Producers Philip Morgaman, Anne Caruso/Vincent Caruso, Frankie J. Grande, and James P. MacGilvray have announced that Robert Sean Leonard will star opposite Jim Belushi and Nina Arianda in the upcoming Broadway production of Born Yesterday, a comedy by Garson Kanin, directed by Doug Hughes, at Broadway's Cort Theatre, 138 West 48 Street. The opening night is set for Sunday, April 24.
Emmy Award nominee Jim Belushi ("According to Jim," "The Defenders"), Tony Award winner Robert Sean Leonard, and Outer Critics Circle nominee Nina Arianda ("A breakout performance-one of the highlights of the year" Charles Isherwood, The New York Times for Venus in Fur) head the cast in Born Yesterday, Garson Kanin's award-winning comedy about sex and politics. Tony Award winner Doug Hughes (Doubt) directs this timeless and timely story of a not-so-honest businessman and a not-so-dumb blonde out to "capitalize" on everything Washington has to offer.
Robert Sean Leonard won a 2001 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his performance in the Lincoln Center Theater production of The Invention of Love. In 2003, he was nominated in the same category for his performance in Long Day's Journey into Night, which also starred Vanessa Redgrave, Brian Dennehy, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. He was most recently seen on stage in The Violet Hour at Manhattan Theater Club. Mr. Leonard's extensive theater credits include the Broadway productions of The Music Man; The Iceman Cometh (with Kevin Spacey); Arcadia; Candida (at Roundabout, for which he received a Tony nomination); Philadelphia, Here I Come; The Speed of Darkness; Breaking the Code; and Brighton Beach Memoirs. Off-Broadway credits include Fifth of July; You Never Can Tell; and When She Danced. He appeared also in the West End production of Our Town. In 2001, Leonard starred in Richard Linklater's film Tape with Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, and was in the ensemble drama Chelsea Walls, directed by Hawke and based on the play of the same name. Born in New Jersey, Leonard began acting at age 14 at the Public Theater. He made his film debut at 19 in the acclaimed Dead Poets Society, starring opposite Robin Williams and Hawke. His film credits include Much Ado About Nothing, The Age of Innocence, Mr. & Mrs. Bridge, Swing Kids, and Whit Stillman's The Last Days of Disco. Since 2004 Mr. Leonard has played the role of Dr. James Wilson on the hit Fox medical drama "House."
Jim Belushi has performed on Broadway in Herb Gardner's acclaimed Conversations with My Father and for Joseph Papp as the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance (following a run in the production's national tour). Off-Broadway he starred in Sam Shepard's True West, and he also starred in the Williamstown Theatre Festival production of John Guare's Moon Over Miami. Mr. Belushi began his career as a resident member of Chicago's famed Second City improv troupe from 1976-80. He moved to Los Angeles television when writer-producer Garry Marshall cast him in the Paramount Television series "Who's Watching the Kids?" and later in "Working Stiffs" with Michael Keaton. For eight seasons (2001-2009) Belushi was the star and executive producer of the ABC hit comedy, "According to Jim." His other television credits as an actor and writer are "Saturday Night Live," "Parallel Lives," the Oliver Stone/ABC miniseries "Wild Palms," the movies "Sahara" and "Who Killed Atlanta's Children?" for Showtime, and the critically acclaimed series "Beggars and Choosers." He currently stars in the CBS series "The Defenders." His film credits include Edward Zwick's About Last Night in which he reprised the role he had played on stage in David Mamet's Obie Award-winning Sexual Perversity in Chicago from which the film is adapted; Salvador; Return to Me; Underdog; Homer and Eddie; The Principal; Joe Somebody; theK-9 franchise; Red Heat; Curly Sue; Taking Care of Business; Once Upon a Crime; Mr. Destiny; Only the Lonely; Michael Mann's Thief; The Man with One Red Shoe; Real Men; Jumpin' Jack Flash; Jingle All the Way; Retroactive; and Gang Related.
Nina Arianda received the Clarence Derwent and Theatre World awards and Outer Critics' Circle and Lucille Lortel award nominations for her acclaimed performance in the off-Broadway play Venus in Fur. Her film credits include Vera Farmiga's Higher Ground, William Vincent, and several upcoming projects: Tom McCarthy's Win Win, Brett Ratner's Tower Heist, and Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. She received an MFA from New York University's graduate acting program.
Born Yesterday had its New York premiere on February 4, 1946 at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre, starring Paul Douglas, Judy Holliday, and Gary Merrill, and produced by Max Gordon. It became an instant hit, ran for 1,642 performances (moving to the Henry Miller's Theatre), and remains the seventh longest running play in Broadway history. The play was adapted to the screen in 1950 with Judy Holliday winning an Academy Award for repeating her stage triumph, this time alongside Broderick Crawford and William Holden with George Cukor directing. Born Yesterday was revived on Broadway in 1989, starring Ed Asner and Madeline Kahn, and ran for five months, following a ten-month national tour.
The preview performance schedule for Born Yesterday is Tuesday through Saturday at 8pm; Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm; Sunday at 3pm. Beginning Tuesday, April 26 the performance schedule is Tuesday at 7pm; Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm; Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm; Sunday at 3pm.
(There is no performance on Friday, April 8; Thursday, June 16; and Friday, June 17; and there will be added performances on Sunday, April 10 at 7:30pm; Monday, June 13 at 8pm; and Sunday, June 19 at 7:30pm. The performance on Sunday, June 12 will be at 2pm.)
Tickets are $26.50 - $121.50 and may be purchased by visiting www.telecharge.com or by phoning 212 239 6200 or 800 432 7250. For more information about Born Yesterday, please visit www.BornYesterdayOnBroadway.com.
