Priscilla Lopez, Andréa Burns, Eden Espinosa & More Will Star in Michael John LaChiusa's THE GARDENS OF ANUNCIA at Lincoln Center Theater

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of André Bishop) just announced the New York premiere of THE GARDENS OF ANUNCIA, directed and co-choreographed by Graciela Daniele, with book, music, and lyrics by Michael John LaChiusa. THE GARDENS OF ANUNCIA will begin previews Thursday, October 19 and open on Monday, November 20 at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater (150 West 65 Street). 

THE GARDENS OF ANUNCIA is inspired by the early life story of an icon of the American stage: Broadway legend Graciela Daniele. Anuncia (Priscilla Lopez) tends the garden of her country house as she reflects on her life, looking back on her girlhood in Juan Perón’s Argentina and paying homage to the family of women whose love and sacrifices allowed her to become an artist. This funny, poignant, and beautiful musical features a beguilingly romantic and tango-infused score filled with the exuberant sounds of women reveling in the joys of being alive.  THE GARDENS OF ANUNCIA marks the fifth collaboration between Graciela Daniele and Michael John LaChiusa at Lincoln Center Theater following Hello Again (1994), Chronicle of a Death Foretold (1995), Marie Christine (1999), and Bernarda Alba (2006).

THE GARDENS OF ANUNCIA will feature co-choreography by Alex Sanchez, orchestrations by Michael Starobin, music direction by Deborah Abramson, and casting by Tara Rubin Casting, Xavier Rubiano, CSA. The production will have sets by Mark Wendland, costumes by Toni-Leslie James, lighting by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, and sound by Drew Levy.  Thomas J. Gates will be the Stage Manager.

Michael John LaChiusa (Book, Music, and Lyrics). LCT: Hello Again, Chronicle of a Death Foretold (Tony nomination for Best Book), Marie Christine (Tony noms for Best Score, Best Book), Bernarda Alba. Broadway: The Wild Party (Tony noms for Best Musical, Best Book with George C. Wolfe). Off-Broadway: First Daughter Suite, Giant, Queen of the Mist (Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical), See What I Wanna See, Little Fish, First Lady Suite. His work has been produced by many notable regional theatres, including The Gardens of Anuncia and Rain at The Old Globe in San Diego. Opera: Lovers and Friends (Chautauqua Variations) at Lyric Opera of Chicago and Send (who are you? I love you) written for Audra McDonald at Houston Grand Opera and has been commissioned by Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival among others. Revues celebrating LaChiusa’s work include La La LaChiusa (Joe’s Pub), Hotel C’est l’Amour, conceived by Daniel Henning (The Blank Theatre) and Heartbreak Country: Michael John LaChiusa’s Stories of America, conceived by Jack Cummings III (Jazz at Lincoln Center.) Awards include an Obie Award, a Gilman & Gonzalez-Falla Award, a Kleban Prize, and two Daytime Emmy Awards. LaChiusa teaches at New York University.

Graciela Daniele (Direction and Co-Choreography). LCT: Hello Again, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, A New Brain, Elegies, Dessa Rose, Marie Christine, Bernarda Alba, The Glorious Ones. Ms. Daniele has directed on Broadway, at Lincoln Center Theater, The Public and regional theaters, earning ten Tony Award nominations and six Drama Desk nominations. Broadway includes Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life, Annie Get Your Gun, Once on This Island, The Pirates of Penzance, Dangerous Game, Ragtime, The Goodbye Girl, Zorba, The Rink (with Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera), The Mystery of Edwin Drood and most recently has choreographed The Visit. Recipient of the 1998 “Mr. Abbot” Award for Outstanding Achievement by a Director/Choreographer. In 2021, Ms. Daniele was the recipient of a Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.

This season, in addition to THE GARDENS OF ANUNCIA, Lincoln Center Theater is also producing Flex, a new play by Candrice Jones, directed by LCT Resident Director Lileana Blain-Cruz, currently playing at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater; Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot, featuring a book by Academy and Emmy Award-winning writer Aaron Sorkin, based on the original book by Alan Jay Lerner, and direction by Bartlett Sher, currently playing at the Vivian Beaumont Theater through Sunday, July 23; and LCT3’s Let’s Call Her Patty, a new play by Zarina Shea, directed by Margot Bordelon, currently in previews at the Claire Tow Theater, opening on Monday, July 31; as well as additional productions to be announced.

LCT’s production season is generously supported by the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust.  The 2023-2024 Newhouse season is made possible, in part, with support from the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation.  Special thanks to The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust for supporting new American work at LCT.  Our thanks to the Jerome L. Greene Foundation for their gift honoring André Bishop as Producing Artistic Director

Bios:

Enrique Acevedo. LCT debut. Off-Broadway: Evita (Perón), Zorba (City Center Encores!); Giant (The Public); The Countess of Storyville (Antonio, opposite Deborah Cox, NYMTF); Zapata! (Emiliano Zapata, AMAS). European Tours: Grease (Danny), Jesus Christ Superstar (Judas). Asian Tour: The King and I (Lun Tha). National Tours: West Side Story (Bernardo), Bombay Dreams (u/s Vikram). Regional: In the Heights (Kevin), Paint Your Wagon (Julio), Miss Saigon (John), Aida (Zoser), Man of La Mancha (Pedro), Camelot (Paper Mill Playhouse), Hatuey! A Memory of Fire (Cortez), Carmen La Cubana (Theatre Du Chatelet, Paris).

