Tuesdays With Morrie at Miami's Coconut Grove Playhouse

                                                                                                      

HAROLD GOULD AND/> DOMINIC FUMUSA TO CO-STAR/>

 

STAGE VERSION OF MITCH ALBOM'S BEST-SELLER

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE

LAUNCHING 13-CITY/> NATIONAL TOUR SEPTEMBER 20

AT MIAMI/>/>'S COCONUT GROVE PLAYHOUSE

MIAMI --- Harold Gould, among Broadway, film and television's most distinguished actors, will be joined by Dominic Fumusa, recently of Broadway's WAIT UNTIL DARK and A FLEA IN HER EAR/>, when they co-star in the Jeffrey Hatcher/Mitch Albom dramatization of Albom's runaway best-seller, TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE.  Directed by Michael Montel, the play will launch a 13-city Broadway Across America National Tour, previewing Tuesday, September 20, and running through Sunday, October 9, as the opening show of the 50^th Anniversary celebration of Miami/>/>'s revered Coconut Grove Playhouse. The official opening will be Friday, September 23.

 

Following its Miami/> debut, the 12-city show will head out to engagements in Philadelphia/>, Boston/>, Baltimore/>, Chicago/>, Indianapolis/>, Washington/>/>. D.C., Nashville/>, Atlanta/>, Louisville/>, Minneapolis/>, Appleton/> and Fort Lauderdale/>/>.

 

Albom's book, "Tuesdays With  Morrie," became a major hit when it was first published in 1997 and was on The New York Times hardcover Best Seller list 205 weeks.  Having since been published in 31 languages in 36 countries, the book remains at number #9 after 139 weeks on The New York Times Paperback Best Seller list. 

 

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE is the heart-warming and profoundly moving recounting of the relationship between award-winning sportswriter Mitch Albom and his former sociology professor Morrie Schwartz who has been stricken with ALS/> (Lou Gehrig's Disease). After years without contact, Albom recalled a forgotten promise to stay in touch and, as he once he did as a student, reclaimed his visits with Morrie every Tuesday.

 

In the stage adaptation, the role of the gentle, aging college professor who once loved to dance with the same passion he had for teaching his students, is played by Harold Gould who brings the brilliant craftsmanship which has defined his performances since he first hit New York/>/> winning an Obie Award for the Off-Broadway production of DIFFICULTY OF CONCENTRATION. From that point on, Gould's career went non-stop making his first film "Two for the Seesaw" in 1962, with such memorable feature follow-ups as "The Sting," Woody Allen's "Love and Death," and Mel Brooks' "Silent Movie."

 

On television, where he reigned for three decades as one of its most active stars, Gould co-starred with Daniel J. Travanti in the American Playhouse production of "I Never Sang for My Father" opposite Katharine Hepburn in "Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry," and went on to such unforgettable roles as Rhoda's father in "Rhoda" and as Rose's mobster boyfriend in "The Golden Girls." Gould has recently been seen on the big screen as Grandpa in Disney's remake of "Freaky Friday" with Jamie Lee Curtis.

 

Dominic Fumusa, most recently of Broadway's WAIT UNTIL DARK opposite Marisa Tomei and of the Roundabout Theatre's A FLEA IN HER EAR/>, will be seen in the role of author/journalist Mitch Albom. An alumnus of the Off-Broadway production of Joe Mantello's TAKE ME OUT,  Fumusa will be coming direct from New York/>/>'s

42^nd Street

/>Theater Row where he has been starring as Vince in TAPE, a role written for him by Stephen Belber. The film version debuted at the Sundance Film Festival starring Ethan Hawke.

 

On television, Fumusa guest starred in "Sex and the City," "The Sopranos," "Law and Order," and "Law and Order: SVU/>."  The voice of Doberman in the film of the same name, he was seen in the role of Waldo Hernandez opposite Heather Graham in the film "The Guru."

 

Author and journalist Mitch Albom is a nationally syndicated columnist for the Detroit Free Press and a nationally syndicated radio host of his own radio show. Named the top sports columnist in the nation 13 times by the Associated Sports Editors of America, the highest honor in his field, Albom is the founder of The Dream Fund, a charity which helps underprivileged youth study art, and also a volunteer program, A Time to Help. In addition to "Tuesdays With  Morrie," Albom has also authored the #1 international best seller "The Five People You Meet in Heaven."

 

Co-author Jeffrey Hatcher is fast becoming one of the most prolific and frequently produced playwrights in the U.S./>/> His many award-winning plays include A PICASSO, THREE VIEWINGS,

SCOTLAND ROAD/>

/>and KORCZAK'S CHILDREN which have been performed on and Off-Broadway and regionally across the U.S./>/> and abroad. Others stage adaptations include HENRY JAMES: THE TURN OF THE SCREW, Anouilh's LEOCADIA: TO FOOL THE EYE/>, Kaufman and Hart's THE FABULOUS INVALID and PIERRE, based on George Bernard Shaw's novel AN UNSOCIAL SOCIALIST.

 

Having adapted his acclaimed stage play COMPLEAT FEMALE STAGE BEAUTY for the screen, Hatcher is currently working on the screenplay of "Casanova" for director Lasse Hallstrom as well as screenplays for directors Steven Shainberg ("Secretary"), and Kim Peirce ("Boys Don't Cry").  Hatcher is the author of "The Art and Craft of Playwriting."

 

Director Michael Montel will guide the production of TUESDAY WITH MORRIE. Mr. Montel's Broadway credits include William Inge's SUMMER BRAVE, starring Alexis Smith, Jill Eikenberry and Ernest Thompson and the revival of Carson McCullers's THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING, starring Mary Beth Hurt; and Philip Barry's HOLIDAY/>, starring John Glover, David Dukes and Charlotte Moore.  He serves as Artistic Director for the new Performance series he created for The Museum of the City of New York/>/>, featuring such stars as Phyllis Newman, Judy Kaye and Daphne Rubin-Vega.  This past year he directed Marian Seldes in Lovely to Look/> At.

 

Scenic designer is Michael Anania whose most recent Broadway production was LAUGHING ROOM/> ONLY, starring Jackie Mason. Among other Broadway credits, Anania counts A CHANGE IN THE HEIR, RUN/> FOR YOUR WIFE, CANTERBURY TALES, THE VIEWS FROM HERE and THE GATHERING starring Hal Linden.  Off-Broadway Anania designed THE SPITFIRE GRILL for Playwrights Horizon, Tommy Tune's production of BACK ON THE BOULEVARD starring Liliane Montevecchi, and the City Centre Theatre's DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS/> – THE OPERA.  National tours include APPLAUSE starring Stefanie Powers, and THE WIZARD OF OZ starring Mickey Rooney and Eartha Kitt.

 

Ellis Tillman, a 25-year veteran of more than 60 productions for Miami/>/>'s famed Coconut Grove Playhouse, will design the costumes. Nominated nine times for a Carbonell Award/>, South/> Florida/>/>'s version of the Tonys, Tillman scored three as the winner for BLUES IN THE NIGHT,  THE DISPUTATION and for his work with Edward Albee's SEASCAPE. Tillman was also named Best Costume Designer in Philadelphia/> and by Miami/>/>'s New Times publication for last season's THE CONSTANT WIFE.

 

Performances at the Coconut Grove Playhouse. 3500 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, Florida, are Tuesday-Saturday at 8 P.M.; matinees Wednesday and Saturday at 2 P.M.; Sunday at 3 P.M. Tickets are now on sale at the box office, ranging from $40.00-$60.00, by telephone by calling (305) 442-4000/>/>, or online at www.cgplayhouse.org.