George Wendt Joins Cast of National Tour of Twelve Angry Men

George Wendt will join Richard Thomas on the Roundabout Theatre Company tour of Reginald Rose's Twelve Angry Men. Wendt will play Juror #1, the role Mark Blum originated in the acclaimed Broadway mounting of the courtroom drama.

Wendt is best known for playing Norm Peterson in the long-running TV series Cheers. He received six Emmy nominations for his work on the show. He currently appears in the new WB series Modern Men. He appeared in Art on Broadway and in London. His other theatrical credits include A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Wild Men.

In Twelve Angry Men, a young delinquent awaits sentencing for the manslaughter of his aggressive father. One juror Thomas feels that there is a "reasonable doubt"--to the frustration of his 11 colleagues--thus preventing a quick verdict. During the heated deliberations, the hidden preconceptions and assumptions of the jurors are revealed. When faced with playing the hangman, each juror is forced to face himself.

The tour of Twelve Angry Men, directed by Scott Ellis, is scheduled to begin at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut on September 19. The 30-week tour will also include stops at Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center, Baltimore's New Hippodrome, Minneapolis' Orpheum Theatre, Atlanta's Fox Theatre, Cincinnati's Aronoff Center For The Arts, Chicago's LaSalle Bank Theatre, Houston's Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Seattle's Paramount Theatre, Miami's Miami Performing Arts Center and Philadelphia's Merriam Theatre.