Up On the Marquee Flashback: THE ELEPHANT MAN

Earlier this week, THE ELEPHANT MAN opened at the Booth Theatre (222 W 45th St), starring two-time Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper, Academy Award nominee Patricia Clarkson and Alessandro Nivola. Directed by Tony Award nominee Scott Ellis, the limited engagement will play through Sunday, February 15, 2014.

Below, we bring you an Up on the Marquee Flashback, featuring the original 1979 production, which also ran at the Booth Theatre!

Based on the real life of Joseph Merrick, The Elephant Man tells the story of a 19th-century British man (Cooper) whose severe disfigurement made him a star of the traveling freak show circuit. When the renowned Dr. Treves (Nivola) takes Merrick under his care at the London Hospital, he discovers that beneath this shocking exterior lies a brilliant mind and an unshakable faith. Soon all of Victorian high society becomes fascinated by Merrick, especially the beautiful actress Mrs. Kendal (Clarkson). But with his new life comes new complexity... and as Merrick's condition grows more severe, a "normal" life begins to seem all but impossible.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride

The Elephant Man Theatre Marquee at the Booth Theatre on January 14, 1981 in New York City.

The Elephant Man Theatre Marquee at the Booth Theatre on January 14, 1981 in New York City.