David Cromer to Direct Revivals of Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs & Broadway Bound

Chicago-based director David Cromer, whose well-received production of the musical Adding Machine had a successful off-Broadway run last season, has been tapped to direct the forthcoming Broadway revivals of Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs and Broadway Bound, according to Variety. The two plays will begin rehearsals in the summer of 2009 and run in rep in the fall, with Brighton Beach Memoirs beginning first.

Daniel Sullivan had previously been mentioned as a director of the revivals, which will be produced by Simon's longtime collaborator Emanuel Azenberg and Ira Pittelman The Odd Couple, Spring Awakening. No casting or theater has been announced.

The two plays are the first and third parts of an autobiograpical trilogy that also included Biloxi Blues. Matthew Broderick won a Tony Award for in Brighton Beach Memoirs as Eugene Jerome, a character based on the playwright. Because both Brighton Beach and Broadway Bound are set in the Jerome home in Brooklyn, the two plays can work well in rep. Elizabeth Franz received a Tony nomination as matriarch Kate Jerome in Brighton Beach Memoirs and Linda Lavin received a Best Actress Tony in the same role in Broadway Bound. Gene Saks was the original director of the three plays.

In addition to Adding Machine, Variety reports that Cromer's conceptual version of Our Town is expected to transfer from Chicago to a commercial off-Broadway run at the Barrow Street Theater later this season with Cromer himself playing the leading role of the Stage Manager.