The cast and orchestra for A Catered Affair will head into the studio on April 7 to record the new musical for the PS Classics label. With a book by Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein and a score by first-time Broadway composer John Bucchino, the show is currently in previews and will open April 17 at the Walter Kerr Theatre. The cast recording is expected to be released on May 27, produced by Tommy Krasker.
The new production marks the third incarnation of A Catered Affair. Originally a TV play written by Paddy Chayefsky in 1955, it was turned into a film the next year, with a screenplay by Gore Vidal and starring Bette Davis, Ernest Borgnine and Debbie Reynolds. The story involves a Bronx couple who insist on giving their daughter the wedding they never had—a lavish, opulent extravaganza the humble bride-to-be doesn't even want.
Fierstein and Bocchino based their new adaptation on both the play and the film. Fierstein also double-times as a cast member, playing the family's uncle alongside Faith Prince and Tom Wopat as the bride's pushy parents. Leslie Kritzer and Matt Cavenaugh are the young couple ready to tie the knot. The featured cast includes Philip Hoffman, Katie Klaus, Heather Mac Rae, Lori Wilner and Kristine Zbornik.
