Brian d'Arcy James Joins The Guthrie's 50th Anniversary Gala

The Guthrie today announced that two-time Tony Award nominee and Obie and Drama Desk Award winner Brian d'Arcy James joins the artist line-up for BEHOLD: A Gala Performance, honoring 50 years of the Guthrie, onSaturday, June 22, 2013. James is slated to sing an original song based on excerpts of text from Hamlet, as previously announced, which is being composed by Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown specifically for the celebratory evening.

Brian d'Arcy James is an award-winning theater, film and television actor as well as a recording artist. His Broadway credits include Time Stands Still, Next to Normal, Shrek the Musical (Tony nomination, Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama Desk Award), The Apple Tree, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Sweet Smell of Success (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations and Drama League Award), Titanic (Drama League nomination),Carousel and Blood Brothers. Off-Broadway credits: Giant (The Public, Drama Desk nomination), The Wild Party(Manhattan Theatre Club), Port Authority (Atlantic Theater Company), The Pavilion, Flight and Ancestral Voices (Lincoln Center), Public Enemy by Kenneth Branagh and Floyd Collins (Playwrights Horizons). James' television and film credits include the role of Frank Houston in NBC's "Smash," the pilot of a new NBC version of "Ironside," CBS's "The Good Wife," Showtime's "The Big C," the pilot of JJ Abrams' "Person of Interest," ABC's "Cashmere Mafia," FX's "Rescue Me,"Admission starring Paul Rudd and Tina Fey, HBO's Emmy-winning Game Change with Julianne Moore and Ed Burns'Fitzgerald Family Christmas. An accomplished concert performer, highlights include performing for President Clinton at the "Kennedy Center Honors" as well as a 2010 White House performance for President Obama and the First Family for PBS's "Broadway at the White House."

As previously announced BEHOLD: A Gala Performance will be co-hosted by Guthrie favorites Greta Oglesby and Sally Wingert, and will feature Matthew Amendt, Tracie Bennett, Jason Robert Brown, Barbara Bryne, Daniel Gerroll,Peter Michael Goetz, Whoopi Goldberg, Erik Heger, Patricia Kalember, T.R. Knight, Valeri Mudek, Stephen Yoakam, and male vocal ensemble Cantus, as well as multimedia tributes with theatrical legends Zoe Caldwell andChristopher Plummer. BEHOLD features musical direction by Andrew Cooke, choreography by Brian Sostek, set design by Michael Hoover, costume design by Christine A. Richardson, lighting design by Tom Mays, sound design byScott W. Edwards and is written by Mark Benninghofen. Peter Flynn-whose extensive credits include directorial work on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in regional theaters and other gala events-will direct. Further information about artists and guests appearing in BEHOLD will be announced in the weeks to come.

A star-studded performance featuring actors, composers and writers with ties to the Guthrie's past and future, BEHOLD: A Gala Performance will be held on June 22, 2013, on the Wurtele Thrust Stage and is a part of the Guthrie's 50thAnniversary Celebration Weekend (June 22-23, 2013). BEHOLD will be presented in conjunction with Anniversary Weekend celebration dinners the Golden Soirée and Fête 50, which include tickets to the performance and are on sale now through the Guthrie's Anniversary Line at 612.225.6350. For more information, visit www.guthrietheater.org/50.