New Ingénue: Erin Davie Rises in 'Curtains' Feb.15

Erin Davie (Grey Gardens, The Glorious Ones) will join the cast of Curtains on Friday, February 15 as ingénue Niki Harris, replacing original cast member Jill Paice. Paice will play her final performance on Sunday, February 3.  Curtains, the Musical Comedy Whodunit from the authors of Cabaret and Chicago, is playing at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street). 

Before joining Curtains, Davie will play the role of Eve Harrington in Applause at Encores!, opposite two-time Tony Award winner Christine Ebersole.  Last season, Davie made her Broadway debut starring opposite Ebersole as young "Little" Edie Beale in the critically acclaimed Broadway musical, Grey Gardens.  Applause plays February 7-10 at New York City Center.  In addition to Grey Gardens and The Glorious Ones, Davie's credits include the national tours of Swing! and The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber.  Off-Broadway, she appeared in Infertility.

Curtains stars 2007 Tony Award winner and four-time Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce as Lt. Frank Cioffi and Tony and Emmy Award winner Debra Monk as producer Carmen Bernstein.  The production also stars Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba as lyricist Georgia Hendricks, Jason Danieley as composer Aaron Fox, Jill Paice as ingénue Niki Harris and Edward Hibbert as director Christopher Belling, with John Bolton as theatre critic Daryl Grady, Michael X. Martin as stage manager Johnny Harmon, Michael McCormick as investor Oscar Shapiro, Noah Racey as choreographer Bobby Pepper, Megan Sikora as understudy Bambi Bernét and Gerry Vichi as producer Sidney Bernstein.

"Curtains unfolds backstage at Boston's Colonial Theatre in 1959, where a new musical could be a Broadway smash, were it not for its talent-free leading lady.  When the star dies on opening night, Lt. Frank Cioffi (David Hyde Pierce) arrives to conduct an investigation.  But the lure of the theatre proves irresistible and after an unexpected romance blooms for the stage-struck detective, he finds himself just as drawn toward making the show a hit, as he is in solving the murder," explain press notes.

Curtains is an original musical comedy with a book by Rupert Holmes (multiple Tony Award-winner for The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Say Goodnight Gracie), music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb (the Tony Award-winning songwriters of Cabaret, Chicago, New York New York), original book and concept by Tony Award-winner Peter Stone (1776, Titanic, The Will Rogers Follies), and additional lyrics by John Kander & Rupert Holmes.   Curtains is directed by five-time Tony Award-nominee Scott Ellis (She Loves Me, 1776, 12 Angry Men, Steel Pier).  Choreography is by Tony Award-winner Rob Ashford (Thoroughly Modern Millie).

The 31-member cast also features Nili Bassman (Arlene Barucca), Bridget Berger (Roberta Wooster), Kevin Bernard (Roy Stetson/Detective O'Farrell), Ward Billeisen (Brick Hawvermale), Jennifer Dunne (Jan Setler), David Eggers (Swing), J. Austin Eyer (Swing), Jennifer Frankel (Marjorie Cook), Patty Goble (Jessica Cranshaw/Connie Subbotin), Lorin Lattaro (Swing), Shannon Lewis (Mona Page), David Loud (Sasha Iljinsky), Brittany Marcin (Peg Prentice), Jim Newman (Randy Dexter), Aaron Ramey (Harv Fremont), Joe Aaron Reid (Ronnie Driscoll), Christopher Spaulding (Russ Cochran), Jerome Vivona (Swing) and Stephanie Youell (Swing).

Performance schedule for Curtains is Tuesday at 7PM, Wednesday through Saturday at 8PM, with matinees Wednesday and Saturday at 2PM, and Sunday at 3PM. Tickets are on sale at Telecharge at 212-239-6200, online at www.telecharge.com or in person at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre box office (302 West 45th Street). www.CurtainsTheMusical.com

Erin Davie (photo by Linda Lenzi)