Richard Easton, Liz Larsen & More to Lead Peccadillo's Staged Reading of LIGHT UP THE SKY, 7/29

Tony Award winner Richard Easton, Liz Larsen, Steve Vinovich, and Glory Crampton are set to star in The Peccadillo Theater Company's upcoming staged reading of Moss Hart's 1948 play LIGHT UP THE SKY, under the direction of Christopher Hart, Monday, July 29 at 7 PM at Theatre at St. Clement's, 423 West 46 Street (between Ninth & Tenth Ave.) The entire cast will be announced early next week.

A hilarious valentine to the Golden Age of the American theatre, LIGHT UP THE SKY is a classic backstage comedy chronicling the agony (and the ecstasy) of bringing a play in trouble to Broadway. LIGHT UP THE SKY opened November 18, 1948 at the Royale Theatre, where it played for 214 performances starring Barry Nelson, Sam Levene, Audrey Christie, Philip Ober, Bartlett Robinson, Virginia Field, Glenn Anders, and Phyllis Povah.

Richard Easton starred on Broadway in Noises Off, The Coast of Utopia and The Invention of Love (Tony Award, Best Actor), and his film and TV credits include "Boardwalk Empire," "Frasier," Henry V, "MildrEd Pierce," Revolutionary Road, "Churchill and the Generals,"Finding Forrester, "As You Like It," "Benjamin Franklin," and Dead Again. Liz Larsen received a Tony nomination for her performance inThe Most Happy Fella, and her other Broadway credits include Hairspray, Damn Yankees and The Rocky Horror Show. Steve Vinovichappeared on Broadway in The Magic Show, Lost in Yonkers, Loose Ends, and The Robber Bridegroom, and his film and TV credits include "Malcolm in the Middle," Awakenings and "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Glory Crampton starred as Luisa in The FantasticksOff-Broadway, in Japan, and on the national tour with Robert Goulet. She also starred in the York Theatre revival of Carnival! and was selected by Jose Carreras to perform with him in concert at Radio City Music Hall.

Director Christopher Hart, the son of playwright Moss Hart and actress Kitty Carlisle Hart, was born the year LIGHT UP THE SKYpremiered on Broadway and has directed several productions of the play around the country.

Moss Hart began his career as playwright, director and producer in 1930 when, with George S. Kaufman, he wrote Once in a Lifetime.Subsequent Kaufman and Hart successes include You Can't Take It With You, The Man Who Came to Dinner and I'd Rather Be Right,among others. In collaboration with Irving Berlin, he wrote As Thousands Cheer and Face the Music, and in solo efforts scored personal triumphs with Light Up the Sky and Lady in the Dark, both of which he also directed. Hart's other directorial credits include My Fair Lady, Camelot, Dear Ruth, Anniversary Waltz, and Junior Miss. Among his screen credits are A Star is Born (for Judy Garland), Gentleman's Agreement, Winged Victory, Hans Christian Andersen, and Prince of Players. His autobiography Act One topped the bestseller list for 41 weeks.

Founded in 1994, The Peccadillo Theater Company is a not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to the rediscovery of classic American theater, particularly those works which, despite their obvious literary and theatrical value, are not regularly revived. Beginning with Eugene O'Neill (generally considered the starting point of modern American theater), Peccadillo concentrates on the era of the so-called well-made play, a period of sparkling wit and sophistication in comedy as well as deepening realism in the drama. It encompasses such diverse and little-known works as Jane by S.N. Behrman, The Shanghai Gesture by John Colton, as well as the neglected plays of celebrated authors like Dorothy Parker and John O'Hara. Collectively, this work represents nothing less than the American experience itself in all its contradictions and screwball energy.

In recent years, Peccadillo has broadened its mission to include original plays and musicals that share some of the virtues of classic American theater such as period style, well-defined characters and strong plotting. Such was the case with Ten Chimneys, by Jeffrey Hatcher, a charming comedy of manners about the marriage of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. And Zero Hour, about the actor/comedian Zero Mostel, whose appearance before the House Un-American Activities Committee was just as explosive as his stage performances.

General admission is $25 and reservations may be made by calling 212-352-3101. For more information, visit www.ThePeccadillo.com.

Photo by Walter McBride