Breen & MacFarlane Join The NORMAL HEART on Bway

Producer Daryl Roth announced today that Patrick Breen (Next Fall) and Luke MacFarlane ("Brothers and Sisters") have joined the cast of the premiere presentation of Larry Kramer's ground-breaking play, The Normal Heart, on Broadway. Breen will play Mickey Marcus and MacFarlane will play the roles of Craig Donner and Grady. They join the previously announced Ellen Barkin as Dr. Emma Brookner, John Benjamin Hickey as Felix Turner, Joe Mantello as Ned Weeks, Lee Pace as Bruce Niles, and Jim Parsons as Tommy Boatwright. Additional cast information will be forthcoming. Joel Grey will direct the presentation, which begins its limited 12-week engagement on Tuesday, April 19 at the John Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street), with an official opening night set for Wednesday, April 27. George C. Wolfe will help supervise the presentation through opening night.

The design team includes David Rockwell (sets), Martin Pakledinaz (costumes), David Weiner (lighting), David Van Tieghem (sound), and Batwin & Robin (projections).

The story of a city in denial, The Normal Heart unfolds like a real-life political thriller -- as a tight-knit group of friends refuses to let doctors, politicians and the press bury the truth of an unspoken epidemic behind a wall of silence. First produced by Joseph Papp at New York's Public Theater, the play was a critical sensation and a seminal moment in theater history. So ahead of its time was this play that many of the core issues it addresses - including gay marriage, the healthcare system and, of course, AIDS - are just as relevant today as they were when it first premiered.

Tickets, priced from $26.50 to $116.50, are available via Telecharge.com, by calling (212) 239-6200, or in person at the John Golden Theatre box office (252 West 45th Street). The weekly performance schedule will be Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday at 8:00 p.m., Thursday at 8:00 p.m., Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. (The first performance, on Tuesday, April 19, will be at 8:00 p.m. There will be a special 8:00 p.m. performance on Monday, April 25. There will be no performance on Thursday, April 28.)

The entire company of The Normal Heart is deeply committed to the message of this play, and so the production is proud to support a group of dedicated nonprofit organizations, including The Actors Fund and Friends In Deed, among others.

Paul Davis, the legendary graphic designer of Joseph Papp's Public Theater, has graciously lent his original logo for this production's use.

The premiere presentation of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart on Broadway is produced by Daryl Roth and Paul Boskind.

 

 

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos