Here she is, boys! Alice Duffy Makes her Broadway Debut

Here's Alice Duffy on NBC's Today show. In addition to Present Laughter Alice has appeared at the Huntington in Dead End, Heartbreak House, A Month in the Country and Les Liaisons Dangereuses.


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Present Laughter opens on Broadway!

Just in case you haven't heard... tonight is opening night for the Broadway production of Present Laughter at the Roundabout's American Airlines Theatre. Here's a toast to Nicky, and the cast and crew! Break a leg!

It's pretty much the same bunch - Victor Garber, Brooks Ashmanskas, Lisa Banes, Holly Fain, and Boston locals Nancy E. Carroll and Alice Duffy, amongst others. We understand that octogenarian Alice Duffy will be featured on NBC's  Today (Wednesday, January 27 in the 8:30am half-hour) to celebrate her Broadway debut. I've got the DVR set.

You'll also see some of the original Huntington props onstage in Present Laughter, the scenery and costumes have been re-built.Congrats again!

If the Roundabout sounds familiar you may recall that David Rabe's Streamers directed by Scott Ellis played there following the Huntington's production, as did Carry Fisher in Wishful Drinking.

Our production of The 39 Steps also opened on Broadway at the American Airlines Theatre, and then moved to the Cort and then the Helen Hayes. It closed at the Cort on Jan 10, and after 771 performances it was the longest running play on Broadway in 7 years. A long rumored Off Broadway run at New World Stages has just been announced to open on March 25 for an open ended run. A US national tour kicked off in November, and regional productions are springing up across the country.

 On the run for their lives, Pamela (Jennifer Ferrin) and Hannay (Charles Edwards) discover the only way is up in the Huntington Theatre Company's pre-Broadway American premiere production of Alfred Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps." Photo: T. Charles Erickson

It's so exciting that our work continues to be represented in New York and across the country. We are so proud and thrilled! Happy Opening Present Laughter!

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Eliot and Tony - Huntington wins big!

I took the night off yesterday and I, apparently, missed one helluva time at the Eliot Norton awards. Everyone is talking about it today. This is the news in from Temple Gill:

Hi everyone!

The Huntington had a big night last night at the Elliot Norton Awards, where Present Laughter won best production, Nancy Carroll won Outstanding Actress (for Brendan and Present Laughter), Alexander Dodge won best design (for Present Laughter and Brendan), and Nicky(Martin) was honored with the Norton Award for Sustained Excellence. You can read more about the awards here:

What the article won't tell you is how funny Michael(Maso) was in accepting the awards for Alexander Dodge and Present Laughter, what a tremendous great sport Victor Garber was in getting up to graciously accept Nancy Carroll's award on her behalf, and how delightful Andrea Martin was as the guest of honor and in introducing Nicky. In accepting the award for sustained excellence, Nicky was funny and charming (as usual!), and both he and the tribute video to him were greeted very warmly by the crowd.

Congratulations to all of our winners! And thanks to everyone who came to the awards last evening to support them!

- Temple

Also in my mailbox this from Michael Maso:

The 39 Steps has six Tony Nominations — including best play, best director and all design components.

Best Play - The 39 Steps

Best Director of a Play - Maria Aitken

Best Sets for a Play - Peter McKintosh

Best Costume for a Play - Peter McKintosh

Best Lighting for a Play - Kevin Adams

Best Sound for a Play - Mic Pool

You should all feel very proud of what you have helped accomplish, with special note of our extraordinary production staff for what your expertise has contributed to this recognition.

There are also noms for Andrea Martin and Chris Fitzgerald! View the complete list of nominees here.

M.


Exciting news all around. Congrats everyone!

Opening Night Photo Album

JMK stayed late last night to send us a LOT of Opening Night photos. Thanks!
I have trouble when there are too many choices, so here are a bunch.
FYI - a bunch is less than a lot.

