Rehearsals for OF MICE AND MEN Broadway Revival Now Underway in Chicago

The cast of Anna D. Shapiro's new Broadway production of Of Mice and Men is currently rehearsing in Chicago through the end of February. Starring James Franco, Chris O'Dowd, Leighton Meester and Jim Norton, Of Mice and Men begins previews at Broadway's Longacre Theatre on Wednesday, March 19, and opens Wednesday, April 16.

Chicago's own Tony Award-winning sensation Anna D. Shapiro is headed back to Broadway with a starry new production of an enduring American classic, John Steinbeck's OF MICE & MEN. Shapiro has been captivated by the play since seeing Steppenwolf's legendary production with Gary Sinise and John Malkovich, and now she has her chance to make her mark on another American masterpiece with her own dream cast lead by Franco, O'Dowd, Meester and Norton.

The cast also includes Ron Cephas Jones (The Motherfucker with the Hat), Alex Morf ("The Good Wife"), Joel Marsh Garland ("Orange Is The New Black"), James McMenamin ("The Good Wife"), Jim Ortlieb (Guys and Dolls) and Jim Parrack ("True Blood").

Of Mice and Men will feature scenic design byAnna D. Shapiro's frequent collaborator and Tony Award winner Todd Rosenthal, whose credits include the five-time Tony Award-winning Best play August: Osage County, The Motherfucker with the Hat, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, all on Broadway. In addition to Domesticated at Lincoln Center, Todd has designed over 30 productions at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater and international productions from London to Sydney. Costume design is by the international, Emmy Award-winning designer of the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, Suttirat Larlarb who is making her Broadway debut and whose recent theater credits include Frankenstein at the Royal National Theatre starring Benedict Cumberbatch. A frequent collaborator with director Danny Boyle, her film work includes 127 Hours starring James Franco and the eight-time Academy Award-winning Best Picture Slumdog Millionaire. Lighting design is by Japhy Weideman, Tony Award nominee for The Nance, who is currently represented by What's It All About?: Bacharach Reimagined at New York Theatre Workshop and whose Broadway credits include Lincoln Center's Macbeth starring Ethan Hawke, Manhattan Theatre Club's The Snow Geese starring Mary-Louise Parker, and Roundabout Theater Company's Cyrano de Bergerac starring Douglas Hodge. Sound design is by Rob Milburn & Michael Bodeen whoseBroadway credits include the critically acclaimed No Man's Land & Waiting for Godot starring Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Superior Donuts, reasons to be pretty, Buried Child, and John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath.

Of Mice and Men on Broadway is produced by David Binder, Kate Lear, Darren Bagert, Adam Zotovich, Latitude Link/Piedmont Productions, Raise the Roof, Paula Marie Black, Marc Turtletaub, Ruth Hendel/Barbara Whitman,Marianne Mills/Jayne Baron Sherman, Martin Massman, Judy Kent/Wendy Knudsen, Kevin Niu, Michael Watt and The Shubert Organization. 101 Productions, Ltd are the executive producers.

Adapted from his own classic novel, John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is an essential adventure, an inspirational portrait of the American spirit and a heartbreaking testament to the bonds of friendship.

Of Mice and Men tells the story of George (James Franco) and Lennie (Chris O'Dowd), an unlikely pair of friends drifting from job to job across the farms and fields of California, holding fast to their dream of one day having an acre of land they can call their own.

Of Mice and Men is one of the most read books in schools across the country despite appearing on the American Library Association's list of Most Challenged Books of the 21st Century.

Of Mice and Men began as a novella published in 1937 by Nobel Prize winning author John Steinbeck.

Of Mice and Men was adapted for the screen several times and adapted as a radio play for the BBC. The first stage production was directed by George S. Kaufman in 1937 and ran for 207 performances.

For tickets, visit the Longacre Theatre box office (Beginning February 18, 2014 - 220 West 48th Street) or Telecharge.com (212-239-6200). BeginningWednesday, March 19, 2014, Of Mice and Menwill play Tuesday through Saturday at 8pm, Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm and Sunday at 3pm. Beginning Tuesday, April 22, 2014, Of Mice and Men will play Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm, Thursday at 7pm, Saturday at 2pm and Sunday at 3pm. Rush policies will be announced shortly.