'Grumpy Old Men: The Musical' Reading with Lloyd & Hearn

Theatrical Producer Jeff Gardner is pleased to announce that he has assembled an all-star cast for the reading of his upcoming production of Grumpy Old Men: The Musical, which will be presented in New York City in early November.

Three-time Emmy winner, movie star, and Broadway veteran, Christopher Lloyd will join Emmy and Tony Award winner George Hearn as the two grumpy neighbors originally played by Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon in the 1993 Warner Bros. motion picture. The role of Ariel (Ann-Margret in the movie) will be read by star of stage and screen Adrienne Barbeau.

Academy Award nominee and Emmy Winner Carol Kane, will play the role of Punky, a role created specifically for this musical adaptation of the piece.

Emmy award nominee Garrett Morris will play the role of Chuck, and Conrad John Schuck will portray Grandpa Gustafson.

The remaining roles will be played by a number of highly respected Broadway veterans including: Janet Metz, Jordan Leeds, Rita Harvey, Bjorn Johnson, Carter Calvert, David Beach, Timothy Shew, Joy Hermalyn, and Jerold Goldstein.

Grumpy Old Men: The Musical is a stage adaptation of the popular 1993 Warner Bros. motion picture Grumpy Old Men. The creative team for the production includes director Glenn Casale, composer Neil Berg, lyricist Nick Meglin, and playwright Dan Remmes.

The 1993 film which starred Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, and Ann-Margret was presented by Warner Bros., and written by Mark Steven Johnson.

"The basic plot of Grumpy Old Men: The Musical is the story of two aging men, Max and John, neighbors, who have been feuding for most of their lives. They are re-united in friendship through the love and compassion of their new neighbor across the street, the beautiful, eccentric, and charming Ariel," explain press notes.

Christopher Lloyd (Max Goldman) is widely known for his Emmy award winning creation of Jim Ignatowski from the television series "Taxi," he is also much beloved for his performances as "Doc" Brown in the Back to the Future feature films, and "Uncle Fester" in the Addams Family motion pictures. Not limited to acting for the screen, Mr. Lloyd has enjoyed a long and illustrious career in the theatre with numerous appearances on the New York stage. He received the 1973 Outstanding Performance Drama Desk Award for his work in Kaspar. In 2002, he appeared as Malvolio in Twelfth Night for The Public Theatre at the famed Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. His Broadway credits include Mornings at Seven, Happy End, and Red White and Maddox.

George Hearn (John Gustafson) has been one of Broadway's premier leading men for over forty years. In that span he has appeared in twenty Broadway shows and garnered five Tony Award nominations with two Tony Awards wins. The winning performances were for La Cage Aux Folles, and Sunset Boulevard. He also received an Emmy Award for his television reprise of his Broadway performance as Sweeney Todd with Angela Lansbury. Mr. Hearn's other Tony award nominations were from his work in Watch on the Rhine, Putting it Together, and A Doll's Life. Other notable Broadway performances were in shows such as Wicked, 1776, Hamlet, Ah Wilderness, Meet Me in St. Louis, I Remember Mama, and The Diary of Anne Frank. Not limited to the stage, Hearn has appeared in forty motion pictures and television shows including the recent Flags of our Fathers.

Adrienne Barbeau (Ariel Truax) has scored major successes on both Stage and screen. She made her Broadway debut in the original run of Fiddler on the Roof, but it was her Tony nomination for creating the role of Rizzo in the original Broadway production of Grease that led her to celebrity status as Bea Arthur's daughter in the hit TV series "Maude." She has starred in numerous motion pictures such as The Fog, Escape From New York, Creepshow, Swamp Thing, Back to School and Cannonball Run. On the small screen, fans of "The Drew Carey Show" know her as Oswald's mom. She also starred as Ruthie, the Snake Dancer, on HBO's series, "Carnivale." Ms. Barbeau has never lost her connection to the New York theatre scene, and recently returned to Off-Broadway portraying Judy Garland in The Property Known As Garland.

Conrad John Schuck (Grandpa Gustafson) began his career in motion pictures playing dentist Capt. Walter 'Painless Pole' Waldowski' in the classic film MASH directed by Robert Altman. The next year he went on to begin a six-year run in one of his most memorable roles as Sgt. Charles Enright on the popular television show "McMillan & Wife." Mr. Schuck is a veteran of the Star Trek franchise with roles in the motion pictures Star Trek IV & Star Trek VI, and the television programs "Star Trek: Voyager" & "Deep Space Nine." His numerous other TV roles include roles on "Mission Impossible," "St. Elsewhere," "Fantasy Island," "Roots," and "Gunsmoke." He has appeared on Broadway as Daddy Warbucks in Annie, and as Col. William F. Cody in Annie Get your Gun

Carol Kane (Punky Barrels) has found success in all areas of show business, playing a wide variety of roles in immensely popular films, television series, and stage plays. In motion pictures she was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in Hester Street, and went on to roles in Dog Day Afternoon, Annie Hall, and The Princess Bride. Her greatest fame, however, comes from her memorable characterization of Simka Dahblitz-Gravas on the hit TV series "Taxi," for which she was honored with two Emmy Awards. She also received an Emmy nomination for a performance on "Chicago Hope." Her Broadway career includes appearances in Wicked, Sly Fox, and The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-moon Marigolds.

Garrett Morris (Chuck Barrels) has the distinction of being a member of the original 1975 cast of "Saturday Night Live." He also had regular roles on "Diff'rent Strokes," "The Jeffersons," "Hill Street Blues," and "The Jamie Foxx Show" as well as numerous appearances in feature films. Although well known as a comic actor, he studied voice at the famed Juilliard School in Manhattan, and began his career singing with Harry Belafonte. His Broadway career includes Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death, Hallelujah Baby, I'm Solomon, and Operation Sidewinder.

The show has a website: www.grumpyoldmenthemusical.com where interested parties may track the progress of the creation of the show.