Our May 23rd opening night festivities included;
a) Dinner for 130 in Studio 210 with invited donors and special guests,
b) A red carpet reception complete with photographers prior to curtain,
c) A sold out high energy crowd for the evening's rousing opening performance of Present Laughter,
d) A post show cast party with staff, crew, board members and other special guests,
e) ...and a late start to the day on Thursday.

It's always a long long day, but it feels great to kick off the run with a big celebration, especially on our final subscription offering of the season. Thanks to everyone who has been a part of the magic this year.

Here's a few peeks behind the scenes.

Huntington favorites Andrea Martin and Victor Garber


Overseer John and Trustee Susan Spooner

Overseer Sherry and Trustee Gerard Cohen

Cheryl McMahon and Nancy E. Carroll (Miss Erikson)

Audience services Staffers Penny Hansen and Will Roberts

Don Cornuet and Trustee Stephen Weiner

Sarah Hudnut, (Monica Reed) right, and her Mom, left

Richard Snee (Henry Lyppiatt)

Development staffers Kristina Stanley, Katie DeBonville, Michelle Williams, and PR staffer John Michael Kennedy

Chairman of the Board David Wimberly and Sue Dahlie

Huntington Favorites Jessica Stone, Christopher Fitzgerald and Andrea Martin

Woody Crowther and Trustee Jeanne Ryan , Trustee Judi and Douglas Krupp

Lisa Banes (Liz Essendine) and Pamela Gray (Joanna Lyppiatt)

Jill and Mitch Roberts (Trustee)

President of the Board Bill McQuillan, Managing Director Michael Maso, and Artistic Director Nicholas Martin

Trustee Bob Scott and Devo staffer Howard Breslau

Brooks Ashmanskas (Roland Maule)

Overseer Christopher Yens and marketing staffer Temple Gill

Click on the pix for larger images. Photos taken by Eric Antoniou and Laura Wulf. All names left to right unless otherwise noted. Please forgive me if I've mis-spelled your name.

It's in the details

I've added some detail about the beautiful Present Laughter costumes to a previous post. Take a second look.



And here's another shot of Gary Essendine (Victor Garber) attempting to make an escape from the fray. I believe that this suit was provided by one of our generous sponsors, Bloomingdale's Chestnut Hill. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Out and About

Tomorrow (Thursday, June 6) is our Out and About Club Boston Pride performance of Present Laughter. Club patrons are invited to a post show reception and a backstage tour (hosted by yours truly).


Log on to buy online or call 617 266-0800. Opening night photo by Laura Wulf.

Father and Daughter

I'm still waiting for JMK to hand over the opening night photos and some production video, even though he sent this photo our way today. We had a great performance last night, and the audience had an extra special treat.


Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Victor Garber, and Nicholas Martin visit backstage following Sunday's performance of Present Laughter. Jennifer and Victor worked together on ABC's Alias. Ben was in town to do some work for the Greater Boston Food Bank and to cheer on the Sox. More info here. And a follow up here.

Present Laughter begins it's final two weeks tomorrow. Best bet for tickets are weekday and matinee performances, though availability is good for all of the remaining performances.

WBZ's Liz Walker has an interview with Victor Garber here which aired Sunday, June 3rd. Joyce Kulhawik has a review here. Both pieces include some performance video.

Present Laughter Costumes

I've finally filled in some details about the costumes shown in these blog exclusive Present Laughter photos. Thanks to Costume Director Nancy Brennan for telling us what's going on. Take a look...

Joanna Lyppiatt (Pamela J. Gray) is prepared to travel in this red and black ensemble, having just reserved the honeymoon suite for herself and Mr. Essendine on the impending transatlantic voyage. It took a couple of tries to find just the right fabric to create this suit - something that could look well while still being fitted to within an inch of it's life. This character's costumes were intentionally very body-conscious. The cape lining was dyed to match the suit, it originally was the same black and white as the cape exterior.

Liz Essendine (Lisa Banes) and Daphne Stillington (Holley Fain) meet the morning after. Daphne's fluffy white ballgown renders a laugh every evening. Our designer, Mariann Verheyen, had a ball embellishing this gown and capulet, which are studded with hundreds of Swarovski crystals. The gown gets "fluffed up" every night to maintain it's wonderful volume.