ANDRÉA BURNS. LCT: The Nance. Broadway: Daniela in In the Heights (Drama Desk Award), On Your Feet! (Outer Critics Circle nomination), The Rose Tattoo, The Ritz, The Full Monty, Beauty and the Beast. Off-Broadway: The Light in the Piazza, Dear World (City Center Encores!); Smart Blonde; Songs for a New World; Stephen Sondheim’s Saturday Night. Digital streaming 2021: Bad Dates (George Street Playhouse). Solo album: A Deeper Shade of Red (available at psclassics.com). TV/Film: Fausta in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, Akron, “Blue Bloods,” “Kevin Can Wait,” “Jessica Jones,” “Mad About You” (reboot). andreaburns.com, @theandreaburns on Instagram.

Eden Espinosa. LCT debut. Broadway: Wicked (Elphaba), Brooklyn the Musical (Brooklyn), Rent (Maureen). Tour: Falsettos (Trina). Off-Broadway: Hearts Beat Loud (MCC); Bright Lights, Big City. Regional includes Original Mamí in Gardens of Anuncia (Old Globe), María Celia in Two Sisters and a Piano (Two River), Tamara de Lempicka in Lempicka (La Jolla/Williamstown), Eva in Evita (Tennessee PAC), Sadie Thompson in Rain (Old Globe), Daniela in In the Heights (Kennedy Center) and Mary in Merrily We Roll Along (Huntington). TV: “Law and Order,” “Ugly Betty,” “Elementary.” Voiceover: The Queen of Hearts in “Alice’s Wonderland Bakery” (Emmy Nomination), Cassandra in “Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure.”

Priscilla Lopez. LCT: The Fortune Teller in The Skin of Our Teeth. Broadway includes the trapeze flying Granny in Pippin (also toured the US and played Tokyo), original Camila Rosario in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights, Nilo Cruz's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Anna in the Tropics, Harpo Marx in A Day in Hollywood A Night in the Ukraine (Tony Award for Best Featured Actress), original Diana Morales in A Chorus Line (Obie Award, Tony Award nomination), where she introduced the songs "Nothing" and "What I Did For Love.”

Tally Sessions. LCT: Falsettos. Broadway: Company, Anastasia, War Paint, Paramour, School of Rock, Big Fish, The House of Blue Leaves. Off-Broadway: Giant (The Public); Queen of the Mist (Transport Group); Anyone Can Whistle (City Center Encores!); Yank!, Godspell, Hallelujah, Baby! (York Theatre); Love and Science. Tours: Legally Blonde, South Pacific, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Regional: The Old Globe, Paper Mill Playhouse, Goodspeed, The MUNY, Signature Theatre, Barrington Stage, Kansas City Rep, Asolo Rep, Westport Country Playhouse, Olney Theatre, Studio Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Milwaukee Rep. TV/Film: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Falling Water,” “Elementary,” Burning Man. Awards: Henry, Carbonell (twice); two Helen Hayes Award nominations and a Connecticut Critics Circle nom. @tallysessions

Mary Testa. LCT: Marie Christine, A New Brain. Broadway includes Oklahoma!, Wicked, Guys and Dolls, Xanadu and Chicago. Off-Broadway includes Oliver! (City Center Encores!), Oklahoma!, The Portuguese Kid, The Government Inspector and First Daughter Suite. Opera: Anna Nicole (BAM). Films include The Mother, Big Stone Gap and Eat Pray Love. TV includes “The Good Fight,” “Divorce” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” Awards: The Legend of Off-Broadway Award, three Tony nominations, two Lucille Lortel nominations, six Drama Desk nominations, two Drama League nominations, two Outer Critic’s Circle nominations, an Obie Award, and a special Drama Desk Award celebrating Queen of the Mist and ‘Three Decades of Outstanding Work.’ 

Kalyn West. LCT debut. Broadway: The Prom (Shelby, u/s Emma, Alyssa). Off-Broadway: Gigantic (Marlie). 1st National Tour: The Prom (Alyssa Greene), Mean Girls. Additional NY theater includes Nikola Tesla Drops The Beat (Kat Johnson, ATF), The Demise (Natalie, NYMF) and PopStar (Katie, Alchemy Theatre Productions). Regional: The Gardens of Anuncia (Young Anuncia, Old Globe); Moby Dick (Stubb, ART); In The Heights (Vanessa), Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Fulton); Prince of Egypt (TheaterWorks); Rent (Mimi, Casa Mañana); Back Home Again (Aggie, Lesher Center); The Music Man (Zaneeta, Flatrock Playhouse); ASS by Ellen Simon (Ana, Pioneer Theatre). TV/Film: “Blue Bloods” (Rachel, CBS), Imitation Girl (Gabby, Ilium Pictures).