Tony Award-winning actress Priscilla Lopez has joined the cast of Fanny, the 50th Encores! musical produced by New York City Center since 1994 and the second Encores! production of the season. (Ms. Lopez replaces the previously announced Rondi Reed, who is no longer available due to illness.) Fanny, running February 4 - 7, has music and lyrics by Harold Rome and book by S.N. Behrman and Joshua Logan, and is based on Marcel Pagnol's trilogy Marius, Fanny and Cesar. Fanny will be directed by Marc Bruni and choreographed by Lorin Latarro with music direction by Rob Berman.
In addition to Ms. Lopez, the cast includes
Fred Applegate,
George Hearn,
David PatRick Kelly,
Michael McCormick,
Elena Shaddow,
James Snyder and
Ted Sutherland.
Fanny is set in Marseille and features one of Broadway's greatest love stories - a tale of a young girl's (
Elena Shaddow) passion for a young man so in love with the sea that he leaves her, little realizing that she is pregnant with his child. Her marriage of convenience to a wealthy older man (
Fred Applegate) desperate to have an heir is complicated by the sailor's return years later.
Joshua Logan and
S.N. Behrman provided an earthy book, and
Harold Rome's score contains some of the most ardent and sweeping melodies ever written for the theater, including the title song, "Restless Heart" and "Never Too Late For Love." Fanny opened on November 4, 1954 at the Majestic Theater and played for a total of 888 performances.
Priscilla Lopez (Honorine), a Tony, Obie and Drama Desk winner, is currently appearing on Broadway in In the Heights. Her many Broadway credits include Anna in the Tropics, The Sisters Rosensweig, Nine, A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine, Lysistrata; A Chorus Line, Pippin, Company and Breakfast at Tiffany's. Off-Broadway, she was seen in The Passion of Frida Kahlo, Antigone in New York, Other People's Money, Extremities and Key Exchange. Her film credits include Maid in Manhattan, Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding, Center Stage, Revenge of the Nerds II and Cheaper to Keep Her.
Tickets for the 2009-2010 Encores! season are available at the New York City Center Box Office (West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues), through CityTix® at 212-581-1212, or online at www.nycitycenter.org. Tickets for the Orchestra, Grand Tier and Mid-Mezzanine are $95; tickets for the Rear Mezzanine and Front Gallery are $50; tickets for the Rear Gallery are $25.
Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.