Fred (James Joseph O'Neil) serves up some sass in his morning service wear.We went through a few options before settling on a look for Fred that would immediately convey his station in the house but also stand out on the set and have a hint of humor to it. We think this striped vest fits the bill. The sleeve garters were the final flourish.

Morris Dixon (Marc Vietor), looking dour and confused in this dark pinstriped suit, gets an earful from Garry Essendine (Victor Garber). Mr. Garber has four of these beautiful silk dressing gowns. We copied dressing gowns of the period to try and keep the fluidity and drape of the originals. This particular gown fabric was, of course, chosen with a nod to the character's upcoming trip to Africa. Morris went through a few permutations of ties and pocket squares before we chose this combination.

Monica Reed (Sarah Hudnut), looking well ordered, helps to restore some sanity to yet another mad morning at the Essendine studio. This costume started with the sumptuous green wool that makes up the outer coat. We wanted the look of the suit, with the skirt and coat matching, but the coat wool was too heavy to create a graceful skirt. Therefore, our expert craftsperson, Denise Wallace, dyed an ivory wool to match the coat fabric perfectly. Voila, an ensemble!

Henry Lyppiatt (Richard Snee) blusters up a storm, in his gray morning suit, at Garry Essendine (Victor Garber). Richard Snee makes every tailored suit look wonderful, he's the picture of perfection here, right down to his matching gloves.


Joanna Lyppiatt (Pamela J. Gray) attempts to claim some turf while Miss Erikson (Nancy E. Carroll) doubtfully looks on, noting yet another occupant in Mr. Essendine's clothing. When one of Gary Essendine's lady friends finds herself "without a latchkey", she sometimes borrows one of his many dressing gowns. We made this green silk paisley gown to fit Victor, so that the audience would immediately make the connection as to where the gown came from.

Daphne Stillington (Holley Fain) once again expresses her devotion to Gary Essendine in this pleated and polka dotted wonder. This costume has a custom sunburst-pleated skirt that has a wonderful movement onstage. A few embellishments to this costume were edited out in the fitting room and/or dress rehearsal, though. The original wide fabric sash of red polka dot was traded for this sleeker and more flattering belt, and we decided to forgo bangle bracelets and extra painting on the shoes that made the overall effect too busy.

Roland Maule (Brooks Ashmanskas), never one to be outdone, is also packed (complete with Teddy) and ready to accompany Mr. Essendine on his tour of Africa. For the character of Roland Maule we thought the quirky vests that he wears are part of his signature. They also lend a youthful quality that's quite different from the more mature men.

The flowery Lady Saltburn (Alice Duffy) makes her acquaintances with Garry Essendine (Victor Garber). This costume became a case of less-is-more. The original dress, well into the dress rehearsal process, had another layer of ruffles, fuller and more dramatic sleeves, and a long, floaty chiffon scarf. Onstage it was too much of a good thing, so off came the ruffles and extras. We toned down the accessories a little, too, and designed a new hat shape that flattered Alice and made a statement but didn't overpower. You'll have to go see the show to see it.

Joanna Lyppiatt (Pamela J. Gray) wins a round in this hot pink seduction. Well, this dress, as one might imagine, required more fitting time than anything else in the show. Sometimes things that look the simplest are actually quite complicated. Our actress, Pamela Gray, graciously stood for several hours to get this one just right, a feat which was accomplished by our talented staff draper, Penny Pinette.

All Photos by T. Charles Erickson

Present Laughter Photos

Tonight is opening night, with all of it's traditions and events. We'll report on those and bring you some pictures from the parties in future posts. In the meanwhile please enjoy some more of our production photos, these by T. Charles Erickson.

Under a portrait of himself as a much younger actor, aging matinee idol Garry Essendine (Victor Garber) dissuades his ex-wife Liz (Lisa Banes) from lecturing him about cutting back on romancing the women who fall at his feet.

Ingénue Daphne Stillington (Holley Fain) inserts herself into Garry's life at an inopportune time.

