Linda Lavin to Lead Nicky Silver's "Too Much Sun"

Linda Lavin to Lead Nicky Silver’s ‘TOO MUCH SUN’

The Tony Award-winning actress Linda Lavin will return to the Vineyard Theatre (108 E. 15 St.) – where she created the role of Rita Lyons in Nicky Silver’s acclaimed comedy THE LYONS in 2012 – in Mr. Silver’s newest work, TOO MUCH SUN, with previews set to begin May 1, 2014 prior to an official […]

The Tony Award-winning actress Linda Lavin will return to the Vineyard Theatre (108 E. 15 St.) – where she created the role of Rita Lyons in Nicky Silver’s acclaimed comedy THE LYONS in 2012 – in Mr. Silver’s newest work, TOO MUCH SUN, with previews set to begin May 1, 2014 prior to an official opening on May 20. Mark Brokaw, who directed THE LYONS – including the play’s recent celebrated debut in London – directs TOO MUCH SUN.

Nominated for her 6th Tony Award when the Vineyard Theatre production of THE LYONS moved to Broadway, Ms. Lavin returns to the stage having completed her first season in the NBC sitcom SEAN SAVES THE WORLD starring Sean Hayes.

In TOO MUCH SUN, Audrey Langham (Ms. Lavin) – a celebrated actress – unravels completely while preparing for a new production of MEDEA. With nowhere else to go, she descends upon her married daughter for a summer by the sea. She is not, however, greeted with confetti and champagne. Her arrival sets off a chain of events alternately hilarious and harrowing. This stirring story of an unforgettable summer reunites playwright Nicky Silver and director Mark Brokaw following their acclaimed collaboration on THE LYONS.

Additional casting to be announced.

Linda Lavin won the Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Play for Neil Simon’s BROADWAY BOUND. She has been nominated for the Tony on five other occasions: LAST OF THE RED HOT LOVERS, THE DIARY OF Anne Frank, THE TALE OF THE ALLERGIST’S WIFE, COLLECTED STORIES and THE LYONS. A frequent star on Broadway since the 1960’s, her numerous roles include in GYPSY, IT’S A BIRD…IT’S A PLANE…IT’S SUPERMAN, THE SISTERS ROSENSWEIG and HOLLYWOOD ARMS. Her many Off-Broadway appearances include OTHER DESERT CITIES and LITTLE MURDERS, and she performed in the Kennedy Center production of FOLLIES. She has won two Drama Desk Awards and two Obies. Widely-known as the star of the long-running television hit ALICE – for which she was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, winning twice – Ms. Lavin’s other television roles include on BARNEY MILLER, CONRAD BLOOM, ROOM FOR TWO, THE O.C. and THE SOPRANOS. Her many film credits include A SHORT HISTORY OF DECAY, THE BACK-UP PLAN, THE RING, SEE YOU IN THE MORNING and A PLACE TO CALL HOME. A celebrated singer and concert artist, she released her first solo album POSSIBILITIES (Ghostlight Records) in 2012, with musical director Billy Stritch and a jazz band including her husband, drummer Steve Bakunas. Linda and Steve enjoy a wonderful life, which includes their dog Micky.

Nicky Silver (Playwright). Mr. Silver’s previous Vineyard premieres include PTERODACTYLS, RAISED IN CAPTIVITY, THE EROS TRILOGY, THE MAIDEN’S PRAYER, THE ALTRUISTS, BEAUTIFUL CHILD, MY MARRIAGE TO Ernest Borgnine, THE AGONY AND THE AGONY, and, most recently, THE LYONS, which transferred to Broadway and debuted this fall in London. His other notable plays include THREE CHANGES, THE FOOD CHAIN, FAT MEN IN SKIRTS, FIT TO BE TIED, FREE WILL AND WANTON LUST. He also wrote the new book for the Broadway revival of the Rodgers and Hart musical, THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE.

Mark Brokaw (Director). Mark’s directing credits at The Vineyard include THE LYONS (also on Broadway), the Pulitzer Prize-winning production of HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE (Drama Desk, OBIE and Lucille Lortel Awards for Best Director) and THE DYING GAUL. His other Broadway directing credits include the musicals RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA and CRY BABY, along with the plays THE CONSTANT WIFE, RECKLESS and AFTER MISS JULIE. Other credits: the musicals A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (Kennedy Center), MARTY (Huntington Theatre), and OUT OF THIS WORLD (Encores!), as well as the Off-Broadway productions of AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN, LOBBY HERO and THIS IS OUR YOUTH. He is the Artistic Director of the Yale Institute for Music Theatre.

