Luker, Von Essen, Cavenaugh, Balgord & More to Star in DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY; Previews Start June 10

Roundabout Theatre Company announced the full company of the new musical Death Takes A Holiday, with a book by Peter Stone & Thomas Meehan, music & lyrics by Maury Yeston, directed by Doug Hughes. The cast will include Linda Balgord (Contessa Danielli), Matt Cavenaugh (Eric Fenton), Mara Davi (Alice), Joy Hermalyn (Cora), Jay Jaski (Lorenzo), Simon Jones (Dr. Dario Albione), Rebecca Luker (Duchess Lamberti), Patricia Noonan (Sophia), Julian Ovenden (Prince Sirki / Death), Jill Paice (Grazia), Michael Siberry (Duke Lamberti), Alexandra Socha (Daisy Fenton), Don Stephenson (Fidele), Max von Essen (Corrado Montelli).

Death Takes a Holiday is based on the dramatic play by Alberto Casella, rewritten for the American stage by Walter Ferris, and originally produced by Messrs. Shubert.

Death Takes a Holiday will begin performances on Friday, June 10, 2011 and open officially on Thursday, July 21, 2011 at the Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 West 46th Street). Death Takes a Holiday will play a limited engagement through September 4, 2011.

This production marks the second time a new musical has been presented in this theatrical space, following the recent production of The Tin Pan Alley Rag.

The creative team includes Kevin Stites (Musical Direction & Supervision), Peter Pucci (Choreography), Derek McLane (Sets), Catherine Zuber (Costumes), Kenneth Posner (Lights), Jon Weston (Sound) and Tom Watson (Hair & Wigs).

In Death Takes a Holiday, it's just after the first World War and the loneliest of souls arrives at an Italian villa disguised as a handsome young Prince (Ovenden), and for the first time experiences the joys and heartbreaks of life. But when he unexpectedly falls in love with a newly engaged young woman (Paice), the mysterious stranger discovers that love may in fact be stronger than death. Directed by Tony® winner Doug Hughes (Doubt), this soaring tale of love is adapted by Tony®-winning writers Peter Stone (1776) and Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray), and features lush, romantic songs by Tony® winner Maury Yeston (Nine, Titanic).

Casssella's play has inspired many recreations of his famous story, in radio, television and film. The 1934 film Death Takes a Holiday was followed by a 1937 airing on Cecil B. Demille's Lux Radio Theatre, a 1971 television production and the 1998 Hollywood remake titled Meet Joe Black.

Roundabout is pleased to welcome composer & librettist Maury Yeston back to their stage following their Tony-winning collaboration on the 2003 revival of Nine starring Antonio Banderas. Roundabout resident Director Doug Hughes most recently staged the Broadway production of Mrs. Warren's Profession starring Cherry Jones & Sally Hawkins. Rebecca Luker returns to Roundabout after appearing in Nine, Michael Sibbery returns after this season's revival of Mrs. Warren's Profession and the 2008 revival of A Man For All Seasons and Alexandra Socha continues at Roundabout this season following the acclaimed Roundabout Underground production of The Dream of the Burning Boy.

TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets are available by calling Roundabout Ticket Services at (212)719-1300, online at www.roundabouttheatre.org or at the Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre box office (111 West 46 Street). Ticket prices range from $76-$86.

Roundabout Subscribers save up to 50% off of ticket prices and have access to special in-theatre events and perks. To become a Roundabout Subscriber, visit www.roundabouttheatre.org/joinnow or call Roundabout Ticket Services (212)719-1300 today.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
Death Takes a Holiday will play Tuesday through Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. with Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m.

The Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre reflects Roundabout's commitment to produce new works by established and emerging writers as well as revivals of classic plays. This state-of-the-art off-Broadway theatre and education complex is made possible by a major gift from The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust. The Trust was created in 1986 by Harold Steinberg to promote and advance American Theatre as a vital part of our culture by supporting playwrights, encouraging the development and production of new work, and providing financial assistance to theatre companies across the country. Since its inception, the Trust has awarded over $45 million to more than 100 not-for-profit theatre organizations.

BIOGRAPHIES:
Linda Balgord (Contessa Danielli). Broadway: The Pirate Queen (Queen Elizabeth I-Drama Desk Award Nomination), La Cage Aux Folles (2005 Revival), CATS (Grizabella), Passion, Gypsy (Rose Stand-by). National Tours: Sunset Boulevard (Norma Desmond), Aspects of Love ( Rose Vibert). Jerry Springer the Opera in Concert at Carnegie Hall (Zandra, Irene and The Virgin Mary).

