Chris Noth and John Gallagher Jr. to Co-Star in Farragut North at Atlantic

Sex and the City heartthrob Chris Noth and Tony Award winner John Gallagher Jr. of Spring Awakening have signed on to star in Atlantic Theater Company's world premiere of Beau Willimon's Farragut North, which begins previews October 22. Directed by Tony Award winner Doug Hughes Doubt, the limited engagement will have its opening November 12 and play through November 29.

Noth and Gallagher will appear alongside cast members Dan Bittner The Vertical Hour, Atlantic Theater Company member Kate Blumberg Almost an Evening, Celebration and the Room, Otto Sanchez HBO's Oz, Olivia Thirlby the title character's best friend in Juno and Atantic company member Isiah Whitlock Jr. The Cherry Orchard, Edmond, HBO's The Wire.

Named for a Washington DC subway stop, Farragut North centers on Stephen, a wunderkid press secretary who has built a career men twice his age would envy. During a tight presidential primary race, Stephen's meteoric rise falls prey to the backroom politics of more seasoned operatives, and his one-night stand with a teenaged staffer proves to be more complicated than casual. Screen star Jake Gyllenhaal participated in a reading of the play, and Warner Brothers is reportedly developing a feature film version to star Leonard DiCaprio. Playwright Willimon Lower Ninth worked on Howard Dean's 2004 presidential campaign.

Noth appeared on Broadway in Gore Vidal's The Best Man and recently played the role of Teach in American Buffalo at the Berkshire Theatre Festival. Off-Broadway credits include Innocent, Thoughts, Harmless Intentions, Arms and the Man and What Didn't Happen. He recently reprised his role as Sex and the City's “Mr. Big” for the summer's big screen film adaptation of the classic television series. Noth has also starred on the TV series Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order. Additional TV and films credits include Sex and the City, Homicide: Life on the Street, Touched by an Angel, Pigeonholed and Julius Caesar.

Gallagher originated the role of Moritz in Atlantic's acclaimed production of Spring Awakening, going on to win a Tony Award in the same part once the show transferred to Broadway. He also appeared on Broadway in Rabbit Hole. Additional off-Broadway credits include Kimberly Akimbo and Atlantic's Port Authority.

Farragut North will be followed by Atlantic's forthcoming productions of The Cripple of Inishmaan December 9 through March 1, 2009 and Ethan Coen's Offices Spring 2009.