Vineyard Theatre is one of the nation’s leading non-profit theatre companies now in its 31st year. Dedicated to the creation and production of daring new plays and musicals, The Vineyard has consistently premiered provocative, groundbreaking works, including Nicky Silver’s THE LYONS; Marx, Lopez and Whitty’s Tony Award-winning musical AVENUE Q; Kander and Ebb’s THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS; Bell and Bowen’s [title of show]; Paula Vogel’s HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE (1998 Pulitzer Prize); Edward Albee’s THREE TALL WOMEN (1994 Pulitzer Prize); Tarell Alvin McCraney’s WIG OUT!; Will Eno’s MIDDLETOWN and many more. TheVineyard’s productions have been honored with two Pulitzer Prizes, three Tony Awards and numerous Drama Desk, Obies, Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel Awards.

The Vineyard recently concluded its world-premiere production of the new chamber musical ARLINGTON by Victor Lodato and Polly Pen, directed by Carolyn Cantor and starring Alexandra Silber.

The Vineyard Theatre’s leadership includes Douglas Aibel (Artistic Director), Sarah Stern (Co-Artistic Director), Jennifer Garvey-Blackwell (Executive Producer).

For performance and ticket information CLICK HERE or call The Vineyard box office at 212 353 0303.
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Artists

Henry Russell Bergstein, CSA

(Casting Director) Vineyard Theatre: GOOD GRIEF, THE AMATEURS, HARRY CLARKE, THE LYONS (and Broadway), GLORIA (and Goodman), DOT, THE LANDING, CAN YOU FORGIVE HER?, KID VICTORY (and Signature DC), TOO MUCH SUN, BILLY & RAY, SOMEWHERE FUN, THE NORTH POOL, ARLINGTON, OUTSIDE PEOPLE, CHECKERS, PICKED, MIDDLETOWN, THE METAL CHILDREN, WIG OUT!. Other theater: KPOP, SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS, NATASHA, PIERRE, & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812; THE WILDNESS (Ars Nova). Sundance Theatre Lab: 5 seasons. Television: US Casting for “Black Mirror,” Comedy Central’s “The Other Two” with Allison Estrin, HBO’s “Succession” and Amazon’s “Mozart in the Jungle” with Douglas Aibel. Film: Saturday Church, It Felt Like Love, Easy Living; with Douglas Aibel – Grandma, Love After Love, How to Talk to Girls at Parties; with Allison Estrin – Spider-Man: Homecoming (NY Casting). Also: “Homecoming The Podcast” S1-2.

Ken Barnett

Ken Barnett (Dennis) Broadway: WONDERFUL TOWN directed by Kathleen Marshall, Julie Taymor’s THE GREEN BIRD. Off-Broadway: FEBRUARY HOUSE at the Public, Paula Vogel’s AND BABY MAKES SEVEN, MANON/SANDRA, LA RONDE, DEBBIE DOES DALLAS, WHORE OF SHERIDAN SQUARE, CHRISTMAS CAROL at Madison Square Garden, et al. Regional: recently created the role of Monty Navarro in A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER (Hartford Stage & Old Globe). He has played leading roles in plays and musicals at Pittsburgh Public, Geffen Playhouse, Mark Taper Forum, Long Wharf, Delaware Theatre Company, Prince Music Theatre, the Guthrie, and Paper Mill Playhouse. Film work includes Admission, People Like Us, Friends with Kids, Ira and Abby, and Puccini for Beginners; and for television: “Mad Men,” “In Plain Sight,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Entourage,” “How I Met Your Mother,” and “Monk.” A graduate of Wesleyan University, he has received two Connecticut Critics Circle Acting Awards and a Best Actor Award from NY Fringe Festival.

