Craig Bierko, Mark Consuelos to Star in STANDING ON CEREMONY

Joan Stein and Richard Frankel, producers of Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays, announced today that Tony Award-nominee and Theatre World Award winner Craig Bierko (The Music Man), Daytime Emmy nominee and frequent "Live with Regis and Kelly" co-host Mark Consuelos, Emmy Award-nominee Polly Draper ("thirtysomething") and Tony Award-winner Harriet Harris (Thoroughly Modern Millie) will be part of the show's premiere cast, which begins previews on Monday, November 7 with an official opening night set for Sunday, November 13 at the Minetta Lane Theatre (18 Minetta Lane, NYC).

The producers also announced today that the production will partner with Freedom to Marry, the campaign to win marriage nationwide, for its Off Broadway premiere and will donate a portion of all ticket sales to Freedom to Marry and other organizations promoting marriage equality.

"Freedom to Marry is happy to be partnering with the talented writers, actors, and team involved in Standing on Ceremony, as together we bring more people into our campaign to win the freedom to marry nationwide," said EVan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry. "Standing on Ceremony tells stories of life and love with laughter and tears, following committed gay and lesbian couples through the ups and downs of building a life together -- in short, the reasons why marriage matters to gay people, too."

Directed by Stuart Ross, Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays brings together some of America's most illustrious and Award-winning playwrights, including Mo Gaffney, Jordan Harrison, Jeffrey Hatcher, Moisés Kaufman, Joe Keenan, Neil LaBute, Wendy MacLeod, José Rivera, Paul Rudnick and Doug Wright, for a heartfelt, funny and altogether illuminating evening of short plays that celebrates the courage to be in a relationship - any relationship.

Conceived by Brian Shnipper, Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays began as a series of benefit events in Los Angeles, taking on a life of their own as an inspiring theatrical evening.

As previously announced, Standing on Ceremony has joined with Tectonic Theater Project (Moisés Kaufman, Artistic Director; Greg Reiner, Executive Director) for Standing on Ceremony: The National Event, to help take the play's message across the country (and the globe). For one night only, on Monday, November 7, curtains will rise on Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays across America and beyond as more than 40 participating theaters everywhere present the play to raise awareness and funds in support of marriage equality. The evening will feature an introduction before the play that will be streamed live to participating theatres across the globe. Audience members can also watch a live streaming post performance Q&A, and can participate regardless of their locale, by submitting questions via Twitter in real time.

Tickets for the Off Broadway run of Standing on Ceremony, priced from $59.oo to $79.00 (plus a $1.00 theatre facility fee), are now on sale via Ticketmaster.com and will be available at the Minetta Lane box office beginning November 3. For groups of 10 or more, call 1-800-BROADWAY , ext.2. The performance schedule is as follows: Tuesday- Friday at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 3:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.; Sunday at 3:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

Standing On Ceremony will feature a rotating cast of the best actors from theater, film and TV. Additional casting news is forthcoming.

The show is produced Off Broadway by Joan Stein, Richard Frankel, Annette Niemtzow, Fakston Productions, Harley Medcalf, Jon Murray, Harvey Reese, in association with Diana Buckhantz and Niclas Nagler; Executive Producer, Joe Watson.

For more information, visit www.standingonceremony.net.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos

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