TV's Oz Stars Reunite for Primary Stages' Godfather IV Benefit

Primary Stages will end its 25th anniversary season with two benefit readings of Tom Fontana’s Godfather IV. A new theatrical sketch involving the discussion of a key scene in famed film The Godfather, the show will reunite original Oz stars Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU), Lee Tergesen (Generation Kill) and Dean Winters (30 Rock) and feature numerous cast members from the hit HBO series, created by Fontana. Directed by Linda Laundra, two performances will be held on May 2 at 59E59 Theaters.

Godfather IV finds the three Oz vets sitting in a diner, talking about their careers and the works of various screen immortals. When one of the trio (Meloni) attacks the plausibility of the Jack Woltz scene in the movie The Godfather, the other two (Tergesen and Winters) decide to re-enact the scene by sneaking a horse’s head into Meloni’s bed. As is fitting, “unexpected complications arise.” The show will also feature Oz alums Mike Doyle, Zeljko Ivanek, Terry Kinney, David Laundra, Kristin Rohde, Eamonn Walker and Catherine Wolf, as well as Fontana himself.

Oz, which chronicled the frequently violent day to day events in a unique maximum security prison unit, ran on HBO from 1997 to 2003, garnering two prime-time Emmy award nominations in the process.

Staged as a benefit for Primary Stages and the Writers Guild of America East Foundation, Godfather IV features original music by Stephen Elkins.