Debra Monk Returns to 'Grey's Anatomy' Dec.20

Debra Monk, the Tony and Emmy Award winning star of Curtains on Broadway, will return to her guest starring role of Louise O'Malley on ABC-TV's "Grey's Anatomy" this Thursday, December 20.  "Grey's Anatomy" airs locally on WABC-TV, Channel 7 on Thursday at 9:00 PM.  Check local listings.

Monk plays the mother of T.R. Knight's character, Dr. George O'Malley on ABC's wildly popular and acclaimed series.   Knight saw Monk perform in Curtains during its world premiere production at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles in 2006 and specifically asked for her to play his mother when the role was created.   

Monk won a Tony Award for her performance in Lanford Wilson's Redwood Curtain and was nominated for a Tony Award and won a Drama Desk Award for her performance in Curtains as producer Carmen Bernstein.  She won an Emmy Award for her performance as Katie Sipowicz, the wife of Dennis Franz's Detective Andy Sipowicz, in "NYPD Blue". 

Curtains also stars Tony and Emmy Award winner David Hyde-Pierce as Lieutenant Frank Cioffi, Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba as lyricist Georgia Hendricks, Jason Danieley as composer Aaron Fox, Jill Paice as ingénue Niki Harris and Edward Hibbert as director Christopher Belling, with John Bolton as theatre critic Daryl Grady, Michael X. Martin as stage manager Johnny Harmon, Michael McCormick as investor Oscar Shapiro, Noah Racey as choreographer Bobby Pepper, Ernie Sabella as producer Sidney Bernstein and Megan Sikora as understudy Bambi Bernét.

The 31-member cast also features Nili Bassman (Arlene Barucca), Bridget Berger (Roberta Wooster), Kevin Bernard (Roy Stetson/Detective O'Farrell), Ward Billeisen (Brick Hawvermale), Paula Leggett Chase (Marjorie Cook), Jennifer Dunne (Jan Setler), David Eggers (Swing),  J. Austin Eyer (Swing), Matt Farnsworth (Harv Fremont),  Patty Goble (Jessica Cranshaw/Connie Subbotin), Shannon Lewis (Mona Page), Lorin Lattaro (Swing), David Loud (Sasha Iljinsky), Brittany Marcin (Peg Prentice), Jim Newman (Randy Dexter), Joe Aaron Reid (Ronnie Driscoll), Christopher Spaulding (Russ Cochran), Jerome Vivona (Swing) and Stephanie Youell (Swing).

Curtains is an original musical comedy with a book by Rupert Holmes (multiple Tony Award-winner for The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Say Goodnight Gracie), music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb (the Tony Award-winning songwriters of Cabaret, Chicago), original book and concept by Tony Award-winner Peter Stone (1776, Titanic, The Will Rogers Follies), and additional lyrics by John Kander & Rupert Holmes. Curtains is directed by five-time Tony Award-nominee Scott Ellis (She Loves Me, 1776, 12 Angry Men, Steel Pier).  Choreography is by Tony Award-winner Rob Ashford (Thoroughly Modern Millie).

"Curtains unfolds backstage at Boston's Colonial Theatre in 1959, where a new musical could be a Broadway smash, were it not for the presence of its talent-free leading lady.  When the hapless star dies on opening night during her curtain call, Lieutenant Frank Cioffi (David Hyde Pierce) arrives on the scene to conduct an investigation.  But the lure of the theatre proves irresistible and after an unexpected romance blooms for the stage-struck detective, he finds himself just as drawn toward making the show a hit, as he is in solving the murder," explain press notes.

Performance schedule for Curtains is Tuesday at 7:00 PM, Wednesday through Saturday at 8:00 PM, with matinees Wednesday and Saturday at 2:00 PM, and Sunday at 3:00 PM.  Tickets are on sale at Telecharge at 212-239-6200, online at www.telecharge.com  or in person at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre box office (302 West 45th Street).