Crazed fan and playwright Roland Maule (2007 Tony Award nominee Brooks Ashmanskas, left) explains to Garry Essendine (Victor Garber) how he can be helpful to the actor's private and professional lives.

Victor Garber as Garry Essendine in the Huntington Theatre Company's production of Present Laughter, directed by Nicholas Martin and running through June 17 at the Huntington's B.U. Theatre.

Crazed fan and playwright Roland Maule (2007 Tony Award nominee Brooks Ashmanskas) is delighted to be in Garry Essendine's house.

Garry Essendine (Victor Garber) is vexed by the constant mail he receives, despite his loyal secretary Monica (Sarah Hudnut) keeping tabs on the correspondence.

Joanna (Pamela J. Gray), the young seductress who has invaded Garry Essendine's (Victor Garber) close-knit circle of friends, pay an unexpected visit

The night before he's to sail to Africa on a six-month theatre tour, aging matinee idol Garry Essendine (Victor Garber) is exhausted by the demands of life including ex-wife Liz (Lisa Barnes).

"This is quite a little peek behind the scenes..."

Our first preview last night opened with an exciting and well received performance. We had a huge house tonight, you can see the audience members mezz and balcony taking a break during intermission, but good seats remain for next week's performances. Click on the buy tickets link on the sidebar to purchase tickets right now. Check the sidebar for discount deals as well.

Here is a (very nice, I think) video with Victor Garber, Director Nicholas Martin, and the cast of Present Laughter talking about, and rehearsing, the play. Enjoy!



More Present Laughter reading material here and more video here. For all Present Laughter content click here.

The Norton results are in (5/22). Read the comments at Awards Season for our winners!

Final Dress - Thursday

We had two - count 'em - two dress rehearsals today. It was nice to see the play as a whole today with no stops for tech along the way. The first run, this afternoon, was also when our photographer T. Charles Erickson took the production photos. You'll get to see those starting Monday - and it will then be clear why we hire Charlie - his photos are amazing. The slightly fuzzy ones here are mine.

This evening we played to a nice crowd of nearly 200 friends and family cheering everyone along, including Huntington favorite Michael T. Weiss, the parents of actor Brooks Ashmanskas, the parents of costume director Nancy Brennan (thanks for coming all the way from the west coast to visit us), our Front of House crew, and many other staffers.

We've had costumes (by designer Mariann Verheyen) on stage now for the past three days - and they are looking incredible. I had to head off to a meeting during photo dress so I only got you a few shots of Act I. When we get Charlie's photos I'll do a costume feature. For now I'll just give you a little taste.

Here we have three of Gary Essendine's dressing gowns; a paisley, a deco print, and (of course) an animal print. No self respecting thesp could possibly tour Africa without their stripes, now could they? As you can see he's not the only one who wears them. Above we have Holly Fain, who plays the ingenue, Daphne Stillington, who stayed the night. On the right is Victor Garber (playing Gary Essendine), and below is Victor again, with Brooks Ashmanskas playing Roland Maule. These fabrics are beautiful, playful, and work so well with both the character and the scenery.


The next two are a close ups of both Brooks and Lisa Banes, who plays Gary's ex-wife Liz Essendine.

I love the combination of the striped sweater (with alternate stripes on the v-neck and the subtle knitted striped at 90 degrees for even more texture), print bow tie, and shoes. It's a hoot! In case you're wondering - the character Roland Maule is something of a nut, and he is ALWAYS in motion, hence the blurry foot above. Brooks got applause on his first exit this evening.



Lisa wears a simple striped silk fabric. The stripe, however, takes on new shapes and patterns in the dress. The clothes, in general, make great use of simple graphics - much like the deco murals on the wall. It's amazing what happens to stripes, polka dots, and prints, when they are cut, draped and pleated in different combinations on the human form.



I'll leave you with another image of the set - before the run we took a few 'glamour shots'. Can you spot the differences from the pictures from a few days ago?


Click on the photos to see enlargements. I've added a few Present Laughter links here. Enjoy - see you at the theatre soon!