Davie, Zien, Cantone & More Join Cast of Applause at Encores!

A starry cast will join previously announced star Christine Ebersole in Applause, the first presentation of New York City Center's Encores! series. Kate Burton Karen Richards, Mario Cantone Duane Fox, Tom Hewitt Howard Benedict, Michael Park Bill Sampson, Megan Sikora Bonnie, Chip Zien Buzz Richards and Erin Davie Eve Harrington have signed for the show's five performances, scheduled for February 7 through 10 at New York City Center. The show will be directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, with music direction by Rob Berman.

The complete cast for Applause includes Tony Freeman, Bob Gaynor, David Studwell, J.D. Webster, Cole Burden, John Carroll, Paula Leggett Chase, Susan Derry, Sarah Jane Everman, Lisa Gajda, Gregg Goodbrod, Justin Greer, James Harkness, Joe Komara, Raymond Lee, Monica Patton, Manuel Santos, Jennifer Savelli, Chaunteé Schuler, Steven Sofia, Kevin Vortman and Kristen Beth Williams.

Based on the classic Bette Davis film All About Eve, Applause is the ultimate backstage musical—the story of the great Broadway star Margo Channing Ebersole and her duplicitous understudy, Eve Harrington Davie. The original Broadway production starred Lauren Bacall and opened at the Palace Theatre on March 30, 1970, playing a total of 896 performances and winning five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Notable songs in the show include "Applause," "Welcome to the Theater" and "But Alive."

Burton is currently appearing on Broadway in Spring Awakening and earned Tony nominations for her performances in The Constant Wife, The Elephant Man and Hedda Gabler. Cantone starred on Broadway in the one-man show Laugh Whore and has appeared on Broadway in Love! Valour! Compassion!, The Tempest, The Violet Hour and Assassins. Davie most recently appeared off-Broadway in The Glorious Ones and starred opposite Ebersole in the Broadway production of Grey Gardens. She will join the Broadway cast of Curtains on February 15.

Hewitt played the title role in Dracula, The Musical on Broadway, and received a Tony nomination for The Rocky Horror Show. Park appeared on Broadway in Smokey Joe's Café, Little Me and Carousel. Sikora is currently appearing in Curtains on Broadway; her Broadway credits include 42nd Street, Wicked, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Dracula, The Musical. Zien most recently appeared in the Broadway revival of Les Miserables; his Broadway credits include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Boys From Syracuse, Into the Woods, Falsettos and Grand Hotel.