The Nederlander Theatre Box Office Opens Today For THE NEIL SIMON PLAYS

The Nederlander Theatre box office opens today, August 31 at 10:00 AM for THE Neil Simon PLAYS, the first Broadway revivals of BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS and BROADWAY BOUND. The box office will be open Monday through Saturday, from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM. The Nederlander Theatre is located at 208 West 41st Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues.

Rehearsals for THE Neil Simon PLAYS began on Monday, August 24 under the direction of David Cromer (Our Town).

BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS begins previews on Friday, October 2 and opens on Sunday, October 25. BROADWAY BOUND begins previews on Wednesday, November 18 and opens Thursday, December 10. Starting on November 18, the two plays will be performed in repertory on a varied schedule.

Specially priced preview tickets for $50-$35 (not including Saturday evening performances) are available for both plays if ordered by September 27. Regular priced tickets are $100-$65. Tickets are also available at www.Ticketmaster.com.

BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS and BROADWAY BOUND were two of the longest running Broadway plays of the 1980s. The works ushered in a new era of appreciation for Neil Simon, with praise for the playwright's hilarious and poignant account of his adolescence, early career and family life in New York in the 1930s and 1940s.

BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS originally opened on March 27, 1983 at the Alvin Theatre and played for 1,299 performances. (During the run of BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS, the Alvin Theatre was renamed The Neil Simon Theatre). BROADWAY BOUND opened on December 4, 1986 at the Broadhurst Theatre, where it played for 756 performances.

BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS stars Laurie Metcalf (Kate Jerome) and Dennis Boutsikaris (Jack Jerome) with Santino Fontana (Stanley Jerome), Jessica Hecht (Blanche), Gracie Bea Lawrence (Laurie), Noah Robbins (Eugene Jerome) and Alexandra Socha (Nora).

BROADWAY BOUND stars Laurie Metcalf (Kate Jerome) and Dennis Boutsikaris (Jack Jerome) with Santino Fontana (Stanley Jerome), Jessica Hecht (Blanche), Josh Grisetti (Eugene Jerome) and Allan Miller (Ben).

BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS centers on young Jewish teen Eugene Morris Jerome and his extended family living in a crowded home in the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn in 1937: his overworked father, Jack; overbearing mother, Kate; his older brother Stanley; Kate's widowed sister Blanche and her daughters, Nora and Laurie. As Eugene spends his time daydreaming about a baseball career, he must also cope with his family's troubles, his awkward discovery of the opposite sex and his developing identity as a writer.

In BROADWAY BOUND, it's the late 1940s and Eugene and Stanley have started their careers as professional comedy writers. But when the brothers use their home life in Brighton Beach as inspiration for a radio comedy skit, the Jerome family may never be the same.

Scenic design is by John Lee Beatty, costume design is by Jane Greenwood, lighting design is by Brian MacDevitt and sound design is by Josh Schmidt and Fitz Patton. Hair and wig design is by Tom Watson.

THE Neil Simon PLAYS will be produced by Ira Pittelman, Max Cooper, Jeffrey Sine, Scott Delman, Ruth Hendel, Roy Furman, Ben Sprecher/Wendy Federman, Scott Landis and Emanuel Azenberg.

Prices are $50-$35 for each individual play for tickets ordered by September 27. Regular pricing will be $100-$65.

THE Neil Simon PLAYS will be performed in repertory on a varied schedule. Tickets are available at www.TicketMaster.com or 212-307-4100 or at the Nederlander Theatre box office.

For more information, visit www.TheNeilSimonPlays.com.

