Sydney Theatre Company hosts one of the world's greatest ensembles, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, with the originating production of August: Osage County by Tracy Letts, directed by Anna D. Shapiro (Sydney Theatre, 13 August - 25 September 2010). Hailed as the first American classic of the 21st Century, the play is an entertaining, meticulously detailed and deeply moving tragicomedy of family dysfunction.
While the casting of Phylicia Rashad as the manipulative, pill-addicted matriarch of Oklahoma's abundantly dysfunctionAl Weston family in Tracy Letts' epic comedy/drama, August: Osage County may seem an odd choice for those who only know the actress from her television roles as the elegant Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show and... uh... Clair Huxtable II on Cosby, she might be considered a natural for the part by New York playgoers who have seen her rip up the stage as the anguished and dominating Bernarda Alba or have observed her communicating silent volumes as a symbol of African heritage in Gem of the Ocean.
TRACY LETTS' AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, winner of five 2008 Tony Awards, as well as the 2008 Pulitzer Prize, and currently starring Tony and Emmy award winner PHYLICIA RASHAD, will play its final performance on SUNDAY, JUNE 28th, 2009. It will have played 648 performances and 18 previews, surpassing The Heidi Chronicles, Master Class, The Real Thing, and Doubt, among many others, to become one of the longest running plays in Broadway history.
TRACY LETTS' AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, winner of five 2008 Tony Awards, as well as the 2008 Pulitzer Prize, and currently starring Tony and Emmy award winner PHYLICIA RASHAD, will play its final performance on SUNDAY, JUNE 28th, 2009. It will have played 648 performances and 18 previews, surpassing The Heidi Chronicles, Master Class, The Real Thing, and Doubt, among many others, to become one of the longest running plays in Broadway history.
August: Osage County, which, on Friday, May 22nd, surpassed The Heidi Chronicles in the list of Broadway's longest running plays, welcomed Tony Award-winner Phylicia Rashad to the cast on Tuesday, May 26th. Ms. Rashad now stars as Violet Weston. BroadwayWorld's cameras were there last night to capture the curtain call with the acclaimed cast.
The evening of Saturday, May 30, 2009 marks a major milestone at the Music Box Theatre - August: Osage County will surpass another long running, Tony Award winning play, The Fourposter by Jan De Hartog, when it hits its 633rd performance.
August: Osage County, which, on Friday, May 22nd, surpassed The Heidi Chronicles in the list of Broadway's longest running plays, welcomes Tony Award-winner Phylicia Rashad to the cast tonight, Tuesday, May 26th. Ms. Rashad will star as Violet Weston.
August: Osage County, winner of five 2008 Tony Awards as well as the 2008 Pulitzer Prize, is proud to welcome back Original Cast member and Tony Award nominee AMY MORTON to the role of 'Barbara Fordham' on Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 @ 7:00pm.
August: Osage County, which, on Friday, May 22nd, will surpass The Heidi Chronicles in the list of Broadway's longest running plays, is proud to welcome Tony Award-winner PHYLICIA RASHAD and welcome back Tony-nominated Original Cast member AMY MORTON to the cast on TUESDAY, MAY 26th, following the departure of Academy Award winner ESTELLE PARSONS on SUNDAY, MAY 17th.
August: Osage County, which, on Friday, May 22nd, will surpass The Heidi Chronicles in the list of Broadway's longest running plays, is proud to welcome Tony Award-winner PHYLICIA RASHAD and welcome back Tony-nominated Original Cast member AMY MORTON to the cast on TUESDAY, MAY 26th, following the departure of Academy Award winner ESTELLE PARSONS on SUNDAY, MAY 17th.
The matinee on Saturday, May 2, 2009's marks another milestone at the Music Box Theatre - August: Osage County will be celebrating its 600th performance. August: Osage County is the third longest running play this decade following The Tale of the Allergist's Wife and Proof. The show, which is still going strong at the Music Box Theatre, recently played to sold-out crowds in London this past winter, will embark on its national tour this summer (with current Broadway star Estelle Parsons). A big screen version is also in the works.
August: Osage County, winner of five 2008 Tony Awards as well as the 2008 Pulitzer Prize, is proud to welcome back Original Cast member and Tony Award nominee AMY MORTON to the role of 'Barbara Fordham' on Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 @ 7:00pm.
Phylicia Rashad has been announced to step into the role of Violet Weston in the Broadway production of August: Osage County. Rashad will follow Deanna Dunagan and Estelle Parsons in the part and will join the show on May 26.
On February 26th, 2009, August: Osage County will be celebrating its 526th performance, surpassing fellow Pulitzer Prize-winning drama DOUBT, which ran for 525 performances closing on July 2, 2006.
On February 26th, 2009, August: Osage County will be celebrating its 526th performance, surpassing fellow Pulitzer Prize-winning drama DOUBT, which ran for 525 performances closing on July 2, 2006.
February 3rd, 2009 was a very special day at the Music Box Theatre because August: Osage County celebrated its 500th performance (that's a lot of drugs, fights, fish and smashed plates!), BroadwayWorld sent in the cameras to capture all the 'family fun'! Original cast members Kimberly Guerrero, Sally Murphy, Troy West and Mariann Mayberry returned to their roles direct from their recent smash-hit limited engagement in London. And, to top things off, Tony winner Elizabeth Ashley joined the cast in the role of 'Mattie Fae'.
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is very proud to announce its critically-acclaimed American play August: Osage County by Steppenwolf ensemble member Tracy Letts, directed by ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro, is nominated for four 2009 Laurence Olivier Awards including:
Best new play - Tracy Letts
Best company performance
Best actress - Deanna Dunagan
Best set design - Todd Rosenthal
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is excited to announce its 2009-2010 Subscription Season, exploring the theme of belief. Season subscriptions go on-sale to the public on Tuesday, February 3 at 11 a.m.
Steppenwolf ensemble members currently confirmed for the 2009-2010 Season include: Alana Arenas, Kate Arrington, Ian Barford, Frank Galati, Jon Michael Hill, Francis Guinan, Tina Landau, Tracy Letts, Amy Morton, William Petersen, Rondi Reed, Anna D. Shapiro, Eric Simonson and Alan Wilder. Additional casting to be announced.