LUNT AND FONTANNE: THE CELESTIALS OF BROADWAY to Play FringeNYC

LUNT AND FONTANNE: The Celestials Of Broadway will have its New York Premiere at The New York International Fringe Festival in August. The famous duo of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne are played by real life married actor-couple Mark E. Lang and Alison Murphy, who met fifteen years ago performing in Cape May, New Jersey. They have subsequently worked together numerous times on stage in New Jersey and elsewhere. The play was written by Mark E. Lang, inspired by a comment from a theater-goer who exclaimed, "You two are becoming the Lunt & Fontanne of South Jersey."

The production is directed by award-winning director Owen Thompson, whose directing highlights include the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway productions of The London Cuckolds produced by Protean Theatre at Davenport Theatre and The Imaginary Invalid for The Actors Company Theatre (TACT) at Theatre Row. Owen also serves as producer of newTACTics, the annual festival of original plays presented by TACT, which was recently named "Company of the Year" by the Wall Street Journal.

The creative team includes costume design by Jessa-Raye Court & Viviane Galloway, sound design by Richard Frohlich, original music by Eric Gersen, stage management by Candice DiLavore and company manager Patrick Hyland.

Meet the most famous forgotten actor-couple in theater history, The Lunts, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. This fast-paced new comedy/drama covers their extraordinary partnership, from the 1920s through World War II, to the opening night of The Visit on Broadway in 1958. Friend Laurence Olivier gave them the nickname "The Celestials," and Cole Porter's musical Kiss Me Kate was inspired by their offstage battles. Actor-playwright Mark E. Lang co-stars with his wife Alison Murphy in this entertaining new play exploring their lives and careers, with cameos by Olivier, Noel Coward and Marlon Brando.

Actors Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne married in 1922 and worked together, almost exclusively, for decades. Stage actors who turned down big-money offers from Hollywood, the Lunts ruled Broadway, toured the nation and even played London's West End during the darkest days of World War II. They took low salaries to play in acclaimed productions of Shaw, O'Neill and Shakespeare; and starred in three plays by their good friend Noel Coward. Laurence Olivier once said, "Everything I know about acting I learned from Alfred Lunt." Hugely famous in their time, a Broadway theater was named for them in 1958. Though their memory has dimmed, their legend lives on.

Tickets are $18.00 and go on sale July 15th at www.fringenyc.org/basic_page.php?ltr=L#LUNTAN

Venue & dates to be announced in early July. Running time: 95 minutes. More info is available at www.luntandfontanne.com.

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