Andrea Martin to Reprise Tony-Winning Role in PIPPIN National Tour for Second Half of San Francisco Run

SHN has announced that Andrea Martin, who won the 2013 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for creating the role of "Berthe" in the Broadway production, will reprise the role in the final two weeks (October 7-19) of the San Francisco engagement at the SHN Golden Gate Theatre.

Andrea Martin announced the news this morning live on ABC's "The View." The announcement will air locally between 10am-11am PST.

PIPPIN begins tonight and runs through through October 19 at the SHN Golden Gate Theatre. As previously announced, Lucie Arnaz will portray the role of "Berthe" September 23 through October 5.

"SHN is excited to have Andrea Martin reprise her Tony Award-winning Broadway role in PIPPIN for our San Francisco engagement," said Greg Holland, SHN's Chief Executive Officer. "With the upcoming production featuring Broadway's original Pippin, John Rubinstein as well as the Broadway revival's original Pippin, Matthew James Thomas, SHN is thrilled that San Francisco audiences will get the opportunity to see this incredible collection of Broadway stars on the Golden Gate stage."

Two-time Tony Award winner Andrea Martin can currently be seen in the new NBC comedy series "Working the Engels." She appeared on the New York stage most recently in Lincoln Center Theater's production of Act One, winning an Outer Critics Circle Award for her performance. Her other theatre credits include Exit the King, Young Frankenstein, Oklahoma, Candide and My Favorite Year, for which she won her first Tony Award. Her film and TV credits include The Producers, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, All Over the Guy, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Breaking Upwards, and "SCTV," for which she earned two Emmy Awards. She will next be seen on screen in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, released this fall. Her book of autobiographical essays "Andrea Martin's Lady Parts" will be released by Harper Collins in September.

This all-new production of Roger O. Hirson and Stephen Schwartz's PIPPIN is directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus, features choreography by Tony Award nominee Chet Walker in the style of Bob Fosse and circus creation by Gypsy Snider of the Montreal-based circus company Les 7 doigts de la main (also known as 7 Fingers).

Matthew James Thomas, who originated the role of PIPPIN in the current 2013 Tony Award winning revival, will perform the role of PIPPIN when the show arrives in San Francisco.

The cast also includes features Sasha Allen (a finalist on the 4th season on NBC's "The Voice") as Leading Player, Tony Award winner John Rubinstein (created the role of "Pippin" in the 1972 original Broadway production) as Charles, Sabrina Harper (Pippin, original Broadway Revival cast) as Fastrada and Kristine Reese (Wicked on tour) as Catherine. The company also includes Skyler Adams, Sascha Bachman, Bradley Benjamin, Callan Bergman, Dmitrious Bistrevsky, Mark Burrell, Mathew deGuzman, Fernando Dudka, Mirela Golinska, Kelsey Jamieson, Preston Jamieson, Lisa Karlin, Alan Kelly, Melodie Lamoreux, Zachary Mackiewicz, Lucas Schultz, Tory Trowbridge, Mackenzie Warren and Borris York.

With a book by Roger O. Hirson and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, PIPPIN features music supervision and arrangements by Nadia DiGiallonardo, orchestrations by Tony Award winner Larry Hochman, scenic design by Tony Award winner Scott Pask, costume design by Tony Award nominee Dominique Lemieux, lighting design by Tony Award winner Kenneth Posner, sound design by Tony Award nominees Jonathan Deans and Garth Helm.

PIPPIN tells the story of a young prince on a death-defying journey to find meaning in his existence. Will he choose a happy but simple life? Or will he risk everything for a singular flash of glory? The show is noted for many Broadway standards including "Magic To Do," "Corner of the Sky," "Glory," "No Time at All," "Morning Glow," and "Love Song."

The original production of PIPPIN, directed by Bob Fosse, premiered on Broadway in 1972. It won five Tony Awards and five Drama Desk Awards, and ran for close to 2000 performances before closing in 1977. PIPPIN is now in its second smash year at Broadway's Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street; NYC). This production of PIPPIN debuted at American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) in Cambridge, MA where it ran December 5, 2012 to January 20, 2013. It opened on Broadway on April 25, 2013 and went on to win four 2013 Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Director of a Musical. The show also received Best Revival of a Musical honors from the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Drama League. The New Broadway Cast Recording for PIPPIN is available on Ghostlight Records.

Barry & Fran Weissler and Howard & Janet Kagan present the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) production of PIPPIN with Lisa Matlin, Kyodo Tokyo,Stephen E. McManus, A&A Gordon, Tom Smedes/Peter Stern, Broadway Across America, Independent Presenters Network, Norton Herrick, Allen Spivak,Rebecca Gold, David Robbins/Bryan S. Weingarten, Philip Hagemann/Murray Rosenthal, Hugh Hayes/Jonathan Reinis/Jamie Cesa, Jim Kierstead/Carlos Arana/Myla Lerner, Ben Feldman, Just For Laughs Theatricals, Square 1 Theatrics, Sharon A. Carr/Patricia R. Klausner, Wendy Federman/Carl Moellenberg, Infinity Theatre Company/Michael Rubenstein, and Michael A. Alden/Dale Badway/Ken Mahoney.

Tickets are on sale now through shnsf.com and SHN Audience Services at 888-746-1799. Tickets range from $45-$210. Prices are subject to change.