Turner-Led HIGH Opens at the Cincinnati Playhouse 9/4

The Broadway-bound production of Matthew Lombardo's HIGH starring Broadway veteran Kathleen Turner begins performances at the Cincinnati Playhouse on September 4 with an opening night set for September 9. HIGH will run through October 2.

The production has been revised since it premiered at Hartford TheatreWorks this summer. Following its Cincinnati engagement, HIGH will play the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis from October 13-November 7 as it eyes a spot in the 2011 Broadway season, although no official announcement has been made.

Playwright Lombardo created the play for Turner who plays the tough-talking and formerly hard-drinking Sister Jamison Connelly. Working in a church-sponsored rehab center, she reluctantly agrees to sponsor a defiant 19-year-old drug user and soon becomes convinced he is keeping a secret that is vital to his recovery. As she struggles to unlock the mystery, she begins to question her own beliefs. This powerful and gripping drama explores truth, forgiveness, redemption and the real courage it takes to change. Rob Ruggiero (ELLA and LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC) will helm the production.

HIGH will also feature Evan Jonigkeit as the young addict as well as Tony nominee Michael Berresse as Father Michael Delpapp. The design team includes Tony Award winner David Gallo (scenic design), Tony Award winner Jess Goldstein (costume design), John Lasiter (lighting design) and Vincent Oliveri (sound design).

Kathleen Turner last appeared on Broadway as Martha opposite Bill Irwin in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, earning her second Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Play and an Olivier nomination during its London run. She also received a Tony nomination for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Other Broadway successes include Indiscretions and The Graduate. Turner first came to national prominence following her role in the movie Body Heat with William Hurt. She subsequently won two Golden Globe Awards for Romancing the Stone and Prizzi's Honor, and an Academy Award nomination for Peggy Sue Got Married. Her two other partnerships with Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito (The Jewel of the Nile and War of the Roses) were also box office successes. She was also the speaking voice of cartoon femme fatale Jessica Rabbit in the toon-noir Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Turner is chairperson for Planned Parenthood of America and on the board of People for the American Way.

For tickets call (513) 421-3888 or visit www.CincyPlay.com.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.