Matt Cavenaugh (Eric Fenton). Broadway: West Side Story (OCC, Drama League Nominations), Grey Gardens, A Catered Affair, Urban Cowboy, Thoroughly Modern Millie (National Tour). Regional: LA Reprise, The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, Williamstown Theatre Festival, George Street Playhouse, Goodspeed Opera House, Denver Center. TV/Film: "As the World Turns," "One Live to Live," "Sexual Dependecy," "New Brooklyn." Matt recently collaborated with his wife, Jenny Powers, on their debut album, Gonna Make You Love Me released in April. Learn more at www.mattcavenaugh.com.

Mara Davi (Alice). Broadway: Irving Berlin's White Christmas (Judy), The Drowsy Chaperone (Janet), A Chorus Line (Maggie, Original Revival Cast). New York: Give Me Up - Baryshnikov Center, No, No Nanette (Nanette) and Of Thee I Sing (Emily) at City Center Encores! Regional: Goodman Theatre, Old Globe, Sacramento Music Circus, Flat Rock Playhouse,The Ordway. Tour: 42nd Street. Feature Film: New Years Eve, Musical Chairs, Every Little Step. Website: www.maradavi.com

Joy Hermalyn (Cora) is thrilled to be here! Bway: Fiddler, Cyrano, Candide, Christmas Carol, Baz Luhrmann's La Boheme, numerous Encores! Favorite regional: Sweeney Todd (Mrs. Lovett), Gypsy (Rose), Into the Woods (Witch), Annie Get Your Gun (Annie). Opera: Anchorage to Lincoln Center to Spoleto. Recent: Andersson/Ulvaeus' Kristina Royal Albert Hall, London; Seven Deadly Sins NYCB; Me &Miss Monroe AMAS. Voice Professor -Kean University, NJ. Dedicated to my Dad & as always, MRM.

Jay Jaski (Lorenzo). Broadway/New York: Children and Art (Sondheim Tribute/New Amsterdam Theater), 9 to 5 (Broadway workshop & demo), Pamela's First Musical (BC/EFA Town Hall), Ever After, Mask, Take Flight. Off-Broadway/Regional: Public Theater, McCarter, Georgia Shakespeare. Jay is an MFA Candidate at Columbia University in Dramaturgy & Script Development and holds a BM in Music Theatre Performance from Florida State University. Special thanks to Kevin and Joan, and all my love to Kristin.

Simon Jones (Dr. Dario Albione). Broadway: The Real Thing, Benefactors, School for Scandal, Getting Married, Private Lives, The Real Inspector Hound, Herbal Bed, Ring Round the Moon, Waiting in the Wings, Blithe Spirit, and (voice only) in 39 Steps. Recent Off-Broadway includes Home and The Cocktail Party. Best-known among TV are: "Brideshead Revisited" (‘Bridey') and "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (‘Arthur Dent'). Films, books, TACT, and more juicy details on: www.simonjonesinfo.com

Rebecca Luker (Duchess Lamberti). Broadway: Mary Poppins, Nine, Music Man, Sound of Music, Showboat, Secret Garden, Phantom of the Opera. Off Broadway: Indian Blood, Vagina Monologues, etc. Concerts: The American Songbook Series, The Boys from Syracuse and Where's Charley (Encores!), No, No Nanette, Trouble in Tahiti, etc. TV: "The Good Wife," "Cupid and Cate," "Law & Order: SVU," "My Favorite Broadway," etc. Regional: Passion (Kennedy Center). Recordings: Greenwich Time, Leaving Home, Anything Goes: Rebecca Luker Sings Cole Porter, Aria 1-3. Husband: Danny Burstein. Stepsons: Alex & Zach.

Patricia Noonan (Sophia) is thrilled to be making her Roundabout debut! NYC: Where's Charley? and Girl Crazy (City Center Encores!), Signs of Life (Lorelei), Hurricane. Regional: Carousel (Julie Jordan/Barrington Stage), Sondheim at 80 (Soloist/Kennedy Center), Little House on the Prairie (Guthrie Theatre), How to Succeed... (Rosemary), Ragtime (Evelyn Nesbit). Training: Boston College (Presidential Scholars Program). Thanks to the creative team, KSR, her incredible family, friends, and, especially, her grandparents.

Julian Ovenden (Prince Sirki / Death). Theatre includes Merrily We Roll Along, Grand Hotel (Donmar); Annie Get your Your Gun (Young Vic); Marguerite, A Woman of No Importance (Haymarket); King Lear (RSC); Butley on Broadway. TV: "Foyle's War," "The Royal," "The Forsyte Saga" and "Any Human Heart," "Cashmere Mafia," "Related," "Charmed" "A Christmas Carol." Solo singing for The Northern Sinfonia, Liverpool Philharmonic, RPO, Belfast Symphony Orchestra, John Wilson Orchestra and BBC Concert Orchestra, London Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.

