Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross, the parents from the five-time Emmy-winning NBC comedy "Family Ties," will make their Bucks County Playhouse debut, as part of the Visiting Artists Series, in A. R. Gurney's critically acclaimed "Love Letters." Running from April 4 - 8, 2018, "Love Letters" is an especially meaningful show for Baxter and Gross who have continued as friends and colleagues since working together on "Family Ties" 30 years ago.
In "Love Letters," when Andrew (Gross) accepts an invitation to Melissa's (Baxter's) birthday party, and Melissa writes a thank-you note, a romantic friendship and correspondence is born that will last more than 50 years! Though their relationship constantly changes, these pen pals remain each other's most trusted confidantes. A touching romance through old-fashioned pen and paper, "Love Letters" is a disarmingly funny and unforgettably emotional portrait about the powerful connection of love.
An actress, writer, artist and mother of five, grandmother of three, Baxter has starred in four series, including the long-running "Family Ties." She's been nominated for four Emmys, and made about sixty movies for television, among them "Betty Broderick: A Woman Scorned." She's been in a smattering of plays: "Butterflies Are Free", "Vanities," "Country Wife," toured with "Talley's Folly," "Diaries of Adam and Eve" and about 30 different productions of "Love Letters" around the country. Baxter's New York Times bestselling book, UNTIED, a Memoir of Fame, Family and Floundering, was published in March 2011.
Aside from "Family Ties," Michael Gross has been a staple on TV with recurring roles on "The Drew Cary Show," "ER," "How I Met Your Mother," "Suits," "Grace and Frankie." He was a series regular on "The Young and the Restless." On the big screen, Michael was survivalist Burt Gummer in the feature film "Tremors," its five sequels, and its Sci-Fi Channel series. He has appeared with Ali McGraw in director Sidney Lumet's "Just Tell Me What You Want," played opposite Lily Tomlin in "Big Business," with actor Lucas Haas in the award-winning "Alan and Naomi," and with Wynona Ryder in "Stay Cool." He recently appeared in the award winning short film, "Our Father." His current projects include a recurring role on Showtime's "The Affair," and a guest star role on television's "AP Bio."
Tickets to Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross in "Love Letters" are $40 and $55. Special rates available for groups of 10 or more. Performances are Wednesday, April 4 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm, Thursday, April 5 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm, Friday, April 6 at 8 pm, Saturday, April 7 at 2 pm and 8 pm, and Sunday, April 8 at 2 pm.
ABOUT Bucks County Playhouse
Bucks County Playhouse, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, is the oldest and largest professional Equity performing arts center in Bucks County. Under the direction of Tony Award-winning producers Alexander Fraser and Robyn Goodman, the Playhouse provides first class professional theatrical entertainment as well as community events, partnerships and arts education programming for visitors and residents of New Hope, Doylestown, Lambertville and the Delaware Valley.
Located between Philadelphia and New York, Bucks County Playhouse opened in 1939 in a converted 1790 gristmill after a group of community activists, led by Broadway orchestrator Don Walker and playwright Moss Hart, rallied to save the building. The Playhouse quickly became one of the country's most famous regional theaters, featuring a roster of American theatrical royalty including Helen Hayes, Kitty Carlisle, George S. Kaufman, Grace Kelly, Robert Redford, Bert Lahr, Walter Matthau, Angela Lansbury, Bernadette Peters, Alan Alda, Tyne Daly, Liza Minnelli and Audra McDonald and remained in continuous operation until December 2010. In 2012, the Playhouse re-opened thanks to the efforts of the Bridge Street Foundation, the nonprofit family foundation of Kevin and Sherri Daugherty, and Broadway producer Jed Bernstein.
Since its renovation, significant productions include Terrence McNally's "Mothers and Sons" starring Tyne Daly, which moved to Broadway and was nominated for two Tony Awards, and "Misery" by William Goldman based on the Stephen King novel which also went on to a Broadway run in the 2015-16 season. Two of the Playhouse's recent productions -- "Company" starring Justin Guarini, and William Finn's "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" -- were named by Wall Street Journal to its "Best of Theatre" list for 2015. The Playhouse's productions of "Steel Magnolias" and "Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story" broke box office records in 2016. The record was broken again with its production of "Guys and Dolls" in Summer 2017. Thanks to the Bridge Street Foundation and its vision for the New Hope waterfront, the Playhouse is currently in construction as it adds a 4,000-square foot riverfront cafe and bar that will open in 2018.
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