NEIL SIMON’S CLASSIC COMEDY “THE SUNSHINE
BOYS”
“Taxi” Stars Reunite for the First Time
to Perform as Two Reuniting Vaudevillians
Two stars of the landmark television
series “Taxi,” Judd Hirsch
and Danny DeVito, will reunite on the stage of the Center Theatre
Group/Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles in Neil Simon’s “The Sunshine Boys,” directed by Thea
Sharrock.
The previously announced DeVito is
joined by Hirsch in Simon’s classic comedy which opens the Ahmanson’s 2013-2014
subscription season and runs September 24 through November 3, 2013. The opening night is set
for October 2. Additional
casting will be announced in the coming weeks.
Danny DeVito starred with the late
Richard Griffiths in the critically acclaimed production of “The Sunshine Boys” which played
to packed houses in London’s West End last summer. According to DeVito, “Sharing
the stage with Richard was one of the happiest times I've ever spent. He
was a great actor and became a good friend. Richard Griffiths was and is
a national treasure. Look at his body of work, it’ll blow your mind.”
In Neil Simon’s play Willie Clark
(DeVito) and Al Lewis (Hirsch) are former vaudevillian stars who, after a
partnership of over 40 years, are no longer speaking to each other. When
a lucrative television offer for one last show lures them into a grudging
reunion, sparks fly in this classic comedy of showbiz and friendship.
Judd Hirsch made his Broadway debut in
“Barefoot in the Park” and performed in Lanford Wilson’s “The Hot l Baltimore”
and “Talley’s Folly” (off-Broadway, at the Mark Taper Forum, and
then on Broadway, winning an Obie Award and a Tony Award nomination). He won
Tony Awards for two of Herb Gardner’s plays, “I’m Not Rappoport” and
“Conversations with My Father,” and most recently starred in
“Freud’s Last Session” at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. Hirsch won two
Emmys for the role of Alex Reiger in “Taxi.” Other TV credits include
“Dear John” (Golden Globe), “Numb3rs,” “Damages” and
“Maron.” Film credits include “Ordinary People” (Oscar nomination), “A
Beautiful Mind” and “This Must Be the Place.”
On hearing Hirsch accepted the role of
Al, DeVito said, “I'm so excited to be working with Judd again. We did a
play together 43 years ago and then, of course, did 114 episodes of ‘Taxi.’ I'm so excited --
did I say that already? This is gonna be a total blast.”
After taking the role Judd Hirsch
commented, “Here we go again ... just like Al and Willie ... I just can’t wait.”
“The Sunshine Boys” “… celebrates the clown’s classic gift for turning
anger into art,” said Ben Brantley of The New York Times. “Willie Clark ... has
a carved-in-stone list of things that are funny. Words that have “k” sounds,
for instance, like pickle and cake and cucumber. Might I add to that list the
image of a tufted Danny DeVito in striped pajamas and a sports jacket? ...
That’s comedy, folks. And it’s one of the reasons that Thea Sharrock’s
production of ‘The Sunshine Boys’ works
so incredibly well.”
“Thea Sharrock directs a
pitch-perfect production,” said Charles Spencer of The Telegraph, “that
beautifully captures fleeting moments of tenderness in the comedy without ever
turning mushy… a golden evening. ...” Sharrock won the 2011 Olivier Award for
Best Revival for “After the Dance” at London’s National Theatre where she has
also directed “13,” “Happy Now?” and “The Emperor Jones.” She directed “Heroes”
at the Geffen Playhouse, starring George Segal, Richard Benjamin and Len
Cariou, and “Equus” with Richard Griffiths and Daniel Radcliffe on Broadway.
Her other theatre credits include “The Misanthrope” with Keira Knightly at the
Comedy Theatre, the musical of “The Bodyguard,” and last year she directed
“Henry V” for BBC TV.
Danny DeVito won both a Golden Globe
and an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Louie De Palma in the hit comedy “Taxi.” He co-starred in two
Academy Award-winning films, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” in a role he
also played on stage, and “Terms of Endearment.” His other film credits include
“The Ratings Game,” “Throw Momma From the Train,” “The War of the Roses,”
“Hoffa,” “Death to Smoochy” and “Matilda.” He also voiced the Lorax
in the animated feature “The Lorax.” He is currently starring in the
eighth season of FX’s acclaimed comedy “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” and
recently wrapped production on his first horror feature, “St. Sebastian's,”
which he directed and produced.
Center Theatre Group has presented 15
plays by Neil Simon including his Tony Award-winning “The Odd Couple” and
“Biloxi Blues,” as well as the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning “Lost in
Yonkers.” Simon is the only living playwright to have a Broadway theatre named
after him. He also received a Special Tony for his contributions to theatre,
has been inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame, and is a Kennedy Center
honoree.
“The
Sunshine Boys” was first produced on Broadway in
1972 and was later adapted for film and television. Sam Levene and Jack
Albertson played Lewis and Clark in the stage premiere directed by Alan Arkin.
Neil Simon’s 1975 Academy Award-winning film adaptation starred George Burns as
Lewis and Walter Matthau as Clark and was directed by Herbert Ross.
“The
Sunshine Boys” is produced by Richard Willis,
Sonia Friedman Productions and Tulchin Bartner Productions.
Tickets for “The Sunshine Boys” are currently
available as part of the 2013 – 2014 Ahmanson Theatre subscription. For
information and to charge season tickets by phone, call the Exclusive Season
Ticket Hotline at (213) 972-4444. To purchase subscriptions online,
visit CenterTheatreGroup.org/Ahmanson. For information regarding audio
description and Project D.A.T.E. (sign language interpreted, open caption and
audio description performances) call TDD (213) 680-4017 or
voice (213) 972-4444.
The Ahmanson Theatre is located
at the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012.
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