Bebe Neuwirth & Lorenzo Pisoni Set to Lead MTC's GOLDEN AGE; Opens December 4

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director), Barry Grove (Executive Producer), and Mandy Greenfield (Artistic Producer) just announced two-time Emmy and two-time Tony Award winner Bebe Neuwirth (Chicago, The Addams Family, "Cheers") and Drama Desk Award winner Lorenzo Pisoni (Humor Abuse at MTC, Measure for Measure, Equus) will appear in the New York premiere of GOLDEN AGE, the new play by four-time Tony Award winner Terrence McNally, directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie.

GOLDEN AGE will begin previews Tuesday, November 13 and open Tuesday, December 4 in a limited engagement at MTC at New York City Center – Stage I (131 West 55th Street).

Neuwirth is one of theatre's most admired actresses. GOLDEN AGE will reunite her with Walter Bobbie who directed her in the hit revival of Chicago for which she received a 1997 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She also received a Tony Award for her featured performance in the 1986 revival of Sweet Charity. Neuwirth most recently starred in the Off-Broadway production of A Midsummer Night's Dream and on Broadway in The Addams Family. She is known to television audiences for her portrayal of Dr. Lillith Sternin-Craine on "Cheers" and "Frasier" for which she received two Emmy Awards.

Pisoni returns to MTC following the acclaimed world premiere of his autobiographical theatre piece Humor Abuse for which he received the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Lucille Lortel, and Obie Awards. Following the success in New York, Pisoni has toured the country performing Humor Abuse. In 2011, he appeared in the Shakespeare in the Park productions of Measure for Measure and All's Well That Ends Well.

It's opening night of Vincenzo Bellini's new opera I Puritani in Paris, and the Italian composer is determined to win the adulation of not only his audience, but his colleagues and rivals as well. When the curtain falls, will a thunderous ovation cement his prominence? Or has Bellini unwittingly composed his own swan song?

Blending 21st century language and humor with the timeless beauty of 19th century bel canto opera, GOLDEN AGE portrays the final act of an artist whose desire for greatness has eclipsed all else.

In GOLDEN AGE, Neuwirth will play Maria Malibran and Pisoni will play Antonio Tamburini, two well-known opera singers of the day.

The creative team for GOLDEN AGE will include Santo Loquasto (scenic design), Jane Greenwood (costume design), Peter Kaczorowski (lighting design), and Ryan Rumery (sound design).

Additional casting for GOLDEN AGE will be announced shortly.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, MTC has become one of the country's most prominent and prestigious theatre companies. Over the past three decades, MTC productions have earned a total of 18 Tony Awards and six Pulitzer Prizes, an accomplishment unparalleled by a New York theatrical institution. MTC has a Broadway home at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street) and an Off-Broadway theatre at New York City Center – Stage I (131 West 55th Street). Since January 2011, Mandy Greenfield (Artistic Producer) has taken the lead in programming and execution at MTC's Off-Broadway home. Renowned MTC productions include Venus in Fur; Master Class; Good People; The Whipping Man; Time Stands Still; The Royal Family; Ruined; The American Plan; Come Back, Little Sheba; Blackbird; Translations; Shining City; Rabbit Hole; Doubt; Proof; The Tale of the Allergist's Wife; Love! Valour! Compassion!; A Small Family Business; Sylvia; Putting It Together; Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune; Crimes of the Heart; and Ain't Misbehavin.'

Subscriptions for MTC's 2012-2013 season are now available by calling (212) 399-3050 (Monday through Friday NOON – 10 PM, Saturday 3-6:30 PM) or online at www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com.

On Monday, October 1 single tickets to these shows will be available via CityTix® (212-581-1212) and www.nycitycenter.org. On Monday, October 15, the New York City Center Box Office (131 West 55th Street) will begin selling single tickets to these shows.

Other listings information including performance schedule will be announced shortly.

Bebe Neuwirth (Maria Malibran). Broadway: A Chorus Line, Sheila; Little Me, Monique; Dancin', Principal; Sweet Charity, Nickie (Tony Award); Damn Yankees, Lola; Addams Family, Morticia; Chicago, Velma (Tony Award, Astaire Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama League Distinguished Performance of the Year) and Roxie; Fosse, Principal. Off-Broadway: A Midsummer Night's Dream (Classic Stage Company), Everett Beekin (Lincoln Center), Here Lies Jenny (Zipper Theater), Ashley Montana… (Flea Theater), Writer's Block (Atlantic Theater). Regional: A Chorus Line, Cassie; West Side Story, Anita; The Taming of the Shrew, Katherine. London's West End: Kiss of the Spider Woman, Aurora/Spider Woman. Television: "Cheers," Lilith (two Emmy Awards); "Wild Palms," Tabba Schwartzkopf; "Dash and Lily," Dorothy Parker (Emmy nomination); "Law & Order: Trial by Jury," DA Kibre; "Bored to Death," Caroline. Cartoon voices: All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (and series), Another Goofy Movie, "Aladdin" (series), various PBS children's shows. Film: Green Card, Summer of Sam, Celebrity, Liberty Heights, Bugsy, Jumanji, The Faculty, Adopt a Sailor, The Paint Job, Fame, etc. Concerts: Bebe Sings Weill and Kander & Ebb; Stories With Piano. Revue: Upstairs at O'Neals'; Cabaret: Verboten. Recipient of the 2006 Rolex Dance Award, 2007 Dance Magazine Award. Honorary Ziegfeld Girl.

Lorenzo Pisoni (Antonio Tamburini) began performing at age 2 in the Pickle Family Circus. He finished his circus career as the ringmaster in Cirque du Soleil's Mystere. He last appeared at MTC in his one-man show Humor Abuse, for which he won Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, and Obie Awards. Additional productions followed at the Philadelphia Theatre Company, ACT, and Seattle Rep. Other theater credits include Equus, The Devil's Disciple, Election Day, The Great Gatsby, Henry IV, As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest, Troilus and Cressida, The Gamester (Bay Area Critics Circle Award), Last Dance, The Illusion, Arms and the Man, Clown, Clown, Clown… and Tuesdays with Morrie. Television and film credits include The Adjustment Bureau; Big Momma's: Like Father, Like Son; "Law & Order: Criminal Intent;" Company Retreat; Journey of Man; See Spot Run; and South of Pico. As a physical comedy consultant he's worked on Harlequin Studies, Taller Than a Dwarf, and See Spot Run.