Ryan McCartan Will Lead Off-Broadway Premiere of LONE STAR This Fall

Ryan McCartan (Wicked, Frozen, Heathers The Musical, Fox’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show) will star as ‘Cletis’, opposite previously announced Ana Isabelle (‘Rosalia’ in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story) as ‘Elizabeth’, in the upcoming off-Broadway premiere of James McLure’s dark comedy Lone Star, playing Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street) this fall.

“Couldn’t be more excited to join such talented, dedicated performers to work on such hilarious, idiosyncratic text playing such an unscrupulous, manipulative man!" said Ryan McCartan.

Ryan McCartan is thrilled to perform as ‘Cletis Fullernoy’ in Lone Star, his first Off-Broadway play in New York. He most recently played ‘Tony’ in the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of West Side Story. He played ‘Hans’ in Frozen on Broadway, as well as in the first National Tour. In 2018, Ryan made his Broadway debut as ‘Fiyero’ in Wicked. Ryan premiered new off-Broadway musicals as ‘JD’
in Heathers The Musical at New World Stages and ‘Mac’ in Scotland, PA with Roundabout Theater Company. Ryan enjoyed the pleasure of playing Brad Majors in Fox Television’s reimagining of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, directed by Kenny Ortega. Young audiences know Ryan as Diggie on Disney Channel’s “Liv & Maddie”. Additional television credits include “The Winchesters”, “Freakish”, “Royal Pains”, “Midnight, Texas”, “Monday Mornings”, “Last Man Standing” and “The Middle”; film credits include The Stand-Off, Emma’s Chance, Summer Forever, and, from R.L. Stine’s Monsterville franchise, The Cabinet of Souls. In 2019, Ryan made his solo debut at Feinstein’s 54 Below, NYC to rave reviews. Ryan McCartan’s music is available on Spotify and all major music outlets.

Lone Star takes place in the cluttered back yard of a small-town Texas bar. Roy, a brawny macho type, is back in town, battling symptoms of PTSD, after a hitch in Vietnam. Joined by his younger brother Ray, this hilarious and poignant study of a pair of Texas "good ole boys" explores the depths of brotherhood and the scars to be dealt with from battles fought at home and abroad.

Ruth Stage has been granted exclusive permission from the McLure Estate to combine elements of Lone Star’s sister play, Laundry and Bourbon, to create a one-of-a-kind adaptation. Laundry and Bourbon’s central character of Elizabeth enters this production with dialogue from both Laundry and Bourbon as well as an unpublished Lone Star screenplay which was set to be made into a film in the 1980's with Sigourney Weaver but never came to fruition. Live music from the Vietnam era will also be woven throughout this timely adaptation.

Additionally, the show will feature an original song written and performed by Ms. Isabelle.

Directed by Joe Rosario (Ruth Stage’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof starring Courtney Henggeler), Lone Star is set to begin preview performances on Friday, November 24th at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street), with an opening night set for Sunday, December 3rd. The strictly limited engagement is set to run through Saturday, December 23rd, 2023.

Tickets, beginning at $49, can be purchased at either www.ruthstage.org/lonestar or https://bfany.org/theatre-row/shows/lone-star-by-james-mclure/. Additionally, tickets can be purchased by calling the Theatre Row Box Office at 212-714-2442 x45 (https://bfany.org/theatre-row/). Theatre Row is located at 410 West 42nd Street. The Box Office is available by phone Monday – Friday from 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm.