Photo Flash: First Look at BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Growing up isn't easy.

Just ask 15-year-old Eugene Morris Jerome, the teen at the center of Neil Simon's beloved Brighton Beach Memoirs who grapples with coming of age during The Great Depression in the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn, New York.

As the pressures of the impending war unfold around him, Eugene navigates the waters of adolescence and family dynamics in Simon's touching, funny and unforgettable semi-autobiographical play, onstage at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre February 23 through March 8.

See photos below!

The first chapter in what is known as Simon's Eugene trilogy (preceding Biloxi Blues and Broadway Bound), Brighton Beach Memoirs premiered on Broadway in 1983 starring Matthew Broderick, where it earned three Tony Awards® and became the last non-musical play to run over 1,000 consecutive performances on Broadway. The New York Post called the play Simon's "best play yet," and it was later adapted into a 1986 film starring Jonathan Silverman.

Directed by award-winning South Florida director J. Barry Lewis (whose recent work at the Theatre includes A Doll's House, Part 2, An Inspector Calls, Disgraced, Frost/Nixon, Glengarry Glen Ross, Dial M for Murder and Doubt: A Parable), the play will feature a cast of seven acclaimed actors, including many from South Florida. The cast includes Anthony Zambito as Eugene (whose credits include Peter Pan), Avi Hoffman as Jack (known for his Drama Desk-nominated Yiddish-language production of Death of a Salesman, as well as his one-man shows), Laura Turnbull as Kate (seen recently as Mrs. Pott's in the Theatre's hit production of Disney Beauty and the Beast), Alex Walton as Stanley (seen recently in Next to Normal and Hair), Margery Lowe as Blanche (who recently closed the world premiere of Ordinary Americans at Palm Beach Dramaworks), Krystal Millie Valdes as Nora (The House of Blue Leaves at Palm Beach Dramaworks) and Alexa Lasanta as Laurie (the recent national tour of The Sound of Music).

The production will showcase the artistry of a host of talented designers, including scenic designer Anne Mundell (A Doll's House, Part 2, Born Yesterday, Disgraced, The Audience, Frost/Nixon, Glengarry Glen Ross and Other Desert Cities), lighting designer Kirk Bookman (A Doll's House, Part 2, An Inspector Calls, Hairspray, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Glengarry Glen Ross), costume designer Tracy Dorman (A Doll's House, Part 2, An Inspector Calls, Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps and Agatha Christie: The Mousetrap), hair and wig designer Gerard Kelly (who has designed for Hair on Broadway and on London's West End) and award-winning resident sound designer Marty Mets.

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