Laurie Metcalf (Kate Jerome) is an original member of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater, now in its 33rd season. She first appeared in New York in Lanford Wilson's Balm in Gilead at the Circle Rep Theater in 1984. Since then she has had the pleasure of working on productions by amazing playwrights which include: Martin McDonagh, Terrence McNally, Don Dilillo, Caryl Churchill, Willy Russell, Alexandra Gerston, Beth Henley, Michael Weller, George Bernard Shaw, Tom Stoppard, Garry Marshall, Kaufman & Hart, Lynn Siefert, Bruce Norris, Sam Shepard, Alan Ayckbourn, Tennessee Williams, Harold Pinter, Jane Anderson, Arthur Miller, David Mamet and Neil Simon. She received a Tony nomination for November by David Mamet and three Emmy awards for her work in the TV series, "Roseanne." Films include: Desperately Seeking Susan, Leaving Las Vegas, Toy Story, JFK, Internal Affairs, and Uncle Buck.

Dennis Boutsikaris (Jack Jerome) Broadway: Amadeus (Mozart), Filumena (Director: Sir Laurence Olivier) and Bent. Off-Broadway: Sight Unseen (MTC; OBIE Award, Drama Desk Nomination), Nest of the Woodgrouse (Public; OBIE Award), A Picasso (MTC; Picasso), The Boys Next Door, That Championship Season (Second Stage) and Julius Caesar (Cassius; NY Shakespeare Festival, Delacorte). Regional: The Quality of Life (Geffen Playhouse, Los Angeles.; A.C.T. San Francisco; BackStage West Garland Award.) and The Old Neighborhood (Geffen Playhouse). Film: Oliver Stone's "W" (Wolfowitz), Wes Craven's 25/8, *batteries not included, Dream Team, Boys on the Side, In Dreams, The Education of Charlie Banks, and Crocodile Dundee 2. Television: "Chasing the Dragon" (Cable Ace Nomination, Best Supporting Actor), "And Then There Was One" and "Love & Betrayal: The Mia Farrow Story". Series Regular: Stat, "The Jackie Thomas Show," Sidney Lumet's "100 Centre Street". He is the recipient of three Audie Awards for his work in narrating over 60 Audiobooks.

Santino Fontana (Stanley Jerome) Broadway: Billy Elliot, Sunday in the Park With George. Off-Broadway: The Fantasticks (Original Revival Cast), Perfect Harmony. Regional: The title role in Hamlet (Guthrie); Hay Fever (Old Globe); Love's Labor's Lost, On the Verge, 9/11 Project, Once In A Lifetime (Chautauqua Theater Co.); As You Like It, Death of a Salesman, Six Degrees of Separation, Christmas Carol (Guthrie). Dublin: Death of a Salesman (Gaiety Theatre). Film: Fade To White. Sundance Theatre Lab, 2005; Presidential Scholar in the Arts. BFA, Guthrie/UMN Actor Training Program.

Jessica Hecht (Blanche) Broadway: Julius Caesar, After the Fall, The Last Night of Ballyhoo Off Broadway: Make Me (Atlantic), Howard Katz (Roundabout); The House in Town (Lincoln Ctr.); Flesh & Blood (NYTW); The Fourth Sister (Vineyard); Plunge and Lobster Alice (Playwrights Horizons); Stop Kiss (Public Theater); A Midsummer Night's Dream (Theatre for a New Audience) Williamstown Theatre Festival: The Torchbearers, The Three Sisters, Blithe Spirit, The Autumn Garden, Top Girls, Light Up the Sky, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told. Film: Whatever Works, Dan in Real Life, Starting out in the Evening, The Forgotten, Sideways, The Grey Zone, upcoming: 25/8, The Winning Season, Helena from the Wedding. TV: "Eleventh Hour," "Breaking Bad," "ER," "The Jury," "Law and Order x 3, "Friends," "The Single Guy," "Homicide, "Seinfeld".

Josh Grisetti (Eugene - Broadway Bound) makes his Broadway debut in this ironically titled play. Favorite off-Broadway/regional credits include: Enter Laughing (Theatre World Award winner and Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle and Drama League nominations - York Theatre), Monty Python's Spamalot (Las Vegas), After the Ball (Irish Rep), Lucky Guy (Goodspeed's Norma Terris), Camelot (North Shore), Grease! (Sacramento Music Circus), Where's Charley? (Goodspeed) and others. TV: "The Knights of Prosperity" (ABC). Film: The Namesake. www.joshgrisetti.com. For Candice, my shiny new bride.