Jill Paice (Grazia). Broadway: The 39 Steps, Curtains, Woman in White. West End: Gone with the Wind (Scarlett O'Hara), The Woman in White, Night of 1000 Voices (Royal Albert Hall). NY Philharmonic: Company. National Tour: Les Miserables. Vegas: Mamma Mia!(Sophie). Regional: Chess (Florence, Helen Hayes nomination) and Ace (Elizabeth, Helen Hayes nomination) - Signature Theatre, Curtains -Ahmanson. Original Cast Recordings: Curtains, The Woman in White, The Gig, Andrew Lloyd Webber on Broadway. TV: "The Beautiful Life," "The Wonderful Maladys." Education: Baldwin-Wallace College.

Michael Siberry (Duke Lamberti). Theatre. Mrs Warrens Profession (Roundabout), When the Rain Stops Falling (Lincoln Centre ), Spamalot (Tour & Broadway), Journey's End ( London), The Frogs (Lincoln Centre); A Midsummer Night's Dream (London), The White Devil (Sydney Theatre Company at BAM); House and Garden (National Theatre); Chicago (London) ;The Sound Of Music (Broadway), Nicholas Nickleby (RSC Broadway). Television includes: "Rosemary and Thyme"; "The Grand"; "Silent Witness" (BBC); "Jeeves and Wooster."

Alexandra Socha (Daisy Fenton) is excited to be moving up a whole floor from the basement where she was recently seen as Rachel in The Dream of The Burning Boy at Roundabout Underground! Broadway: Spring Awakening (Wendla), Brighton Beach Memoirs (Nora). Regional: We Have Always Lived in the Castle (Merricat) at Yale Rep. TV: "The Big C" (Mia), "White Collar." Love and thanks to her wonderful family and friends, Lindsay and The Gersh Agency, and Roundabout.

Don Stephenson (Fidele). Broadway: The Producers (Leo Bloom), Rock of Ages (Hertz), Private Lives (Victor), Dracula (Renfield), Titanic (Harold Bride/Charles), Parade (Leo Frank), By Jeeves (Bingo). Other: Pardon My English (City Center), 1776 (Paper Mill), Travesties (Long Wharf), Where's Charley (Kennedy Center), Two Gentleman of Verona (Delacorte). Television: "Ugly Betty," "3 LBS," "Possible Side Effects," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," " Law & Order," "Now and Again."

Max von Essen (Corrado Montelli). Broadway: Les Misérables (revival and closing company of original), Dance of the Vampires, Jesus Christ Superstar. Off-broadway: Hello Again, Finian's Rainbow, The Fantasticks and The Jerry Springer Opera (Carnegie Hall). National Tours: Xanadu, Chicago. TV/film: The Beautiful Life, Sex and the City 2, "The Today Show," "Submissions Only" (webisode) and numerous commercials. Check out www.MaxvonEssen.com & Twitter.com/MaxizPad

Peter Stone (Book) has won four Tonys and six nominations. Broadway: Titanic, 1776, The Will Rogers Follies and Woman of the Year all won for best musical. His other Broadway musicals include My One and Only, Sugar, Two By Two, and Kean, the Kander & Ebb musical Curtains - a musical born out of Mr. Stone's lifelong love of the theatre. He won an Academy Award for his screenplay Father Goose, the Edgar (Mystery Writers of America) for his film Charade, and the Christopher Award for the screen adaptation of 1776. Mr. Stone's other films include The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3, Sweet Charity, Who's Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? and Just Cause. Writing for TV, he won the Emmy Award for an episode of "The Defenders." Mr. Stone is the only writer to ever win the Tony, Oscar and Emmy.

Thomas Meehan (Book). Thomas Meehan won the 2003 Tony Award for co-writing the book for Hairspray after having won the 2001 Tony Award for co-writing the book of The Producers. He received his first Tony Award in 1977 for writing the book of Annie, which was his first Broadway show, and he has since written books for the musicals I Remember Mama; Ain't Broadway Grand; Annie Warbucks and the American version of Bombay Dreams. His most recent works are the Broadway musical Young Frankenstein, for which he co-wrote the book with Mel Brooks, Cry-Baby, co-written with Mark O'Donnell, and Elf, co-written with Bob Martin. In addition, he is a long-time contributor of humor pieces, including Yma Dream, to The New Yorker; an Emmy Award-winning writer of television comedy; and a collaborator on a number of screenplays, including Mel Brooks' Spaceballs; To Be or Not to Be and the film version of The Producers. He is also the co-author of the libretto of 1984, an opera composed by Lorin Maazel, based on George Orwell's classic novel, which had its world premiere in the spring of 2005 at London's Royal Opera House, has also been performed at La Scala, in Milan, and will next be staged in Valencia. Mr. Meehan is a member of the Council of the Dramatists Guild and a recent winner of the Oscar Hammerstein award for lifetime achievement in the musical theatre.

