Tickets Now On Sale for BECKET with CHICAGO FIRE's Yuri Sardarov

By: May. 19, 2014
Get Access To Every Broadway Story

Unlock access to every one of the hundreds of articles published daily on BroadwayWorld by logging in with one click.




Existing user? Just click login.

Tickets are now on sale for the New York City return of Jean Anouilh's BECKET, the 1961 Tony Award winner for Best Play. Tickets can be purchased online at becketnyc.brownpapertickets.com.

BECKET will star Yuri Sardarov of NBC's Chicago Fire and Pomme Koch with direction by Neal Kelley - all three, along with producers Will DeCamp and Alex Rapson, are graduates of the University of Michigan.

The cast of BECKET will also include Ben Blackman , Alli Brown, Arielle Goldman, Torrey Wigfield, Matt Zambrano and Lulu Ward.

The production will begin performances on Wednesday, June 18 at the East Village's Gene Frankel Theatre (24 Bond St, New York). The final performance is scheduled for Saturday, June 28.

Be sure to visit becketnyc.com and @becketNYC on Twitter for more information.

This summer, a group of University of Michigan alums will be producing, starring in and directing Jean Anouilh's BECKET in New York City.

BECKET takes a look at the conflicts between best friends King Henry II and Thomas Becket as the latter ascends to power, turning the friends into enemies. The original production, starring Anthony Quinn and Laurence Olivier, won the 1961 Tony Award for Best Play.

"Apart from some minor regional and college productions, BECKET has rarely been produced in the United States since its Broadway premiere," said the show's producers. "This means that by some cosmic oversight or fatal blessing we have been presented with a chance most theatre professionals never get: the opportunity to reintroduce a modern classic to New York City on our own terms-reminding people of the play's beauty while simultaneously dusting off it's cobwebs and refreshing it for contemporary sensibilities."

Yuri Sardarov (Becket) obtained his BFA from the University of Michigan, taking a period of time off to perform in The History Boys at TimeLine Theatre, Chicago. Since then, he's appeared in films such as The Ides of March, Argo, and most recently, as Otis on NBC's "Chicago Fire." The fortune in making his New York debut, flanked by such wonderful friends and collaborators, makes him dizzy with pride.

Pomme Koch (Henry II): Theater J: The Admission; San Francisco Playhouse: Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo; The Shakespeare Theatre Company: Much Ado About Nothing; Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: A Composer Fit For A King; Folger Theatre: Henry V; Round House Theatre: Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo; Studio Theatre: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. PSA. BFA Theatre Performance, The University of Michigan. www.pommekoch.com

Ben Blackman (Bishop of Oxford, Henry III) was born and raised in the United Kingdom before attending the University of Michigan. He is currently a dual citizen who has collaborated with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Stella Adler Acting Studio, Labyrinth Theatre Company, and others. He went to Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Center and is a member of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain.

Alli Brown (Page, Young Monk, Cardinal) is a New York City based actress, comedian and writer who HAILS from the Midwest. Alli studied Acting at the University of Michigan (class of 2013) where she played such roles as Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, and Mercy Lewis in The Crucible. Alli's professional credits include: an equity reading of her original play The Tyler Family Portrait (Chicago, IL); a professional reading of her original play BETTY, (Ann Arbor, MI); and, lastly, but not least, she played "Alli" in her co-written, original play, The Party's Over. When Alli is not performing, she is writing sketches, creating characters (Hi! I'm Sheryl Hearldsun and This is My Vlog!), improvising and performing* stand up. Alli wants to thank Lingk Productions, Will DeCamp and Alex Rapson for the opportunity to be a part of Becket.

Arielle Goldman (Gwendolyn, Louis) holds an MFA from NYU's Tisch Graduate Acting Program, class of 2014. Recent credits include: The Seagull (dir. Richard Feldman), In The Next Room (or The Vibrator Play), Girl on Girl (by Lucas Hnath, NYU's new play workshop), Ring Round the Moon, The Romeo and Juliet Project (dir. Vivienne Benesch, Chautauqua Theatre Company), The Comedy of Errors (dir. Andrew Borba, Chautauqua Theatre Company). BFA, The University of Michigan.

Torrey Wigfield (Gilbert Folliot, Sentry): After graduating from the University of Michigan, Torrey has concentrated mainly on creating original, new work on stage and in motion picture. His NY credits include: The Blind (Columbia Stages); Od (Columbia Stages - Fight Consultant), Butoh Electra (Irondale Center, Brooklyn), Honestly Abe (Actor's Temple Theatre). Elsewhere: Romeo and Juliet (Michigan Shakespeare Festival Tour), Summer at the Lake (Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival), Trafford Tanzi (Arthur Miller Theatre, UM Ann Arbor MI). Feature films: "Lost River" (dir. Ryan Gosling, completed), "The Five Year Engagement" (dir. Nick Stoller) and "The Citizen." Short films include: "Urban Golf," "The Dark," and "Rethinking the Rules." Proud to be a Michigan Wolverine!

Matt Zambrano (Queen Mother, Pope) is thrilled to be making his New York debut with Lingk and this incredible play. He is a native of Denver, Colorado and a recent graduate of the National Theatre Conservatory. Matt is a nationally recognized slam poet and spoken-word artist, and works for "The Story Pirates" here in New York as a teaching artist and performer. Credits include: Denver Center Theater Company: The Santaland Diaries, The Liar, The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet, A Christmas Carol. Utah Shakespeare Festival: Peter and the Starcatcher, Richard II, Loves Labours Lost, Scapin, The Merry Wives of Windsor. National Theater Conservatory: Charly's Aunt, Fahrenheit 451,Richard III, Top Girls, Uncle Vanya, The Big Chill, Our Town, Nicholas Nickelby. Buntport Theater Company: Love and Potatoes, tRUNks-a live comic book!. Curious Theater Company: The Lieutenant of Inishmore. Film: "The People Vs. George Lucas" (Self). Publications: Edible Origami: Poetry and Prose(2013). Matt appears courtesy of Actors Equity Association. For more info, check out www.MattZambrano.com.

Lulu Ward (Young Queen): Born and raised in Hong Kong, Lulu is a graduate of the New York Film Academy. She has worked predominantly in film and theater in New York City. Recent work includes: Nectarine (The Flea Theatre) Job (The Flea Theatre), Goold and Power's adaptation of Six Characters in Search of an Author (Hong Kong Fringe Theatre), The Hans Project (New York West End Theatre), Coriolanus and Merry Wives of Windsor (The Drilling Company Theatre), The Honest Whore (The Flea Theatre). Film credits include: "Somewhere in the Middle" (NYICF dir. Lanre Olabisi), "Supercapitalist" (408 films), "Halo-Hell Jumper" (Dan Wang films), "The Puritans" (dir. Sean Robinson), "The Austin Pendleton Project" (4Hawk Productions).

Neal Kelley (Director) is an actor and director from Ann Arbor, MI. A proud graduate of the University of Michigan, he has performed in New York with Cracked Kettle, the Lark, and Open Hydrant Theatre Company. Neal is currently an Artist in Residence at Pepperdine University. Visit www.neal-kelley.com for more information.



Videos