Shirine Babb, Alyssa Bresnahan, and Full Cast Announced for Roundabout's NAPOLI, BROOKLYN

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director/CEO) has announced the full company for Meghan Kennedy's (Too Much, Too Much, Too Many) new play Napoli, Brooklyn, commissioned by Roundabout, directed by Gordon Edelstein.

The cast includes Shirine Babb as "Celia Jones," Alyssa Bresnahan as "Luda," Juliet Brett as "Connie Duffy," Jordyn DiNatale as "Francesca Muscolino," Lilli Kay as "Tina Muscolino," Elise Kibler as "Vita Muscolino," Erik Lochtefeld as "Albert Duffy" and Michael Rispoli as "Nic Muscolino."

Napoli, Brooklyn will begin preview performances on June 9 2017 and opens officially on June 27, 2017 at the Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 W 46th Street). This is a limited engagement Off-Broadway through September 3, 2017.

Napoli, Brooklyn is a gripping, provocative portrait of love in all its danger and beauty. In 1960 Brooklyn, the Muscolinos have raised three proud and passionate daughters. But as the girls come of age in a rapidly changing world, their paths diverge-in drastic and devastating ways-from their parents' deeply traditional values. Despite their fierce love, each young woman harbors a secret longing that, if revealed, could tear the family apart. When an earth-shattering event rocks their Park Slope neighborhood, life comes to a screeching halt and the Muscolino sisters are forced to confront their conflicting visions for the future.

Roundabout is pleased to welcome back Roundabout Underground Alumni, Meghan Kennedy. After the success of Too Much, Too Much, Too Many in 2013 at Roundabout Underground, Roundabout commissioned Meghan to write Napoli, Brooklyn. Roundabout also welcomes back Long Wharf Theater Artistic Director Gordon Edelstein following the acclaimed productions of Road to Mecca and The Glass Menagerie.

The creative team will also include Eugene Lee (Sets), Jane Greenwood (Costumes), Ben Stanton (Lights) and Fitz Patton (Sound).

This production of Napoli, Brooklyn was supported by a Theatre Commissioning and Production Initiative grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Partial underwriting support for Napoli, Brooklyn provided by the Seedings Foundation and an annual award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

TICKET INFORMATION:

Tickets for Napoli, Brooklyn are available by calling 212.719.1300, online at roundabouttheatre.org, and in person at any Roundabout box office: The Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 W 46th Street); American Airlines Theatre Box office (227 West 42nd Street) and Studio 54 (254 West 54th Street). All single tickets are $79.

BIOGRAPHIES:

Shirine Babb (Celia Jones). Roundabout debut. Broadway: Macbeth with Ethan Hawke (LCT). Off-Broadway: Around the World in 80 Days (New Theatre at 45th), Aliens with Extraordinary Skills (Women's Project), A Role Once Played (AUDELCO Award nom.). Selected Regional: Title role in Antony & Cleopatra (Shakespeare Festival St. Louis 2015 Theatre Critic Circle nom.), Disgraced (Long Wharf 2015 CT Critic Circles nom.), The Merchant of Venice with sir Derek Jacobi (The Strathmore), Measure & Dido with sir Derek Jacobi (Kennedy Center). TV/Media: "Iron Fist," "I Love You, But I Lied," "Blue Bloods," "Madam Secretary." Upcoming: Title role in Antony & Cleopatra (Folger). MA East 15 Conservatory, UK and MFA Old Globe PTAP.

Alyssa Bresnahan (Luda). Broadway, Lincoln Center: War Horse (Rose Narracott). Off-Broadway: Hamlet, Measure for Measure (Theater for a New Audience) Necessary Targets (Variety Arts). Denver/UK tour: Tantalus (co-production, RSC/ Denver Theater Center). Regional: Napoli, Brooklyn, A Moon for The Misbegotten, The Front Page (Long Wharf), The Rose Tattoo, Heartbreak House, (Goodman), A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Night of the Iguana, (Hartford Stage), Antigone (South Coast Rep). Film: Sollers Point (2017 release), The Wrestler, 27 Dresses. TV: "Blacklist," "Law & Order." Multiple award winning Audio Book Narrator. Education: NYU, Experimental Theater Wing.

