Inherit the Wind Opens Tonight, April 12, on Broadway

Tonight is opening night for Inherit the Wind, starring two time Tony Award-winners Christopher Plummer and Brian Dennehy. Tony Award-winner Doug Hughes directs.

Plummer is a two-time Tony Award winner for Cyrano (1973) and Barrymore (1997) and most recently earned rave reviews for his performance on Broadway in King Lear (2004).  Dennehy has won Tony Awards for his last two performances on Broadway in Death of a Salesman (1999) and Long Day's Journey Into Night (2003).  Hughes won a Tony Award in 2005 for his direction of Doubt. 

The play "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.  Mr. Dennehy will play the role of attorney Matthew Harrison Brady (based on William Jennings Bryan), and Mr. Plummer will play attorney Henry Drummond (based on Clarence Darrow)," state production notes.

Inherit the Wind, often considered one of the great plays of the twentieth century, first played on Broadway in 1955 at The National Theatre (now the Nederlander), with Paul Muni and Ed Begley earning Tony Awards for their performances as Drummond and Brady, respectively.  The popular 1960 movie version starred Spencer Tracy and FredEric March, and three television adaptations have also been filmed.   

The play will be produced on Broadway by Boyett Ostar Productions, The Shubert Organization, Lawrence Horowitz, Jon Avnet/Ralph Guild, Roy Furman, Debra Black/Daryl Roth, Bill Rollnick/Nancy Ellison Rollnick, and Stephanie McClelland.

Oscar nominated- and Tony Award-winning designer Santo Loquasto will design the sets and costumes for the production.   Brian MacDevitt is the lighting designer. Original music and sound design is by David Van Tieghem. 

Tickets are available by calling Telecharge at 212 239 6200 or by visiting www.telecharge.com, and at the Lyceum Theatre box office (149 West 45th Street).  Regular ticket prices are $76.25 - $96.25. Premium pricing is $176.25 - $251.25. Special on-stage seating is $36.25.  Visit www.InheritTheWindOnBroadway.com.

Photo of Brian Dennehy by Mark Rupp