Inherit the Wind Revival Opens April 12 at the Lyceum

By: Dec. 22, 2006
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The previously announced Broadway revival of Jerome Lawrence and Robert E Lee's classic Inherit the Wind, starring Tony Award-winners Christopher Plummer and Brian Dennehy, is now slated to begin March 19th at the Lyceum Theatre and to open on April 12th.

The revival will play a 16-week limited run. Doug Hughes, a Tony Award-winner for Doubt, will direct. 

Inherit the Wind "is a fictionalized retelling of the famous 1925 "Monkey Trial," in which science teacher John Scopes was tried and convicted for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution, violating a Tennessee law that forbade teaching any theory that conflicted with the Biblical conception of Divine Creation.  Dennehy will play the role of attorney Matthew Harrison Brady (based on William Jennings Bryan), and Plummer will play attorney Henry Drummond (based on Clarence Darrow)," state press materials.

Santo Loquasto will design sets and costumes for Inherit the Wind, which will be produced by Boyett Ostar Productions and The Shubert Organization, in association with Jon Avnet/Ralph Guild, Roy Furman, Lawrence Horowitz, and Bill Rollnick.

Plummer is a two-time Tony-winner for his title performances in Barrymore and Cyrano.  He has also been nominated for King Lear, No Man's Land, Othello, and J.B.  Other Broadway credits include Macbeth, The Good Doctor and The RoyAl Hunt of the Sun, while film work includes Inside Man, Syriana, The Insider, The Sound of Music and many more.

Dennehy received Tony Awards for his performances in Death of a Salesman and Long Day's Journey Into Night.  He has also been seen on Broadway in Translations. His film and TV credits include "Our Fathers," Assault on Precinct 13, Stolen Summer, Romeo + Juliet, Gladiator, Cocoon, 10 and Looking for Mr. Goodbar. 

Inherit the Wind opened at The National Theatre on April 21st, 1955, and ran for 806 performances.  The original production starred Paul Muni, Ed Begley, Tony Randall and more.  A 1996 revival starred George C. Scott (who quit during the run of the production due to poor health) and Charles Durning.  The classic 1960 film version, directed by Stanley Kramer, starred Spencer Tracy, FredEric March and Gene Kelly.

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