The Public Extends Michael John LaChiusa's Starry FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE

The Public Theater has announced a one-week extension for the critically acclaimed First Daughter Suite, a world premiere musical by Michael John LaChiusa, BroadwayWorld has confirmed. Directed by Kirsten Sanderson, First Daughter Suite began previews on Tuesday, October 6 and was originally scheduled to close on Sunday, November 15. It will now run an additional week through Sunday, November 22. Ghostlight Records recently recorded the original cast recording of First Daughter Suite to be released later this season.

Member tickets are available now, and single tickets, starting at $65, can be accessed by calling (212) 967-7555, www.publictheater.org, or in person at the Taub Box Office at The Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street. The Library at The Public is open nightly for food and drinks, beginning at 5:00 p.m., and Joe's Pub at The Public continues to offer some of the best music in the city.

The complete cast of First Daughter Suite features Alison Fraser (Nancy Reagan, Betty Ford); Rachel Bay Jones (Laura Bush, Rosalynn Carter); Caissie Levy (Patti Davis, Julie Nixon); Theresa McCarthy (Robin Bush, Hannah Nixon); Betsy Morgan (Tricia Nixon, Susan Ford); Isabel Santiago (Anita Castelo); Carly Tamer (Amy Carter); Mary Testa (Barbara Bush); and Barbara Walsh (Pat Nixon).

Tony nominee Michael John LaChiusa imagines the inner lives and dreams of America's best-known daughters with a funny and moving follow-up to his 1993 Public musical First Lady Suite. A historical fantasia in four parts, First Daughter Suite follows Patricia Nixon and daughters Tricia and Julie, Rosalynn and Amy Carter, Betty and Susan Ford, Patti Davis and mom Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush and daughter-in-law Laura as they strive to live meaningful lives in the public eye, while dealing with the complex private relationships all of us face with our parents and children. Directed by Kirsten Sanderson, this wholly captivating new musical with a lush, sweeping score is a deeply felt new work about mothers, daughters and the surprising discoveries we make about one another as we grow.

FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE features scenic design by Scott Pask, costume design by Toni-Leslie James, lighting design by Tyler Micoleau, sound design by Ken Travis, hair and wig design by Robert-Charles Vallance, and choreography by Chase Brock.

MICHAEL JOHN LACHIUSA (Book, Music and Lyrics)'s credits for The Public include Giant, See What I Wanna See, The Wild Party (Tony noms., Best Score and Best Book with George C. Wolfe), The Petrified Prince, First Lady Suite. His additional credits include Queen of the Mist; Los Otros; Bernarda Alba; The Highest Yellow; Little Fish; Marie Christine (Tony noms., Best Score and Best Book); Chronicle of a Death Foretold (Tony nom., Best Book with Graciela Daniele/Jim Lewis); Hello Again; Break/Agnes/Eulogy for Mister Hamm. Operas: Send (who are you? I love you), Houston Grand Opera; Lovers and Friends (Chautauqua Variations), Lyric Opera of Chicago. Additionally, his musical Rain will premiere at the Old Globe in San Diego in the Spring of 2016. He is the Obie Award winner and recipient of the Gilman & Gonzalez-Falla Musical Theater Award. Composer for The Wonder Pets, two Emmy Awards. Additionally he has written special material for Neil Patrick Harris and Hugh Jackman for the Tony Awards and Hugh Jackman on Broadway. Current faculty of NYU and Columbia.

KIRSTEN SANDERSON (Director) has directed new plays by Michael John LaChiusa, Craig Lucas, Shel Silverstein, Steven Schwartz and Blake Edwards, among others. Her work has been seen at Playwright's Horizons, The Public, PS 122, Circle Rep, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Director's Company, Sundance Theatre Lab, The Blank Theatre Company, Theatreworks USA, The Women's Project, HBO Comedy Arts Festival, New York Fringe Festival, New York Music Theatre Festival, Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Town Hall. Previous collaborations with LaChiusa include the original production of First Lady Suite at The Public; Eulogy for Mr. Hamm/Break/Agnes/Lucky Nurse at Playwrights Horizons; Little Fish and Sukie and Sue: Their Story at the Blank Theatre in Hollywood; as well as numerous outings in the Marathon at Ensemble Studio Theatre.