Juliet Brett (Connie Duffy). Roundabout debut. Off-Broadway: What I Did Last Summer (Signature Theater), Desire (59e59), Beth Henley's The Jacksonian (The New Group). Film: Noah Baumbach's Mistress America, A Most Violent Year, Admission with Tina Fey. On the web, Juliet plays Amy in "Redheads Anonymous." TV: "Red Oaks" (recurring), "Law & Order," "Deadbeat," "CSI: NY." Regional Theater: Rajiv Joseph's world premiere of Mr. Wolf (Cleveland Playhouse), projects at NYSAF, Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival, Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater. Upcoming: Summer (film). Instagram and Twitter: @JulietBrett.

Jordyn DiNatale (Francesca Muscolino) is thrilled to be making her Roundabout debut! Off-Broadway: Recall (Colt Coeur). Regional: Napoli, Brooklyn (Long Wharf Theatre). TV: "Shades of Blue," "Mindhunter," "Inside Amy Schumer," "Eye Candy." Film: Truth Slash Fiction (Best Actress in a Comedy, iTVFest and SeriesFest), How Far She Went, Fry Day (Tribeca Film Festival). Love and thanks to my family and friends.

LILLI KAY (Tina Muscolino) graduated from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in May 2017. She is the proud descendant of fiery, fiercely loving Italian immigrants, and could not be more excited to be making her New York theatre debut in Napoli, Brooklyn. She comes to Roundabout Theatre Company with love and gratitude for her wonderful folks, her CMU family, and her mom's pasta e fagioli.

Elise Kibler (Vita Muscolino) is a female with brown hair and a strong immune system. Broadway: The Heidi Chronicles, This Is Our Youth. Off-Broadway: Indian Summer (Playwrights Horizons), London Wall (Mint Theater), Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare in the Square).

Erik Lochtefeld (Albert Duffy). Roundabout: debut. Broadway: Misery, Metamorphoses. Off-Broadway: The Light Years (Playwrights Horizons), A Funny Thing...of NYC (MCC), Stupid F***ing Bird (The Pearl), Small Mouth Sounds (Ars Nova), Powerhouse (New Ohio), Row After Row (Women's Project), Tamar of the River (Prospect Theatre), Melancholy Play (13P), February House (Public Theatre). Regional: Unknown Soldier (Williamstown), Hamlet (Yale Rep), Candide (Goodman, Shakespeare and Huntington Theatre), as well as work with Long Wharf, The O'Neill, Hartford Stage, Two River Theatre, McCarter, Centerstage, Cincinnati Playhouse, Lookingglass, Chicago Shakespeare, Intiman, Seattle Rep, Berkeley Rep, Cal Shakes, Mark Taper Forum, among others. TV/Film: "Madame Secretary," The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, "All My Children," "Third Watch," "Law & Order." He is a graduate of Northwestern University and is married to playwright Laura Eason.

Michael Rispoli (Nic Muscolino) was last seen on the NY stage as Lt. Caro in Stephen Adley Guirgus' Pulitzer Prize-winning play Between Riverside and Crazy at the Atlantic and Second Stage Theaters. He recently wrapped David Simon's "The Deuce" for HBO, opposite James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal which will premiere in September. Film credits include: The Depths, Kick Ass, Rob the Mob, Pain & Gain, The Rum Diary opposite Johnny Depp, Death to Smoochy, Two Family House, Rounders, The Taking of Pelham 123 directed by Tony Scott, While You Were Sleeping and Friends and Romans, which he also co-wrote and executive produced. Selected TV credits include such prestige projects as "Those Who Kill" for A&E, the STARZ hit series "Magic City," ABC's miniseries "Madoff," opposite Richard Dreyfuss and Blythe Danner and "The Sopranos." A graduate of SUNY Plattsburgh and Circle in the Square Theater School, Michael was a Founding Member of the Willow Cabin Theater Company whose production of Wilder, Wilder, Wilder moved from Off-Off to Off to Broadway in a single season, and was nominated for a Best Revival Tony. Michael would like to thank Madeline, Raphael, Gabriella, and Michael for their ever present love, support, and patience.

