Kennedy Center to Present Trio of McNally Plays; Cate Blanchett in Streetcar

The Kennedy Center will present a trio of plays by Terrence McNally and host the Sydney Theater Company’s production of A Streetcar Named Desire starring Cate Blanchett as part of its 2009-2010 season.

The McNally series, dubbed “Nights at the Opera,” will include the Tony-winning Master Class 1995, The Lisbon Traviata an off-Broadway hit in 1989, and the new play The Golden Age, described as a backstage drama surrounding the premiere of Bellini’s final opera I Puritani. The plays will run from March 20 to April 11, 2010.

Blanchett will play Blanche DuBois in the American premiere of Liv Ullmann’s production of Streetcar from October 29 to November 21. The play is also scheduled for a run at BAM.

The season will also include the DC engagement of several shows with a Broadway pedigree, including August: Osage County November 24-December 20, Young Frankenstein December 15-January 10, Thurgood January 1-20 and Mary Poppins July 1-August 22.

In addition, a series of concerts labeled “Barbara Cook’s Spotlight” will showcase Cheyenne Jackson October 9, Christine Ebersole November 14, Karen Akers December 12, Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell April 30 and John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey June 4.