From 'Chaperone' to 'Curtains,' Gerry Vichi Joins Cast Jan.8

Gerry Vichi will join the cast of Curtains on Tuesday, January 8 as Broadway producer Sidney Bernstein, replacing original cast member Ernie Sabella. Curtains, the Musical Comedy Whodunit from the authors of Cabaret and Chicago, is playing at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street). 

Vichi comes to Curtains directly from the The Drowsy Chaperone, where he played Mr. Feldzieg, another Broadway producer.  He also made his Broadway debut in 1981 in the original cast of Woman of the Year, featuring a score by the Curtains songwriting team of John Kander & Fred Ebb and original book writer Peter Stone.  His other Broadway credits include Annie Get Your Gun, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Anything Goes, Ain't Broadway Grand and Woman of the Year. He performed as the Wizard in The Wizard of Oz and Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol, both at Madison Square Garden and also appeared with Bill Irwin in Scapin at the Roundabout Theatre. His regional credits include 1776 at Williamstown; No, No, Nanette and Very Good Eddie at Goodspeed Opera House; Gallileo and A Servant of Two Masters at Baltimore Stage. His films include City Hall, Just My Luck, and Spike Lee's Inside Man. He is also an abstract expressionist painter.

Curtains stars 2007 Tony Award winner and four-time Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce as Lt. Frank Cioffi and Tony and Emmy Award winner Debra Monk as producer Carmen Bernstein.  The production also stars Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba as lyricist Georgia Hendricks, Jason Danieley as composer Aaron Fox, Jill Paice as ingénue Niki Harris and Edward Hibbert as director Christopher Belling, with John Bolton as theatre critic Daryl Grady, Michael X. Martin as stage manager Johnny Harmon, Michael McCormick as investor Oscar Shapiro, Noah Racey as choreographer Bobby Pepper, Megan Sikora as understudy Bambi Bernét and Gerry Vichi as producer Sidney Bernstein.

"Curtains unfolds backstage at Boston's Colonial Theatre in 1959, where a new musical could be a Broadway smash, were it not for its talent-free leading lady.  When the star dies on opening night, Lt. Frank Cioffi (David Hyde Pierce) arrives to conduct an investigation.  But the lure of the theatre proves irresistible and after an unexpected romance blooms for the stage-struck detective, he finds himself just as drawn toward making the show a hit, as he is in solving the murder," explain press notes.

Curtains is an original musical comedy with a book by Rupert Holmes (multiple Tony Award-winner for The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Say Goodnight Gracie), music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb (the Tony Award-winning songwriters of Cabaret, Chicago, New York New York), original book and concept by Tony Award-winner Peter Stone (1776, Titanic, The Will Rogers Follies), and additional lyrics by John Kander & Rupert Holmes.  Curtains is directed by five-time Tony Award-nominee Scott Ellis (She Loves Me, 1776, 12 Angry Men, Steel Pier).  Choreography is by Tony Award-winner Rob Ashford (Thoroughly Modern Millie).

The 31-member cast also features Nili Bassman (Arlene Barucca), Bridget Berger (Roberta Wooster), Kevin Bernard (Roy Stetson/Detective O'Farrell), Ward Billeisen (Brick Hawvermale), Jennifer Dunne (Jan Setler), David Eggers (Swing), J. Austin Eyer (Swing), Jennifer Frankel (Marjorie Cook), Patty Goble (Jessica Cranshaw/Connie Subbotin), Lorin Lattaro (Swing), Shannon Lewis (Mona Page), David Loud (Sasha Iljinsky), Brittany Marcin (Peg Prentice), Jim Newman (Randy Dexter), Aaron Ramey (Harv Fremont), Joe Aaron Reid (Ronnie Driscoll), Christopher Spaulding (Russ Cochran), Jerome Vivona (Swing) and Stephanie Youell (Swing).

Producers are Roger Berlind, Roger Horchow, Daryl Roth, Jane Bergère, Ted Hartley and Center Theatre Group.  Curtains had its world premiere on August 9, 2006 at Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. 

Performance schedule for Curtains is Tuesday at 7:00 PM, Wednesday through Saturday at 8:00 PM, with matinees Wednesday and Saturday at 2:00 PM, and Sunday at 3:00 PM.  Tickets are on sale at Telecharge at 212-239-6200, online at www.telecharge.com or in person at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre box office (302 West 45th Street). www.CurtainsTheMusical.com