Meghan Kennedy (Playwright). Plays include Napoli, Brooklyn (world premiere co-production Long Wharf Theater and Roundabout Theatre, Doris Duke Foundation grant recipient), Too Much, Too Much, Too Many (Roundabout Underground, published by Dramatists' Play Service), Light (winner of David Calicchio Emerging American Playwright Prize). Meghan is under commission from Roundabout Theatre Company, Williamstown Theater Festival and The Geffen Playhouse. An alum of Page 73 and Ars Nova, her plays have been produced around the U.S., Ireland and Sweden. She is currently writing for the upcoming TV show "Rise" (NBC).

Gordon Edelstein (Director). Broadway: The Road to Mecca, The Homecoming. NY: Satchmo at the Waldorf (Drama Desk and OCC Awards), My Name is Asher Lev (OCC Award), The Glass Menagerie (Lortel Award), A Skull in Connemara, many others. Artistic Director of Long Wharf Theatre for 16 seasons, where he recently directed the world premiere musical The Most Beautiful Room in New York by Adam Gopnik & David Shire, Endgame starring Brian Dennehy and Reg E. Cathey, and the world premiere of Steve Martin's Meteor Shower.

ABOUT THE NEW PLAY INITIATIVE

Through the New Play Initiative, Roundabout proves its devotion to the development and production of new works by significant writers and artists. The Roundabout Underground program in particular, provides substantial artistic and financial resources to emerging playwrights to stage their debut productions in New York and on Roundabout's stages. In addition to producing their first play, writers receive a commission for a future play, showing a level of commitment to writers' careers and the future of theatre in New York that is unparalleled. The New Play Initiative has discovered and brought audiences some of the most important new voices in theatre and is dedicated to creating a diverse canon for the future of theatre. To learn more about Roundabout's commitment to the development of new work, visit NPI VIDEO.

Roundabout's work with new and emerging playwrights and directors, as well as development of new work, is made possible by Katheryn Patterson and Tom Kempner.

We gratefully acknowledge the Roundabout Leaders for New Works: Alec Baldwin, Linda L. D'Onofrio, Peggy and Mark Ellis, Jodi Glucksman, Sylvia Golden, Hess Foundation, Inc., Judith and Douglas Krupp, K. Myers, Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater, Laura S. Rodgers, Seedlings Foundation, Mary Solomon, Lauren and Danny Stein, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Dr. Leonard Tow, and Lori Uddenberg.

ABOUT ROUNDABOUT

Roundabout Theatre Company is committed to producing the highest quality theatre with the finest artists, sharing stories that endure, and providing accessibility to all audiences. A not-for-profit company, Roundabout fulfills its mission each season through the production of classic plays and musicals; development and production of new works by established and emerging writers; educational initiatives that enrich the lives of children and adults; and a subscription model and audience outreach programs that cultivate and engage all audiences.

Roundabout Theatre Company presents a variety of plays, musicals, and new works on its five stages, each of which is specifically designed to enhance the needs of Roundabout's mission. Off-Broadway, the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, which houses the Laura Pels Theatre and Black Box Theatre, with its simple sophisticated design, is perfectly suited to showcasing new plays. The grandeur of its Broadway home on 42nd Street, American Airlines Theatre, sets the ideal stage for the classics. Roundabout's Studio 54 provides an exciting and intimate Broadway venue for its musical and special event productions. The Stephen Sondheim Theatre offers a state of the art LEED certified Broadway theatre in which to stage major large-scale musical revivals. Together these distinctive homes serve to enhance Roundabout's work on each of its stages.

American Airlines is the official airline of Roundabout Theatre Company. Roundabout productions are supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Roundabout's season in 2017 includes Arthur Miller's The Price, directed by Terry Kinney; Marvin's Room by Scott McPherson, directed by Anne Kauffman; Napoli, Brooklyn by Meghan Kennedy, directed by Gordon Edelstein; Time and the Conways by J. B. Priestley, directed by Rebecca Taichman; and the national tour of Sam Mendes & Rob Marshall's Tony Award-winning production of Cabaret.

Roundabout's new off-Broadway season dedicated to new work at the Harold & Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre in 2017-2018 will include The Last Match, by Anna Ziegler, directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch; Amy and the Orphans, by Lindsey Ferrentino, directed by Scott Ellis; Skintight, by Joshua Harmon, directed by Daniel Aukin.

Roundabout Underground's 2017-2018 season will include Too Heavy for your Pocket, by Jiréh Breon Holder.

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