Maury Yeston (Music & Lyrics). Maury Yeston is a composer, lyricist, author and teacher, and moves easily between the worlds of theater, film, and academia, writing concert music, Broadway shows, and holding teaching posts as a respected musicologist. Theater and Film: In addition to winning his second Tony Award for Best Score for Broadway's Titanic (which won five Tonys including Best Musical), Yeston won a Tony Award and two Drama Desk Awards for his music and lyrics to Broadway's Nine (based on Fellini's "8 ½"). That production won four additional Tonys, including Best Musical. The Broadway revival of Nine, starring Antonio Banderas, won the Tony Award for Best Musical Revival. Yeston's contribution to the score for Broadway's Grand Hotel was nominated for a Tony and two Drama Desk Awards, and the Donmar Warehouse London production of this show won the Olivier Award. His score for Phantom has received national and international acclaim and is currently in production across America and Europe and Japan. The film adaptation of Nine, directed by Rob Marshall features Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Dame Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Fergie, and Sophia Loren, with a screenplay by Anthony Minghella and Michael Tolkin, and was nominated for 5 Golden Globes and 4 Academy Awards. Yeston was nominated for a Critics Choice and Golden Globe for Best Original Song ("Cinema Italiano") and an Academy Award for Best Original Song ("Take It All"). Concert: Yeston's music and lyrics cover a wide variety of styles, from his Cello Concerto (premiered by Yo Yo Ma) to the concert album "Goya-- A Life In Song," (featuring Placido Domingo and Gloria Estefan). The song "Till I Loved You," from the "Goya" album became a Top 40 hit for Barbra Streisand. Yeston was commissioned by Carnegie Hall to write the modern classical crossover "December Songs" for its centennial celebration. Commissioned by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, he composed "An American Cantata - 2000 Voices" - a choral symphony in three movements for the National Symphony Orchestra and 2000 singers, conducted by Leonard Slatkin and premiered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in July of 2000. Recordings and Incidental Music: Twice nominated for a Grammy Award, Yeston's recordings include cast albums of Nine Titanic, Phantom, Grand Hotel, The Maury Yeston Songbook, December Songs, Goya, and the Film Soundtrack of Nine. Yeston also wrote the incidental music to the Broadway 2009 hit revival of The Royal Family, directed by Doug Hughes, and to the legendary Off Broadway premiere of Cloud 9, directed by Tommy Tune. Upcoming Works: Scheduled for 2011 is Yeston's new full-length Ballet - Tom Sawyer, commissioned for the Kansas City Ballet to inaugurate Kansas City's new Opera House and Arts Center. Academia and Honors: Yeston holds a PhD. from Yale University and BA and MA degrees from both Yale and Clare College, Cambridge University. He is the author of "The Stratification of Musical Rhythm" (Yale Press) - a seminal music theory text noted for its groundbreaking innovation in the theory of rhythm. He was Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Music Studies at Yale for eight years and has been Director of the BMI Music Theatre Advanced Workshop in New York City for over twenty years. He is a lifetime member of the Council of the Dramatists Guild, and on the Board of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, The Kleban Foundation and The Kurt Weill Foundation. He also serves on the editorial boards of Musical Quarterly and the advisory board of the Yale University Press Broadway Series. Yeston was named the 1997-1998 Kayden Visiting Artist at Harvard University, received The Elaine Kaufman Cultural Center Creative Arts Award in New York as Artist of The Year, and was The Encompass Opera's Lifetime Achievement Honoree in 2009.

Doug Hughes (Director). Recent Broadway productions include The Royal Family, Elling, Oleanna, A Man for All Seasons, Mauritius, Inherit the Wind, A Touch of the Poet, Frozen and Doubt. This is Mr. Hughes' eigth production with Roundabout Theatre, where he serves as the resident director. He has directed on and Off-Broadway and for most of the nation's leading theatre companies. For his work on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Doubt he received the 2005 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play. He has also received Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics, Obie and Callaway awards for his productions.

Roundabout Theatre Company's 2010-2011 season features Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, starring and directed by Brian Bedford; Anything Goes starring Sutton Foster & Joel Grey, directed & choreographed by Kathleen Marshall; David West Read's The Dream of the Burning Boy, directed by Evan Cabnet; Stoller, Butler & Dart's The People in the Picture, starring Donna Murphy, directed by Leonard Foglia; Stone, Meehan & Yeston's Death Takes a Holiday, directed by Doug Hughes.

Roundabout Theatre Company's 2011-2012 will feature Bob Fosse's Dancin', directed by Graciela Daniele; Stephen Karam's Sons of the Prophet, directed by Peter DuBois; John Osborne's Look Back in Anger, directed by Sam Gold.