Michael McGrath to Lead Musical Version of THE HONEYMOONERS

Michael McGrath, who just won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, just revealed in a post-Tony interview that he will soon star in an upcoming musical version of The Honeymooners, based on the famed 1950s television series. McGrath would play 'Ralph' in the show.

A reading directed by Jerry Mitchell took place in 2011, starring Jim Belushi (Ralph), Peter Scolari (Norton), Rachel York (Alice) and Helene Yorke (Trixie). The Honeymooners follows Ralph (originally played by Jackie Gleason) as an everyman and an underdog who struggled to make a better life for himself and his wife, but who ultimately failed due to his own shortcomings.

The book is written by Dusty Kay and Bill Nuss, and the musical is scored by Stephen Weiner and Peter Mills - the men behind the music of Iron Curtain that played Seattle this year.

The Honeymooners sitcom was based on a recurring 1951-'55 sketch of the same name. It originally aired on the DuMont network's Cavalcade of Stars and subsequently on the CBS network's The Jackie Gleason Show, hosted by Jackie Gleason, and filmed before a live audience. It debuted as a half-hour series on October 1, 1955. Although initially a ratings success - becoming the #2 show in the United States its first season - it dropped to #19 in the face of primetime competition, ending its production after only 39 episodes, now referred to as the "Classic 39". The final episode of The Honeymooners aired on September 22, 1956. Gleason went on to revive The Honeymooners as