Modern Orthodox to Play Final Performance at Dodger Stages May 8

Daniel Goldfarb's Modern Orthodox will end its run at Dodger Stages on May 8. John Cariani, Sarah Chalke, Hunter Foster and Jenn Harris star in the comedy, which will have played 29 previews and 205 regular performances by the time it closes.

Modern Orthodox centers on Ben Foster, an Upper West Side financial consultant whose plans to marry doctor girlfriend Hannah Chalke get shaken up by the arrival of Hershel Cariani, a Jewish diamond dealer that sells them an engagement ring.

Modern Orthodox, directed by James Lapine, opened on December 6 with Craig Bierko as Ben, Molly Ringwald as Hannah and Jason Biggs as Hershel. All three of them left on March 6, with Cariani stepping in in mid-March and Chalke and Foster just joining the company last week. In his Broadway.com Review of the comedy, Edward Karam wrote: "If you have never been to Hebrew school, you may grind your teeth in frustration at the narrowness of the audience Goldfarb has pitched this piece to… Jewish New Yorkers may have a good time, but it's not likely to play in Topeka."

There are plans for Modern Orthodox productions at different locations in the United States and in Israel. The play may also be developed into a television series.