Complete Casting Announced for Broadway Musical Curtains

Complete casting has been announced for the Broadway production of Curtains, a new musical comedy featuring one of the last scores by the legendary songwriting team of John Kander and the late Fred Ebb. Previews will begin on February 27, and the production will open on March 22 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre The production is directed by Scott Ellis The Little Dog Laughed, Twelve Angry Men, with choreography by Rob Ashford Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Curtains stars David Hyde Pierce as Lieutenant Frank Cioffi, Debra Monk as producer Carmen Bernstein, Karen Ziemba as lyricist Georgia Hendricks, Jason Danieley as composer Aaron Fox, Jill Paice as ingénue Niki Harris and Edward Hibbert as director Christopher Belling, with John Bolton as theater critic Daryl Grady, Michael X. Martin as stage manager Johnny Harmon, Michael McCormick as investor Oscar Shapiro, Noah Racey as choreographer Bobby Pepper, Ernie Sabella as producer Sidney Bernstein and Megan Sikora as understudy Bambi Bernét.

The 31-member cast also features Ashley Amber Swing, Nili Bassman Arlene Barucca, Kevin Bernard Roy Stetson/Detective O'Farrell, Ward Billeisen Brick Hawvermale, Paula Leggett Chase, Marjorie Cook, Jennifer Dunne Jan Setler, David Eggers Swing, J. Austin Eyer Swing, Matt Farnsworth Harv Fremont, Patty Goble Jessica Cranshaw/Connie Subbotin, Mary Ann Lamb Mona Page, David Loud Sasha Iljinsky, Brittany Marcin Peg Prentice, Jim Newman Randy Dexter, Joe Aaron Reid Ronnie Driscoll, Darcie Roberts Roberta Wooster, Christopher Spaulding Russ Cochran, Allison Spratt Swing and Jerome Vivona Swing.

Curtains unfolds backstage at Boston's Colonial Theatre in 1959, where a new musical could be a Broadway smash were it not for the presence of its talent-free leading lady. When the hapless star dies on opening night during her curtain call, Lieutenant Frank Cioffi Pierce arrives on the scene to conduct an investigation. The lure of the theater proves irresistible, and after an unexpected romance blooms for the stage-struck detective, he finds himself just as drawn toward making the show a hit as he is in solving the murder.

With music and additional lyrics by John Kander, Curtains features a book and additional lyrics by Rupert Holmes The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Ebb, the original lyricist and Kander's writing partner for some 40 years, died in 2004. The original book for the show was by Peter Stone, who died in 2003.

Producers for the Broadway production are Roger Berlind, Roger Horchow, Daryl Roth, Jane Bergère, Ted Hartley and Center Theatre Group. Curtains had its world premiere on August 9, 2006, at Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.

Curtains features set design by Anna Louizos, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski, sound design by Brian Ronan, orchestrations by William David Brohn, dance arrangements by David Chase and music direction and vocal arrangements by David Loud.