RIALTO CHATTER: Goodman 'DESIRE' Broadway Bound?

Desire Under the Elms at the Goodman Theater just opened last night, Monday January 26th, 2009, but the New York Times is reporting plans for a Broadway mounting are already being worked out. The Times' Arts Beat column has revealed that producer Jeffrey Richards announced today, Tuesday January 27th that he was hoping to transfer a major new production to New York - a revival of the Eugene O'Neill classic "Desire Under the Elms" - despite the current grip of fearful economics of the Rialto. 

To read the entire New York Times article click here.

The show has been extended at the Goodman and will now play through March 1.

Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls and renowned actor Brian Dennehy bring their artistic partnership to new heights with Eugene O'Neill's haunting drama, Desire Under the Elms-marking their fifth collaboration on O'Neill's work over two decades. Falls' cast includes stage and screen stars Carla Gugino (Entourage, Spy Kids, Sin City) Pablo Schreiber (Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Awake and Sing!), Boris McGiver (The Wire) and Daniel Stewart Sherman (Broadway's Cyrano de Bergerac).

The centerpiece production of Goodman Theatre's two-month "A Global Exploration: Eugene O'Neill in the 21st Century," Desire Under the Elms appears January 17 - March 1 in the Goodman's 856-seat Albert Ivar Theatre. Tickets are $25 - 82; a full Exploration calendar, including dates, times and ticket prices, appears at the end of the release. Allstate is the Corporate Sponsor Partner of Desire Under the Elms and The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation is the Sponsor Partner. UBS is the Lead Corporate Sponsor for "A Global Exploration: Eugene O'Neill in the 21st Century" and The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is the Sponsor Partner. Motorola Foundation is the Corporate Sponsor Partner. American Airlines is the Exclusive Airline of Goodman Theatre.

"Desire Under the Elms is iconic. A highly passionate, shocking drama of three people tangled in lust and loathing, it's the first great tragedy from the writer who I consider to be the American Shakespeare-our country's greatest and most influential playwright," said Director Robert Falls. "It was necessary for me to reinterpret this play with my longtime collaborator Brian Dennehy-who is considered by many to be one of the great O'Neill interpreters in the world-with two actors of remarkable depth and substance, Carla Gugino and Pablo Schreiber, to complete the devastating love triangle."

Desire Under the Elms is performed in one act, spanning 100 minutes with no intermission. Falls reassembles the design team from his 2006 critical and popular hit King Lear, including Walt Spangler (Set Design), Ana Kuzmanic (Costume Design), Michael Philippi (Lighting Design) and Richard Woodbury (Original Music and Sound Design).