Visit www.ishedead.com
Photos by Walter McBride / Retna Ltd.
