Allison Janney, Hunter Foster Sign On at Williamstown
The Williamstown Theatre Festival has added Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit to its 2007 schedule, shuffled the timing of several shows and announced that Allison Janney and Hunter Foster will headline two of this summer's offerings.
Janney, a Tony nominee for A View from the Bridge, Emmy winner for The West Wing and soon-to-be Prudy Pingleton in the film version of Hairspray, will play Constance Tuckerman in Lillian Hellman's The Autumn Garden, directed by David Jones. Foster, a Tony nominee for Little Shop of Horrors and star of Broadway's Urinetown and The Producers, will play Jack in the world premiere of the musical Party Come Here. Directed by Christopher Ashley, the show has a book by Daniel Goldfarb and music and lyrics by David Kirshenbaum. Also featured in the cast will be Kaitlin Hopkins How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Noises Off, Bat Boy.
William Ivey Long will design the costumes for the previously announced one-man musical Herringbone, starring B.D. Wong and directed by festival artistic director Roger Rees.
Williamstown regular James Naughton will give a benefit concert, "An Evening With James Naughton," on July 30 at the Nikos Stage, with proceeds to support the creation of new work receiving its premiere at the festival.
With the addition of Blithe Spirit, the dates for several previously announced productions have shifted. The revised schedule is below. For detailed descriptions of each show, see Broadway.com's Williamstown season preview news story.
June 14-24: Herringbone, Center Stage
June 27-July 8: Dissonance, Nikos Stage
July 4-15: The Front Page, Main Stage
July 11-22: Villa America, Nikos Stage
July 18-29: Blithe Spirit, Main Stage
July 25-August 5: Party Come Here, Nikos Stage
August 1-12: The Corn Is Green, Main Stage
August 7-18: The Physicists, Center Stage
August 8-29: Crimes of the Heart, Nikos Stage
August 15-26: The Autumn Garden, Main Stage
