Kerry Butler on Re-Entering the Mad Men Era in The Best Man: 'The '60s Have Been Good to Me'

The upcoming Broadway revival of Gore Vidal’s The Best Man has enough star power to keep Times Square burning bright through the election. The political drama, directed by Michael Wilson, will feature theatrical titans James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury, Candice Bergen, John Larroquette, Eric McCormack and Michael McKean. Broadway.com caught up with another of the show’s stars, Broadway darling Kerry Butler, to talk about sharing the stage with these powerful actors.

“I am definitely freaking out,” said Butler, who will play Mabel Cantwell, the social-climbing wife of ambitious candidate Joseph Cantwell (Will & Grace alum McCormack). “I’m so excited about the cast. That first day of rehearsal is going to be crazy.”

Vidal’s 1960 drama centers on power, ambition, political secrets and ruthless behavior surrounding a race for the presidency. Asked about how she is prepping for the play, the former star of Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors and Catch Me If You Can joked, “I’ve done a lot of shows set in the '60s, so the '60s have been good to me. Now I have to get more in depth about politics in the '60s and learn about that. And [Mabel is] southern, so I’ve been doing a lot of research on southern women in the '60s.”

Make plans now to see Butler and her famous co-stars in The Best Man at Schoenfeld Theatre, where previews begin on March 6.