Matt Dickson

Matt Dickson (Lucas) Broadway: WAR HORSE, THE COAST OF UTOPIA. Off-Broadway: THE HOUSE IN TOWN (Lincoln Center Theater). Regional: ROMEO AND JULIET (Playmakers Repertory Company), IN THE BOOK OF (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), WALLFLOWER (Stages Repertory Theatre), SISTERS ROSENSWEIG, SONIA FLEW, THE ROSE TATTOO, LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES (Huntington Theatre Company), KING LEAR (Actors Shakespeare Project), MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company). Television: “All My Children,” “New Amsterdam.” Directing credits include: Ensemble Studio Theatre, INTAR, Studio42, Dixon Place, Primary Stages and Williamstown Theatre Festival. Matt is a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre. B.F.A. from Boston University.

Jennifer Westfeldt

Jennifer Westfeldt (Kitty) made her Broadway debut in Wonderful Town, directed by Kathleen Marshall, for which she received a Tony nomination, a Theater World Award and a Drama League Award. Her recent stage work includes the world premieres of Scott Z. Burns’ THE LIBRARY at The Public Theater, directed by Stephen Soderbergh, Nell Benjamin’s THE EXPLORERS CLUB at Manhattan Theater Club, directed by Marc Bruni, Cusi Cram’s A LIFETIME BURNING at Primary Stages, directed by Pam MacKinnon, Joe Gilford’s FINKS at The Powerhouse Theater/NYSAF, directed by Charlie Stratton, and Stephen Belber’s THE POWER OF DUFF at The Powerhouse Theater, directed by Peter Dubois. An actress and filmmaker, Jennifer Westfeldt is perhaps best known for writing and starring in the indie films Kissing Jessica Stein (Indie Spirit Nomination, Golden Satellite Award, multiple Audience Awards), Ira & Abby (Best Actress/HBO Comedy Festival, multiple Audience Awards), and 2012’s Friends With Kids (Top Ten Films of 2012, New York Magazine, NPR), which also marked her directorial debut. Recent television credits include “Girls,” “24,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Notes From the Underbelly,” and “Children’s Hospital.”

Richard Bekins

Richard Bekins (Winston) is very happy to be returning to The Vineyard Theatre after appearing last year in SOMEWHERE FUN. His Broadway appearances include HAPPY NEW YEAR, TARTUFFE, and LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION!. Off Broadway he has appeared in THE NORMAL HEART (Public Theatre), THE MADDENING TRUTH (Keen Company), PATIENT A (Signature Theatre), among others. Some of the regional theatres he has worked at include Long Wharf Theatre, Hartford Stage Company, Huntington Theatre, Actors Theatre Of Louisville, Wilma Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, Geffen Playhouse, Alliance Theatre, and the Alley Theatre. His film appearances include roles in Young Adult, Limitless, Julie & Julia, United 93, Bleeding House, Brother To Brother, Feast Of The Goat, Nor’easter, How We Got Away With It. Some of his Television credits include “Boardwalk Empire,” “The Blacklist,” “Mad Men,” “Elementary,” “Person Of Interest,” “The Good Wife,” “Rescue Me,” “Damages,” “Army Wives,” “Law & Order,” “L&O SVU,” “L&O Criminal Intent.”

Matt Dellapina

Off-Broadway: THE TUTORS (Second Stage), OUTSIDE PEOPLE (Vineyard Theatre), THE DREAM OF THE BURNING BOY (Roundabout), THE STEADFAST (Slant Theatre Project), UNDERNEATHMYBED (Rattlestick), TELEPHONE (Foundry), ALICEGRACEANON (New Georges), IN THE FOOTPRINT (The Civilians) NO NO NO YES (Ars Nova, The PIT), TENDER (Public, SPF), #9 (Waterwell), and GONE MISSING (Barrow Street). Film/TV: These Hopeless Savages, True Story, The Quitter, Safe, Proud Iza, Casual Encounters, “Person Of Interest”, “Do No Harm”, “Romney Rock”, “CSI:NY”, “Onion SportsDome”, “Law & Order”, “Yoga Partners”. Matt is an Associate Artist of The Civilians and a Co-Artistic Director of Slant Theatre Project. His new feature film, These Hopeless Savages, which he co-wrote and stars in, will be out later this spring through Working Group Pictures.

