Lead Actor Exits Alley Theatre's ALL THE WAY; Replacement Announced

Alley Theatre, which is readying its production of All the Way, the Tony Award-winning play about President Lyndon Baines Johnson, has announced that actor James Black has had to withdraw from the production in order to undergo medical treatment. Actor Brandon Potter will take over the role of LBJ and all performances will continue as scheduled. Mr. Black is expected to fully recover.

All the Way begins January 29 in the Hubbard Theatre at 8:00 p.m. and continues Tuesday through Sunday until February 21.

The play, by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan, is a vivid and exciting dramatization of LBJ's tumultuous first year in office. In addition to Potter, Michael Brusasco joins the large cast as Gov. George Wallace, alongside previously announced cast members Shawn Hamilton as Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., John Tyson as Sen. Richard Russell, Chamblee Ferguson as Sen. Hubert Humphrey, Kieran Connolly as J. Edgar Hoover, Leah Spillman as Lady Bird Johnson, Hassan El Amin as Roy Wilkins, and Chris Hutchison as Robert McNamara.

A full cast list follows below.

Brandon Potter has appeared in Dallas Theater Center's A Christmas Carol, Sense and Sensibility; The Book Club Play; and King Lear. Michael Brusasco has appeared at the Alley in A Christmas Carol, Cleveland Playhouse's Venus in Fur and Berkeley Repertory Theatre's Much Ado About Nothing.

The production is a collaboration between Alley Theatre and Dallas Theater Center, and is directed by DTC Artistic Director, Kevin Moriarty.

The All the Way creative team includes Scenic Designer Beowulf Boritt, Costume Designer Jennifer Caprio, Lighting Designer Clifton Taylor with Original Music & Sound Design by Broken Chord.

Winner of the Tony Award for Best Play, All the Way, paints a gripping portrayal of LBJ, civil rights hero, ruthless bully, and perhaps one of our greatest legislative presidents. With a title harkening back to the slogan for his 1964 campaign, All the Way is a searing and enthralling dramatization that explores political gridlock, strong-arm manipulation, and the morality of politics and power. Variety describes the play as a "sprawling, heady and thoroughly gripping drama..."

All the Way begins performances at the Alley Theatre on January 29, opens officially February 3, and runs through February 21, 2016. After its run in Houston, All the Way moves to the Dallas Theater Center where it begins performances March 3, opens officially March 5, and runs through March 27, 2016.

TICKETS: Tickets to All the Way are now on sale and start at $27. Discounted tickets are available for any student, regardless of age, with a valid student ID for $16 for designated performances in designated sections. Tickets can be ordered online (alleytheatre.org) or by phone (713.220.5700). Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.

Following the February 9 (2:30pm) and February 13 (7:30pm) performances of All the Way, the Alley will offer a special Artist Talk-Back post-show event. The talk-back will feature actors from the production talking about their experience and process.

The Alley Theatre will also present Alley In Context following the February 6 (2:30pm) and February 21 (2:30pm) performances of All the Way. These discussions will feature civic leaders, local academics, and community members discussing the themes of the play and how they are reflected in our lives today. Artist Talk-Backs and Alley In Context are free and open to the public.

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