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Meet the Cast of MCNEAL, Beginning Previews Tonight on Broadway

The play officially opens on Monday, September 30 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.

By: Sep. 05, 2024
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McNEAL begins previews on Broadway tonight, Thursday, September 5. The Lincoln Center Theater production play officially opens on Monday, September 30 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, marking the first play of LCT’s historic 40th Anniversary season. Meet the cast of McNEAL below!

McNEAL is a new play by Ayad Aktar, directed by Bartlett Sher. The starry ensemble led by Academy Award-winner Robert Downey Jr. in his Broadway debut also includes Brittany Bellizeare, Rafi Gavron, Melora Hardin, Andrea Martin, Ruthie Ann Miles, and Saisha Talwar

McNEAL will have sets by Michael Yeargan & Jake Barton, costumes by Jennifer Moeller, lighting by Donald Holder, sound by Justin Ellington & Beth Lake, and projections by Jake BartonJennifer Rae Moore will be the stage manager. McNEAL is produced by Lincoln Center Theater in association with Team Downey.

Meet the Cast of MCNEAL, Beginning Previews Tonight on Broadway  ImageRobert Downey, Jr. - Jacob McNeal

LCT and Broadway debut. Downey’s acting career began under the direction of Robert Downey Sr. in Pound. Downey’s credits include Iron Man/Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer (Academy Award), HBO/A24’s “The Sympathizer” (Emmy nomination), Sherlock Holmes (Golden Globe Award), Tropic Thunder (Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, SAG nominations) and Chaplin (BAFTA, London Film Critics' Circle awards; Oscar, Golden Globe nominations). In 2010, Downey and his wife, Susan, founded Team Downey where he executive produced Netflix’s “Sweet Tooth” (Emmy Awards) and HBO’s “Perry Mason” (Emmy nominations). Downey produced and starred in Max’s “Downey’s Dream Cars” (Emmy Award) and Netflix’s documentary “Sr.” (NBR Best Documentary Award). Additionally, Downey co-authored (with Thomas Kostigen) “Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time” (New York Times bestseller) and partnered with Craig Dubitsky to launch the happy® coffee brand. Upcoming: Doctor Doom in Marvel’s next two Avengers.


Meet the Cast of MCNEAL, Beginning Previews Tonight on Broadway  ImageBrittany Bellizeare - Natasha Brathwaite

Broadway debut. LCT: Flex (Lortel Award nomination for Outstanding Ensemble). Off-Broadway: Scarlett Dreams (Greenwich House Theater), sandblasted (Vineyard), Fat Ham (The Public), RETREAT (NBT). Other theater: Create Dangerously (Miami New Drama); Blues for an Alabama Sky, The Bluest Eye (Guthrie); Wine in the Wilderness,King Hedley II, Seven Guitars (Two River); Romeo & Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); The Magician’s Daughter (The Geva); Skeleton Crew (Baltimore Center Stage); Sunset Baby (TheaterWorks Hartford); It’s A Wonderful Life: A Radio Play, The Mountaintop (Northern Stage); and The Last Tiger In Haiti (La Jolla/Berkeley Rep). TV: “The Equalizer,” “American Rust,” “The Blacklist,” “Eye Candy,” “The Knick.” Film:Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul., Everything Absolutely. Education:MFA in Acting, The New School for Drama; BS in Mathematics, Spelman College.


Meet the Cast of MCNEAL, Beginning Previews Tonight on Broadway  ImageAndrea Martin - Stephie Banic

Andrea Louise Martin is an American and Canadian actress, best known for her work in the television series SCTV and Great News. LCT: Act One (Outer Critics Circle Award), My Favorite Year (Tony, Drama Desk, Theater World awards). Broadway: Pippin (Tony, DD, OCC, Elliot Norton, IRNE awards), Candide (Tony, DD noms), Oklahoma! (Tony, DD, OCC noms), Young Frankenstein (Tony, DD nom), Noises Off (Tony nom), Exit the King (DD, OCC noms), A Christmas Carol. Additional stage work includes Nude Nude Totally Nude (DD nom). Films include Club Paradise, Stepping Out, Wag the Dog, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, All Over the Guy, Diane, My Big Fat Greek Wedding (SAG Award nom; People’s Choice Award) and its sequels. TV includes “SCTV” (Two Emmy Awards), “Sesame Street” (Special Emmy Award), “Hairspray Live!,” “Modern Family,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “30 Rock,” “The Good Fight,” “Harlem,” “Great News,” “Difficult People,” “Evil” (Critics Choice nom), “Only Murders in the Building,” and “The Gilded Age.” Author: Lady Parts (Harper Collins).