ALISON FRASER (Nancy Reagan, Betty Ford) has appeared at The Public in Up Against It; and she has appeared on Broadway in Gypsy; Tartuffe; Falsettos; The Secret Garden; Romance/Romance; and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Her additional Off-Broadway include In Masks Outrageous and Austere; The School For Lies; The Divine Sister; Love, Loss, and What I Wore; The Chaos Theories; an oak tree; and many others. Her film and television credits include Commentary, In the Blood, The Thing About My Folks, "Happyish," "It Could Be Worse," "Jack in a Box," and many others.

RACHEL BAY JONES (Laura Bush, Rosalynn Carter) has appeared on Broadway in the recent revival of Pippin, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, HAIR, and Meet Me in St. Louis. Her Off-Broadway credits include Hello Again with the Transport Group. On television she has appeared in "Louie," and she has released a solo album, ShowFolk.

CAISSIE LEVY (Patti Davis, Julie Nixon) has appeared on Broadway in Hairspray, Wicked, HAIR, Ghost the Musical, LES MISERABLES, Off-Broadway in Murder Ballad, and in the National Tour of Rent. She has also released the solo album, With You.

THERESA McCARTHY (Robin Bush, Hannah Nixon) has appeared at The Public in Space and Saturn Returns: A Concert; and she has appeared on Broadway in Titanic. Her additional Off-Broadway credits include Cinderella-Cendrillon; Floyd Collins; Queen of the Mist; and Three Days to See. Regionally she has appeared in The Light in the Piazza,The Dumb Cake, and Stage of Independence. Her television credits include "House of Cards" and "Law & Order."

BETSY MORGAN (Tricia Nixon, Susan Ford) is currently on Broadway in The King and I, and she has appeared in LES MISERABLES, A Little Night Music, The Little Mermaid, and High Fidelity. Her Off-Broadway credits include Found, The Fantasticks, and Bernarda Alba, and her television credits include "Flight of the Conchords."

ISABEL SANTIAGO (Anita Castelo) appeared in The Public Theater production of Michael John LaChiusa's Giant and in the National Tour of In The Heights. Regionally she has appeared in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Little Shop of Horrors, Giant, Showboat, and West Side Story.

CARLY TAMER (Amy Carter) has appeared Off-Broadway in I Love You Petty and Favre and in the National Tours of Billy Elliot, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Her film and television in We Are The Hartmans, Shadows & Lies, Honeysuckle, Children of Invention, "Sesame Street," and "30 Rock."

MARY TESTA (Barbara Bush) has appeared at The Public in The Knife, On the Town, Tartuffe, and See What I Wanna See. Her Broadway credits include Guys and Dolls, Xanadu, Wicked, Something Good, 42nd Street, Marie Christine, On the Town, Chicago, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Rink, Marilyn, and Barnum. Her additional Off-Broadway and regional credits include Oklahoma!; The Caucasian Chalk Circle; Queen of the Mist; Tricks the Devil Taught Me; Regrets Only; A New Brain, From Above; and many others. Her film and television credits include Big Stone Gap, Tio Papi, "Jack in a Box," "2 Broke Girls," "The Battery's Down," "Cashmere Mafia," "Whoopi," "Courage and the Cowardly Dog," and many others.

BARBARA WALSH (Pat Nixon) has appeared on Broadway in Company, Hairspray, Big, Blood Brothers, Falsettos, Nine, Ragtime and her Off-Broadway credits include Three Days to See, Stars in Your Eyes, Birds of Paradise and Forbidden Broadway. She has appeared in the National Tours of Oklahoma!; LES MISERABLES; and Chess; and regionally in Company; Dinner With Friends; The Sisters Rosenweig; Side by Side; The Most Happy Fella; A Streetcar Named Desire; and many others. Her film and television credits include Life with Mikey; "Law & Order"; and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."

Photo by Joan Marcus