Michele Ragusa, John Bolton, Jordan Gelber, Jennifer Cody and More Join Hangar Theatre's 2013 Season

The 39th season of the Hangar Theatre includes a thrilling line-up of plays and musicals including a favorite farce, a Tony-winning musical, and two regional premieres and features an array of exciting Broadway talent. The season takes off with Neil Simon's Last of the Red Hot Lovers (June 13-29) followed by the premiere of a strikingly innovative concept of the Tony-winning best musical Gypsy (July 4-20). The regional premiere of Amy Herzog's critically acclaimed play 4000 Miles (July 25-August 3) is next, followed by the regional premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris (August 8-17).

Stephanie Yankwitt, Acting Artistic Director of the Hangar, states "The 2013 season is a riveting exploration of the progression of time and the advancement of our culture from a very personal point of view. It examines the role our history plays in shaping our future, individually and collectively, in a way that is both humorous and moving-a rare and intriguing combination."

Last of the Red Hot Lovers by Neil Simon opens the season and is directed by the Hangar's Associate Artistic Director, Jesse Bush. This irresistible comedy follows the story of Barney Cashman, a seafood restaurateur who is deep in the throes of a mounting midlife crisis. Bored with a humdrum existence and desperate for passion and adventure, he musters the courage to join the sexual revolution before it's too late. Finding his mother's apartment empty one day a week, he embarks on a series of attempts to seduce three eccentric women.

This seminal work by America's favorite playwright brings together humanity and hilarity in a fun-filled, bumpy ride of self-discovery as Barney grapples with how to stop existing in order to start living. The cast stars Jordan Gelber (Broadway's Avenue Q and multiple TV roles including Blue Bloods and Royal Pains) as Barney Cashman, as well as Jennifer Cody (Broadway's Shrek, Urinetown, The Wild Party) and Leenya Rideout (Broadway's Company, War Horse, Cabaret) as Elaine and Jeanette. Joining the cast is NYU recent graduate Natalie Walker as Bobbi.

Next up is Gypsy, whose dozens of awards and nominations include the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World Awards. Revived on Broadway four times, this musical features a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The Hangar production will be directed by Stephanie Yankwitt, Acting Artistic Director. One of the greatest American musicals of all time, Gypsy was inspired by the memoirs of the legendary burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee. This gripping story follows the ultimate stage mother, determined to catapult her daughters to stardom in the waning 1920s vaudeville circuit. It's filled with Styne and Sondheim's popular standards, including "Everything's Coming up Roses," "Small World," "Let Me Entertain You," "All I Need Is the Girl," and "Rose's Turn."

Michele Ragusa (Broadway's Young Frankenstein, Urinetown, Titanic) stars as Rose. The cast featuresHangar alumni David Studwell (the Hangar's productions of Titanic and Ragtime) as Herbie, Wally Dunn (the Hangar's productions of November and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, as well as Broadway's Spamalot and Gypsy) as Uncle Jocko, and Ariella Serur (the Hangar's production of Titanic) as Louise. The cast also features Martin Van Treuren (Broadway's How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Jekyll and Hyde and NYC Opera's Candide) as Pop and Rebecca Gibel (TV's Blue Bloods and Trinity Rep's Boeing Boeing) as Tessie Tura.

The third show of the Hangar's mainstage season is the regional premiere of Amy Herzog's 4000 Miles,winner of the 2012 Obie Award for Best New American Play, the 2012 Lucile Lortel Award, and the 2012 Off Broadway Alliance Award. It also was named Time magazine's #1 Play or Musical of 2012. The Hangarproduction will be directed by Artistic Associate Shana Gozansky. This acclaimed comic drama tells the story of Leo, a 21-year-old tree hugger from Seattle who unexpectedly arrives at the Manhattan apartment of his feisty grandmother, Vera, as he finishes a cross-country bike trip. Over the course of their reconnection, the audience discovers their conflicting politics and the fragile connection they share between growing up and growing old. When Leo's ex-girlfriend shows up, the unusual events of his journey begin to unfold.

4000 Miles stars Susan Blommaert (who starred in 4000 Miles at Lincoln Center Theatre and has appeared on Showtime's The Big C) as Vera and Robbie Tann (Troublemaker at Berkeley Rep, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer at Actor's Theatre of Louisville and The New Victory Theatre in New York) as Leo.

Rounding out the season is the regional premiere of Clybourne Parkby Bruce Norris. This winner of the 2012 Tony for Best New Play was also awarded the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2011 Olivier Award.Hangar Acting Artistic Director Stephanie Yankwitt will direct this cutting-edge, wickedly funny satire, which digs into the heart of race and real estate in the suburbs of Chicago. Inspired by historical events, the play begins in 1959 when a white couple sells their home to the neighborhood's first black family, and thus sparks controversy. Fifty years later, the house is again changing hands, this time to a young white couple moving into the now black community. Clybourne Park is a provocative salute to Lorraine Hansberry's classic piece A Raisin in the Sun.

The cast includes John Bolton (Broadway's Curtains and Spamalot, television's The Good Wife andBoardwalk Empire) as Russ/Dan, Jesse Bush (the Hangar's November and Ever So Humble, the recent motion picture BIRDMAN opposite Michael Keaton) as Karl/Steve, and Jeremy Ellison-Gladstone (theHangar's Titanic and Off-Broadway's The Fantasticks) as Jim/Tom/Kenneth. Amy da Luz (Picnic and Little Foxes at Triad Stage and Next Fall at Paper Lantern Theatre Company) is Bev/Kathy, and finishing out the cast are newcomers and recent NYU graduates Kullan Edberg and Olivia Washington.

Regular tickets to each Hangar production range from $20 to $46. Subscriptions - offering preferred seating, discounted ticket prices, and other benefits - are also available. Regular tickets can be purchased at Ticket Center Ithaca, Ithaca Commons, (607) 273-4497. For subscription information, please call (607) 273-8588 or visit www.HangarTheatre.org. The recently renovated theatre is located at 801 Taughanock Blvd. Ithaca, NY 14850. The Hangar business office is in Center Ithaca at 171 East State Street, Suite 230, Ithaca, NY 14850.

The Hangar Theatre is committed to providing exceptional theatre experiences of high professional quality to enrich, enlighten, educate, and entertain the diverse audience in the Finger Lakes region and beyond. Strong education and training programs are central parts of our commitment to the local and national artistic communities. Visit the website at www.HangarTheatre.org.

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