BWW TV Flashback: THE NORMAL HEART Closes Today on Broadway

The Broadway premiere of Larry Kramer's ground-breaking play The Normal Heart will play the final performance of its limited, 12-week engagement this Sunday, July 10 at 7:00 p.m., as scheduled. Produced by Daryl Roth and directed by Joel Grey and George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart began performances on Tuesday, April 19 at the Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street) and opened to rave reviews on Wednesday, April 27, 2011.

Here is a look back at the show's opening night on Broadway. In a statement released: "This experience has been a true labor of love for everyone involved and I'm so proud to have been able to give Larry Kramer's masterpiece this breathtaking production," Ms. Roth said. "I don't think we were fully prepared for the overwhelming and emotional audience response night after night. I know The Normal Heart has touched many people and made a difference in their lives, and I am committed to bringing this play to as many cities as possible so even more people can experience its power and passion."

The Normal Heart won three 2011 Tony® Awards, including Best Revival of a Play, Best Featured Actress in a Play (Ellen Barkin) and Best Featured Actor in a Play (John Benjamin Hickey). The play has also been honored as this season's Best Revival of a Play by the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Drama League Awards and has received Drama Desk Awards for Best Ensemble and Best Direction of a Play, along with a Special Citation from the New York Drama Critics Circle.

The award-winning cast of The Normal Heart includes Ellen Barkin, Patrick Breen, Mark Harelik, John Benjamin Hickey, Luke MacFarlane, Joe Mantello, Lee Pace, Jim Parsons, Richard Topol, and Wayne Alan Wilcox.

The design team includes David Rockwell (Sets), Martin Pakledinaz (Costumes), David Weiner (Lighting), David Van Tieghem (Sound and Original Music), and Batwin & Robin (Projections).

The story of a city in denial, The Normal Heart unfolds like a real-life political thriller -- as a tight-knit group of friends refuses to let doctors, politicians and the press bury the truth of an unspoken epidemic behind a wall of silence. First produced by Joseph Papp at New York's Public Theater, the play was a critical sensation and a seminal moment in theater history. So ahead of its time was this play that many of the core issues it addresses - including gay marriage, the healthcare system and, of course, AIDS - are just as relevant today as they were when it first premiered.

The Broadway premiere of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart on Broadway is produced by Daryl Roth, Paul Boskind and Martian Entertainment in association with Gregory Rae and Jayne Baron Sherman/Alexander Fraser.

The entire company of The Normal Heart is deeply committed to the message of this play, and so the production is proud to support The Actors Fund, Friends In Deed, amfAR and the Human Rights Campaign.

Paul Davis, the legendary graphic designer of Joseph Papp's Public Theater, has graciously lent his original logo for this production's use.

 

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