Olney Theatre Center just announced the return of legendary star of stage and screen Sir Ian McKellen, making his musical comedy debut in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as the "Book Voice", narrating the action in the Tony-winning musical. Former Artistic Director Jim Petosa, who produced McKellen's first appearance at Olney, has signed on to voice the show's "TV Announcer". How to Succeed is known for having voiceover parts often recorded by recognizable voices including broadcast journalists Walter Cronkite (1995 Broadway revival) and Anderson Cooper (2011 Broadway revival).
McKellen was last at Olney Theatre Center in 1987 in his one-man show Acting Shakespeare. Long before becoming an international star, McKellen earned Olney's everlasting affection when he mounted a four-week, one-man fundraising campaign, signing t-shirts and posters with his picture after each performance to pay for the installation of air conditioning units for the intern housing on the second floor of the theatre, as well as renovations to the Historic Stage backstage and dressing room area. Recently he recalled the campaign, which occurred in July 1987 during the Iran-Contra hearings. The local company which made the t-shirts was also doing a brisk business in t-shirts featuring Oliver North. "But we were so successful," McKellen recalls, "that the shop ran out of t-shirts. I'm told we outsold Oliver North." "Arranging for Sir Ian's residency at Olney Theatre was among the first tasks I had upon joining the staff there," says Mr. Petosa. "I remember him for his extraordinary personality and his enthusiasm for the total immersion into a community of theatre artists living and working together. He said it reminded him of the earliest days of his life in the theatre. We couldn't get enough of him and his spirited presence."Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos
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