Ana Gasteyer to Star as Fosca in Chicago 'Passion'

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Ana Gasteyer, the "Saturday Night Live" comedienne turned stars of such musicals as Wicked and The Threepenny Opera, will take on the role of the tormented, sickly Fosca in a Chicago production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Passion.

Directed by Gary Griffin (The Color Purple), Passion will be presented at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre's Upstairs theater from October 2nd through November 11th, 2007.  Kathy Voytko (The Pirate Queen, Nine) will appear as Clara, with casting for the role of dashing officer Giorgio - who is loved by both women - to be announced.  The production will feature sets by Eugene Lee and costumes by Paul Tazewell.  

Based on the novel and on the 1981 Ettore Scola film, Passion follows Fosca's consuming ardor for Giorgio, whose resistance is gradually melted by the force of her love - despite already being involved in an affair with the married Clara.  Passion, with music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by Lapine, won the 1994 Tony Award for Best Musical and also garnered awards for Book and Score, as well as for Donna Murphy's performance as Fosca.  Jere Shea and Marin Mazzie also starred.  Passion has since been seen at such venues as Chicago's Ravinia, where it featured Audra McDonald, Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris.

Gasteyer received a Jefferson Award nomination for her performance as Elphaba in the Chicago production of Wicked; she repeated the role on Broadway. Other Broadway credits include The Threepenny Opera and The Rocky Horror Show. Her Off-Broadway and regional credits include Kimberly Akimbo (MTC), Roulette, The Vagina Monologues, Cinderella (NYC Opera), Fanny Brice in Funny Girl (Pittsburgh CLO) and Mary Zimmerman's The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci. Film appearances include Reefer Madness, Mean Girls, What Women Want, Dick and What's the Worst That Could Happen?. She is a former member of L.A.'s comedy troupe The Groundlings and spent six seasons on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" - popular characters included music teacher Bobbi Moughan-Culp, NPR's Margaret Jo and impressions of Martha Stewart and Celine Dion. Other TV includes "Frasier," "Just Shoot Me," "3rd Rock From the Sun," "Seinfeld," and "Law & Order."

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