Star-Studded Cast Set for Paul Rudnick's BIG NIGHT at the Douglas

Center Theatre Group has announced the casting for the world premiere of Paul Rudnick's new play "Big Night."

Directed by Tony winner Walter Bobbie ("Chicago" and "Bright Star"), "Big Night" begins previews September 10, opens September 16 and continues through October 8, 2017, at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.

The cast includes, in alphabetical order, Brian Hutchison ("Smokefall" Off-Broadway), Max Jenkins (NBC's "The Mysteries of Laura"), Luke MacFarlane (ABC's "Brothers & Sisters"), Wendie Malick (NBC's "Just Shoot Me!") and Tom Phelan (ABC Family's "The Fosters"). One more cast member will be announced at a later date.

The creative team includes set design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long and lighting design by Ken Billington. Casting is by James Calleri, CSA and Paul Davis, CSA and Brooke Baldwin is the production stage manager. The sound designer will be announced at a later date.

It is the night of the Oscars and a working actor turned Oscar nominee knows that his life is about to change - he just doesn't know how profoundly. His transgender nephew has plans for his speech, his young agent has plans for his future, his unstoppable mother has plans for the catering and his partner is nowhere to be found. Master satirist Paul Rudnick blends a deep humanity with a honed sense of hilarity in this powerful and funny play about family and fame, the personal and the political, and the drive to stand up and speak out.

Paul Rudnick is a playwright, novelist, essayist and screenwriter, whom The New York Times has called "one of our pre-eminent humorists." His plays have been produced both on and Off-Broadway and include "I Hate Hamlet," "Jeffrey," "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told," "Regrets Only" and "The New Century." He's won an Obie Award, two Outer Critics Circle Awards and the John Gassner Playwriting Award. Rudnick's novels include "Social Disease" and "I'll Take It," both from Knopf. He's a regular contributor to The New Yorker and his articles and essays have appeared in Vanity Fair, Esquire, Vogue and The New York Times. HarperCollins published his "Collected Plays" and a book of essays entitled "I Shudder." He's rumored to be quite close to Premiere magazine's film critic, Libby Gelman-Waxner, whose collected columns were published under the title "If You Ask Me." His screenplays include "Addams Family Values," the screen adaptation of "Jeffrey" and "In & Out."

Center Theatre Group, one of the nation's preeminent arts and cultural organizations, is Los Angeles' leading nonprofit theatre company, programming seasons at the 736-seat Mark Taper Forum and 1600 to 2000-seat Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles, and the 317-seat Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. In addition to presenting and producing the broadest range of theatrical entertainment in the country, Center Theatre Group is one of the nation's leading producers of ambitious new works through commissions and world premiere productions and a leader in interactive community engagement and education programs that reach across generations, demographics and circumstance to serve Los Angeles.

Tickets for "Big Night" are available by calling (213) 628-2772, online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org, at the Center Theatre Group Box Office at the Ahmanson Theatre or at the Kirk Douglas Theatre Box Office two hours prior to performance. Tickets range from $25 - $70 (ticket prices are subject to change). The Kirk Douglas Theatre is located at 9820 Washington Blvd. in Culver City, CA 90232. Ample free parking and restaurants are adjacent.