Linda Lavin

Kennedy Center: FOLLIES; LCT: OTHER DESERT CITIES, THE SISTERS ROSENSWEIG (Broadway), THE NEW CENTURY (Drama Desk Award; Off-Broadway). Broadway: THE LYONS, COLLECTED STORIES (Tony nomination), HOLLYWOOD ARMS, THE TALE OF THE ALLERGIST’S WIFE (Tony nomination), THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (Tony nom., Drama Desk Award), GYPSY, BROADWAY BOUND (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Helen Hayes awards), THE LAST OF THE RED HOT LOVERS (Tony nom.), COP OUT, STORY THEATRE, SOMETHING DIFFERENT, IT’S A BIRD…IT’S A PLANE…IT’S SUPERMAN, A FAMILY AFFAIR. Off-Broadway: CAKEWALK; DEATH (The Public); THE MAD SHOW; OH, KAY! (Theatre World Award), LITTLE MURDERS (Outside Critics Circle Award). Regional: FINISHING THE PICTURE, COLLECTED STORIES, DOUBT, RABBIT HOLE, DRIVING MISS DAISY. Film: The Backup Plan, The Muppets Take Manhattan, See You in the Morning, I Want to Go Home. TV: “Alice”, “Barney Miller”, “Room for Two”, “Conrad Bloom”. TV films “The $5.20 an Hour Dream”, “A Matter of Life and Death”, “A Place to Call Home”, “Lena: My 100 Children”, “Best Friends for Life”, “The Ring”, “Collected Stories”. Cabaret: Songs and Confessions of a One-Time Waitress; national appearances include Birdland, The Metropolitan Room, Wilmington Symphony, NY. Upcoming: the film Wanderlust and her first CD, Possibilities!

Reviews

TOO MUCH SUN Review Quotes

“CRITICS’ PICK! AN UNCONDITIONAL TREAT! LINDA LAVIN IS AT THE VERY TOP OF HER GAME! SHE IS REMARKABLE.

Jennifer Westfeldt is terrific. Mr. Silver is a dramatist with an original and thoroughly sustained tragicomic worldview. He gives the cast the generous gift of speaking beautifully, in epigrams and winged barbs and poetic soliloquies that cascade like a Schubert impromptu.”

– Ben Brantley, The New York Times

“LAVIN IS PRICELESS!

She is in a class by herself, at once monstrously funny and absurdly human.
Don’t even ask how she does it. Her comic mastery remains a mystery.”

– Marilyn Stasio, Variety

“LINDA LAVIN SHINES BRIGHTLY IN ‘TOO MUCH SUN’!

She is terrific. Jennifer Westfeldt is excellent.”

– Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press

★ ★ ★ ★
“CHEERS!

All the Silver trademarks are here, but they emerge fresh in Mark Brokaw’s smart, delicate staging.”

– David Cote, Time Out New York

“WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THE DAZZLING LINDA LAVIN IN ‘TOO MUCH SUN’!

Nicky Silver’s latest lets her pull out all the stops.”

– Frank Scheck, NY Post

“HILARIOUS AND HEARTBREAKING!

Under Brokaw’s steady direction, this solid ensemble registers powerful performances. The show floats along on Silver’s considerable wit and the cast’s ability to deliver it with flawless timing.”

– Zachary Stewart, Theatermania

“SHARPLY DIRECTED BY MARK BROKAW!

Lavin masterfully blends Audrey’s contradictions into a shimmering portrait of a life in flux.”

– Matthew Murray, Talkin’ Broadway

“LAVIN AT HER MOST HILARIOUS!

Too Much Sun benefits from director Mark Brokaw’s smooth direction.”

– Elyse Sommer, Curtain Up

★ ★ ★ ★
“ONE OF MR. SILVER’S FUNNIEST PLAYS TO DATE!

Director Mark Brokaw extracts outstanding performances from the gifted ensemble. Linda Lavin is wonderfully acerbic. Jennifer Westfeldt gives a poignant portrayal of Kitty.

– Scott Harrah, Stagezine.com

“STUNNING! ‘TOO MUCH SUN’ SHINES BRIGHTLY!
LAVIN DELIVERS A TOP-NOTCH PERFORMANCE, THE NEW THEATER SEASON’S FINEST.

The actress uses every bullet in her arsenal, from her martini-dry delivery of a putdown to the perfect raised eyebrow to her still-superb singing voice, and hits bulls-eye after bulls-eye. Mark Brokaw provides sure-handed direction.”

– Brian Scott Lipton, Cititour.com