Williamstown Theatre Festival Announces Early Casting

Preliminary casting has been announced for the 2006 Williamstown Theatre Festival. Tony nominated actors Malcolm Gets and Beth Fowler are among those who will take part. The Main Stage season will open with a revival of Anything Goes featuring Malcolm Gets Tony nominee for Amour, known for TV's Caroline in the City as Evelyn, Matt Cavenaugh Grey Gardens, Urban Cowboy as Billy Crocker, Nikki Renee Daniels currently Lestat as Hope, Catherine Brunell Thoroughly Modern Millie as Bonnie, Remy Auberjonois as Moonface Martin, Tom Bloom as Elijah Whitney, Sandra Shipley as Mrs. Harcourt, and Paul O'Brien as Captain. WTF Artistic Director Roger Rees will helm the production, running at Williamstown from July 5 through July 16.

The next Main Stage offering will be Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth, featuring Derek Cecil as Chance Wayne, Ted Koch as George Scudder, Beth Fowler Tony nominee for The Boy from Oz and Sweeney Todd as Aunt Nonnie and Betsy Aidem as Miss Lucy. Directed by David Jones, it will play on the Main Stage from July 19 through July 30.

From August 2 through August 13, the Main Stage will play host to a new production of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Will Frears will direct a cast to include Bill Camp as Friar Laurence, Kristine Nielsen as the Nurse, Daniel Oreskes as Capulet, Paul O'Brien as Montague, Sandra Shipley as Lady Montague and Remy Auberjonois as Tybalt. No casting has been announced for the title roles.

The Nikos Stage season will begin with Cusi Cram's Lucy and the Conquest, running July 12 through July 23. Jeanine Serralles and Bernard White will star. Suzanne Agins will direct.

The musical The Opposite of Sex will feature Kerry Butler Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors, TV's One Life to Live and David Burtka Gypsy, both of whom previously appeared in the show in its world premiere engagement at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco in the fall of 2004. Directed by Robert Jess Roth, it is scheduled to run on the Nikos Stage from August 9 through August 20.

In addition to the news above, WTF has also announced that its new play reading series, Fridays @ 3, will conclude with a classic American play each year. This year it will be Beth Henley's Pulitzer Prize-winning Crimes of the Heart directed by actress Kathleen Turner. Turner will also give a master class for young actors in the Festival's training program.