Tom Nelis, Andrew Polec, and More Will Lead the Off-Broadway Premiere Of THE BEAUTIFUL LADY

Broadway actors Tom Nelis (INDECENT), Henry Stram (TITANIC), Ashley Perez Flanagan (FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME), Andrew Polec (BAT OUT OF HELL), Kate Fuglei (SPRING AWAKENING), George Abud (THE VISIT) and Drama Desk winner Starr Busby (OCTET) are among the 12-member cast of the new musical THE BEAUTIFUL LADY at La MaMa's Ellen Stewart Theatre (66 E. 4 St.), with previews beginning May 5, prior to press opening May 8. This Off-Broadway NYC debut of Elizabeth Swados's 1984 composition, THE BEAUTIFUL LADY runs a total of 21 performances through May 28.

Directed by Anne Bogart (SITI), making her long overdue La MaMa debut, the cast of THE BEAUTIFUL LADY also includes Djore Nance, Paula Gaudier, Red Guhde, Jacob Louchheim and Maya Sharpe.

The actors depict real-life figures in THE BEAUTIFUL LADY, set during the Russian Revolution over 100 years ago at the legendary Stray Dog Café where poets and writers who supported the revolution gathered. THE BEAUTIFUL LADY is a timely look at the power of art and the delicate nature of free speech.

THE BEAUTIFUL LADY - is written by Elizabeth Swados (RUNAWAYS in 1978), with text translated by Paul Schmidt, book adapted by Jocelyn Clarke, and musical arrangements by Ms. Swados's longtime collaborator Kris Kukul. THE BEAUTIFUL LADY has musical direction by Adrian Ries, scenic design by Andromache Chalfant, lighting by Brian H. Scott, costume design by Gabriel Berry, and choreography by Miki Orihara.

THE BEAUTIFUL LADY is a post-humous debut for both Swados (1951-2016) and Schmidt (1934-1999). A five-time Tony nominee for the musical RUNAWAYS in 1978 - Best Musical, Director, Choreographer, Composer, Book -- Liz Swados was an early, longtime associate of La MaMa founder Ellen Stewart, whose productions at the theater include FRAGMENTS OF A GREEK TRILOGY, THE GOOD WOMAN OF SETZUAN, AS YOU LIKE IT directed by Andre Serban, and Peter Brook's CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS. Her work outside La MaMa includes KASPAR HAUSER at Flea, THE RED SNEAKS, RAP MASTER RONNIE with Garry Trudeau and NIGHTCLUB CANTATA at Village Gate.Paul Schmidt was a renowned translator as well as a playwright and teacher. His translations include Euripides, Chekhov, Brecht, Genet, Gogol, Marivaux, Mayakovsky and the book of poems, "STRAY DOG CABARET: a book of Russian poems."

Anne Bogart is a co-founder and artistic director of Siti Company, which for 30 years developed experimental works by a wide range of artists at its facilities in Saratoga Springs, NY. With SITI, Bogart works include FALLING & LOVING, The Bacchae, Lost in the Stars, Trojan Women, Antigone and Charles Mee's ORESTES.

On April 27 at 6:30 pm at La MaMa's newly-reopened landmark theatre 74A E 4 St., BEAUTIFUL LADY director Anne Bogart will be joined by the exiled Russian director Dmitry Krymov in a discussion about the silencing of artists voices and the essential act of continuing to make theater during times of war. Krymov has been in residence at La MaMa since arriving in the States mere days after the start of Putin's war.

For performance and ticket information, visit www.lamama.org

Photo Credit: Bronwen Sharp

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