GRACIE Bea Lawrence (Laurie) is thrilled to make her Broadway debut in Brighton Beach Memoirs! Theatre: Keep Your Eyes Open (NY International Fringe Festival - Best Ensemble Award). Film: Did You Hear About the Morgans? (Lucy), A Little Help (Gracie), Phoebe in Wonderland (Julie). Thanks to my family, Ellen Gilbert and Rachel Altman at Abrams Artists.

Allan Miller (Ben) has acted in over 200 films, teleVision Productions and plays, including Brooklyn Boy (Manhattan Theatre Club), Death of a Salesman (South Coast Rep) and Substance of Fire (Seattle Rep). He created the role of Abe Burrows in Are You Now... at Yale Rep. He's directed forty plays, including his own award winning play The Fox. For ten years he was artistic director of the Back Alley Theatre in LA. He teaches acting privately and has taught at the Yale School of Drama, NYU and The Actors Studio. He is the author of A Passion for Acting and the DVD Auditioning.

Noah Robbins (Eugene - Brighton Beach Memoirs) got his start in theater at the age of eleven as a dancing, singing clown at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. This was his first of six productions with Debbie Allen, whom he wishes to thank for being his earliest mentor. He has also played Darren in the internet sitcom, inconvenientmolly.com and most recently, has appeared off-off-off-off-off Broadway as Max Bialystock in his high school's production of The Producers. This is Noah's Broadway debut.

Alexandra Socha (Nora) Broadway: Debuted at 17 years old in Spring Awakening (Ensemble, closing cast Wendla), Roundabout Theatre Company's A Little Night Music (Fredrika) with Vanessa Redgrave. Film: Follow Me (Daisy). Love and thanks to Mom and Dad, Lindsay and The Gersh Agency, family and The Peacock Players. For Jared.

Neil Simon (Playwright) has been represented on Broadway by Come Blow Your Horn; Little Me; Barefoot in the Park; The Odd Couple; Sweet Charity; The Star-Spangled Girl; Plaza Suite; Promises, Promises; Last of the Red Hot Lovers; The Gingerbread Lady; The Prisoner of Second Avenue; The Sunshine Boys; The Good Doctor; God's Favorite; California Suite; Chapter Two; They're Playing Our Song; I Ought to Be in Pictures; Fools; Brighton Beach Memoirs; Biloxi Blues (1985 Tony Award); the female version of The Odd Couple; Broadway Bound; Rumors; Lost in Yonkers (1991 Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award); Jake's Women; The Goodbye Girl; Laughter on the 23rd Floor; Proposals; The Dinner Party; and 45 Seconds From Broadway. Off-Broadway: London Suite, Hotel Suite and Rose's Dilemma. Films include Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple, The Out-of-Towners, Plaza Suite, The Heartbreak Kid, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, Murder by Death, The Sunshine Boys, The Goodbye Girl, The Cheap Detective, California Suite, Chapter Two, Seems Like Old Times, Only When I Laugh, I Ought to Be in Pictures, Max Dugan Returns, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues and Lost in Yonkers.

David Cromer (Director). New York: Our Town (Barrow Street Theatre, 2009 Lucille Lortel Awards - Outstanding Revival, Director), Adding Machine: a Musical (Minetta Lane Theatre - 2008 OBIE Award for Direction) and Orson's Shadow (Barrow Street Theatre). Chicago: Picnic (Writers), Come Back, Little Sheba (Shattered Globe), Cider House Rules (Famous Door), Angels in America (Journeymen) among others. Regional: Glass Menagerie (Kansas City Rep), Farnsworth Invention, SantaLand Diaries, Orson's Shadow (Alley Theatre).

For more information, visit www.TheNeilSimonPlays.com.