The Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Grey Gardens will play its final performance on Sunday, July 29, 2007. Following that day's matinee, the production will have played a total of 307 performances and 33 previews at The Walter Kerr Theatre (219 West 48th Street).
"Grey Gardens is a great work of art that will have a long life beyond this Broadway run," said Kelly Gonda, president of East of Doheny, the lead producer of the musical. "Everyone in the Grey Gardens family is proud that we were able to bring this unique show to Broadway – the first-ever musical to be made from a documentary. We are honored and thrilled to have received rapturous reviews, ecstatic audiences and award recognition. We're happy the show was preserved with a new cast album and filmed as the subject of a soon-to-be released documentary by the legendary original filmmaker, Albert Maysles himself...Finally, I must say that it was a real pleasure, both personally and professionally, to work with everyone involved with the Broadway production of Grey Gardens, including the creative team, the cast, the crew and everyone else responsible for the welcome we enjoyed at The Walter Kerr."The musical opened on Broadway on November 2, 2006. Starring 2-time Tony Award winner Christine Ebersole and Tony Award winner Mary Louise Wilson, the production earned 10 2007 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, and winning three: Christine Ebersole for Best Actress in a Musical, Mary Louise Wilson for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and William Ivey Long for Best Costumes.
It was previously announced that Grey Gardens will have its London debut next season with Tony Award winner Christine Ebersole recreating her performance. For London, the producers will be teaming with London producers to present the show in its UK bow during the 2007-2008 season. London partners, dates and additional casting will be officially announced in the coming months. Producers are also in discussions about the possibility of presenting the show in U.S. engagements across the country.
In addition to Ebersole and Wilson, Grey Gardens stars John McMartin, Bob Stillman, Matt Cavenaugh, Michael Potts, and Sarah Hyland (all from the Playwrights Horizons production), as well as Broadway newcomer Erin Davie as Young 'Little' Edie Beale, and Kelsey Fowler. The show opened at the Walter Kerr Theatre on November 2nd.
The musical features a book by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Doug Wright (I Am My Own Wife, the play and film Quills), music by Scott Frankel (musical director for Broadway's Falsettos, Putting It Together) and lyrics by Michael Korie (Harvey Milk, Zhivago). Directed by Tony Award nominee and Obie winner Michael Greif (Rent), the production has musical staging by Tony Award nominee Jeff Calhoun (Big River, Grease!). It will be produced by Producers East of Doheny, Randall L. Wreghitt/Mort Swinsky, Michael Alden and Edwin W. Schloss, in association with Playwrights Horizons,Photo of Christine Ebersole by Joan Marcus