Meet the Cast of MCNEAL, Beginning Previews Tonight on Broadway  ImageRafi Gavron - Harlan McNeal

LCT and Broadway debut. Film includes A Star is Born (opposite Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga), Anthony Minghella's Breaking and Entering (British Independent Film Award nomination for Best Newcomer) and Amazon/MGM’s Mercy (upcoming). TV includes Ghosts of Beirut” (Showtime/Paramount+); “Godfather of Harlem” (MGM+); “Catch 22” (Hulu); “Westworld” (HBO); “Homecoming” (Amazon); “Counterpart” (Starz).


Meet the Cast of MCNEAL, Beginning Previews Tonight on Broadway  ImageSaisha Talwar - Dipti

LCT debut. Recent graduate of the NYU Tisch Grad Acting Program. Saisha is thrilled to be making her Broadway debut. IG: @saishatalwar


Meet the Cast of MCNEAL, Beginning Previews Tonight on Broadway  ImageMelora Hardin - Francine Blake

LCT debut. Theater includes Roxie Hart in Chicago (Broadway), Fantine in Les Misérables (The Hollywood Bowl), and Toni in Appropriate (Mark Taper Forum). Films include Hannah Montana: The Movie, 17 Again, 27 Dresses, Absolute Power and Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie. TV includes Jan Levinson on “The Office,” Trudy Monk on “Monk,” Tammy on “Transparent,” (Emmy Award nomination), a semi-finalist on the 30th Season of “Dancing with the Stars,” “The Bold Type” and “A Million Little Things.” Hardin has sung in films including Disney’s The Rocketeer and Tower of Terror and has released three records available on Spotify. Her fine art and wallpaper designs can be viewed at www.melora.com.


Meet the Cast of MCNEAL, Beginning Previews Tonight on Broadway  ImageRuthie Ann Miles - Sahra Grewal

LCT: The King and I (Tony Award, Grammy Award nomination; also London, Olivier Award nom; also Tokyo). Broadway: Sweeney Todd (Tony nomination), Sunday in the Park with George (also City Center Encores!). Other theater includes Sondheim on Sondheim (The Hollywood Bowl with the LA Philharmonic; also Boston Pops), The Light in the Piazza (City Center Encores!) and Here Lies Love (Theatre World Award, Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical). TV/Film includes Sherri Kansky on “All Rise” (CBS, OWN) and Over the Moon (Netflix). Education: MA in Music, NYU Steinhardt.


Meet the Cast of MCNEAL, Beginning Previews Tonight on Broadway  ImagePeter Bradbury - Performer

LCT debut. Broadway: 25 productions including Patriots, The Shark is Broken, A Christmas Carol, Hangmen, Trouble in Mind, The Ferryman, Travesties,Farinelli and the King, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Hughie, King Charles III, The Elephant Man (also West End), Casa Valentina, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Norman Conquests, A Man For All Seasons and Present Laughter. TV: “The Gilded Age” “FBI’s Most Wanted,” “New Amsterdam,” “Blacklist,” “Deception,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Homeland,” “House of Cards,” “Sally Hemings,” “Law & Orders”


Meet the Cast of MCNEAL, Beginning Previews Tonight on Broadway  ImageJaniah-Camile Francois - Performer

LCT and Broadway debut. Theater includes The Salvagers (Yale Rep) and Thumbelina: A Little Musical (A.R.T.). Education: MFA, Yale School of Drama.


Meet the Cast of MCNEAL, Beginning Previews Tonight on Broadway  ImageNancy Lemenager - Performer

LCT: How to Transcend a Happy Marriage. Broadway: Chicago; Movin’ Out; Never Gonna Dance; Kiss Me, Kate; Dream; How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; Guys and Dolls. Regional: Love All, Sweat, Other Desert Cities, God of Carnage, Romeo and Juliet. Film: Ocean’s 8, The First Purge. TV: “Girls on the Bus,” “Poker Face,” City on a Hill,” “WeCrashed,” “FBI,” “Power,” “Madame Secretary,” “Jessica Jones,” “Elementary,” “The Good Wife,” Law & Order.”


Meet the Cast of MCNEAL, Beginning Previews Tonight on Broadway  ImageBenjamin Wheelwright - Performer

LCT debut. Broadway: Christopher Boone in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (and National Tour), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (OBC). Ben continued with Cursed Child as Steven Hoggett’s associate movement director for all North American productions. Off-Broadway: Good Vibrations. Education: The National Theatre School of Canada.






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