THE COLUMNIST Begins Performances Tonight

Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere production of THE COLUMNIST, by Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner David Auburn, directed by Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan begins previews tonight, April 4 at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47^th Street).

The limited engagement of THE COLUMNIST will open Wednesday, April 25 starring Tony and Emmy Award winner John Lithgow, Drama Desk Award nominee Margaret Colin, four time Tony Award winner Boyd Gaines, Tony Award nominee Stephen Kunken,Marc Bonan (Broadway debut), Grace Gummer ("Smash," Arcadia), and Brian J. Smith (MTC's Come Back, Little Sheba; "Stargate Universe").

Columnists are kings in midcentury America and Joseph Alsop (Tony and Emmy Award winner John Lithgow) wears the crown. Joe is beloved, feared and courted in equal measure by the Washington political world at whose center he sits. But as the '60s dawn and America undergoes dizzying change, the intense political drama Joe is embroiled in becomes deeply personal as well.

David Auburn, whose Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning Proof dazzled audiences and critics alike, returns to MTC with this fascinating new work to be directed by his Proof collaborator Daniel Sullivan. 

The creative team for THE COLUMNIST includes John Lee Beatty (scenic design), Jess Goldstein (costume design), Kenneth Posner (lighting design), John Gromada (original music & sound design), Rocco DiSanti (projection design), and Charles G. LaPointe (hair & wig design).

THE COLUMNIST was developed with the support of Tennessee Repertory Theatre through its Ingram New Works Fellowship and Residency.

Lead support for THE COLUMNIST is provided by MTC's Producing Fund Partner, Andrew Martin-Weber.  Additional support is provided by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. THE COLUMNIST is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award.  Special thanks to The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust for supporting Manhattan Theatre Club. 

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, MTC has become one of the country's most prominent and prestigious theatre companies. Over the past three decades, MTC productions have earned a total of 18 Tony Awards and six Pulitzer Prizes, an accomplishment unparalleled by a New York theatrical institution. MTC has a Broadway home at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47^th Street) and an Off-Broadway theatre at New York City Center – Stage I (131 West 55^thStreet). Renowned MTC productions include Venus in Fur; Master Class; Good People; The Whipping Man; Time Stands Still; The Royal Family; Ruined; The American Plan; Come Back, Little Sheba; Blackbird; Translations; Shining City; Rabbit Hole; Doubt;Proof; The Tale of the Allergist's Wife; Love! Valour! Compassion!; A Small Family Business; Sylvia; Putting It Together; Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune; Crimes of the Heart; and Ain't Misbehavin.'

Tickets for THE COLUMNIST are available by calling Telecharge at 212-239-6200, online by visiting www.Telecharge.com, or by visiting the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre Box Office (261 West 47^th Street). Ticket prices are $67 – $121. 

For more information on MTC, please visit www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com.