The New Group will presents the world premiere of The Starry Messenger written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan as the first production in its 2009-2010 season. This production plays a limited Off-Broadway engagement from October 26 - December 12 at The New Group @ Theatre Row, with Official Opening Night now set for Monday, November 23 at 8:00 PM. This delayed opening is due to a last minute cast change (Merwin Goldsmith replaced Jonathan Hadary), as previously reported.
Mark teaches astronomy in the basement of the Hayden Planetarium, struggling with a dead-end career and the monotony of suburban married life. His world is transformed by a chance meeting with Angela, a driven young single mother striving for a brighter future for her and her son. The Starry Messenger explores relationships and the impact they have on individuals, their families and their friends.
The Starry Messenger features Matthew Broderick as "Mark" and Catalina Sandino Moreno as "Angela," with J. Smith-Cameron as Mark's wife "Anne." Matthew Broderick's Broadway stage credits include Brighton Beach Memoirs (Tony®, Outer Critics Circle, Theatre World Awards), Biloxi Blues, How to Succeed in Business... (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC Awards), Night Must Fall, Taller Than a Dwarf, The Producers (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC noms), Roundabout's The Foreigner, The Philanthropist. Off-Broadway credits include Torch Song Trilogy (OCC, Villager Awards) and The Widow Claire. Film credits include Deck the Halls, Max Dugan Returns, WarGames, 1918, On Valentine's Day, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Project X, Ladyhawke, Biloxi Blues, Glory, Family Business, The Freshman, The Night We Never Met, The Lion King, Infinity (directed by Mr. Broderick and written by his mother Patricia Broderick), The Cable Guy, Addicted to Love, Godzilla, Inspector Gadget, Election, You Can Count on Me, The Last Shot, Marie and Bruce, Strangers With Candy, The Producers. Television credits include "The Music Man" (ABC), "'Master Harold'...and the boys" (Showtime) and "A Life in the Theatre."
Most recent credits include Bee Movie, Then She Found Me, Finding Amanda, Diminished Capacity, The Tale of Despereaux and at the Tribeca Film Festival, Wonderful World. Catalina Sandino Moreno's credits include Ethan Hawke's film The Hottest State, Paris, je t'aime, Love in the Time of Cholera, Che and Fast Food Nation. She was nominated for an Academy Award® for her breakout performance in the critically acclaimed film Maria Full of Grace. J. Smith-Cameron's has appeared on Broadway in After the Night and the Music, Tartuffe, Our Country's Good (Tony nom). Her Off-Broadway credits include Sarah, Sarah (Drama Desk nom), As Bees in Honey Drown (Obie Award, Drama Desk nom) and The Naked Truth (Drama Desk nom).
This production also features Stephanie Cannon (TV: "Law & Order"), Kieran Culkin (Film: Igby Goes Down), Merwin Goldsmith (B'way: Ain't Broadway Grand; Off-B'way at The New Group: Thousand Years), Grant Shaud (TV: "Murphy Brown;" Off-B'way: After Ashley) and Missy Yager (Off-B'way at The New Group: Kenneth Lonergan's This is Our Youth).
Kenneth Lonergan's playwriting credits include This is Our Youth (Drama Desk nom, The New Group - 1996), The Waverly Gallery (Pulitzer Prize nom) and Lobby Hero (Drama Desk nom). His screenwriting credits include Analyze This, You Can Count on Me (Oscar and Golden Globe noms) and Gangs of New York (Oscar nom), among others. The Starry Messenger marks Lonergan's return to the New York stage following 2002's Lobby Hero.
Set Design is by Derek McLane (B'way: Grease, I Am My Own Wife; Off-B'way at The New Group: Groundswell, Rafta, Rafta..., Aunt Dan and Lemon, numerous others), Costume Design is by Mattie Ullrich (B'way: The Women; Off-B'way at The New Group: Things We Want, Roar), Lighting Design is by Jason Lyons (B'way: Rock of Ages, The Threepenny Opera, Nine; Off-B'way at The New Group: Groundswell, Rafta, Rafta..., Two Thousand Years, numerous others) and Sound Design is by Shane Rettig (Off-B'way at The New Group: Groundswell, Rafta, Rafta..., Rich Boyfriend).
The New Group (Scott Elliott, Artistic Director; Geoff Rich, Executive Director): The most recent 2008-2009 season began with the U.S. premiere of Kevin Elyot's Mouth to Mouth followed by Eugene O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra and concluded with the critically acclaimed Groundswell. The company's 2007-2008 season featured the premiere of Jonathan Marc Sherman's Things We Want directed by Ethan Hawke, Mike Leigh's Two Thousand Years and Ayub Khan-Din's Rafta, Rafta.... The 2006-07 season featured Jay Presson Allen's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Wallace Shawn's The Fever and Bernard Weinraub's The Accomplices. Other past productions include David Rabe's Hurlyburly, Mike Leigh's Abigail's Party, Smelling a Rat, Goose-Pimples and Ecstasy, Wallace Shawn's Aunt Dan and Lemon, Kenneth Lonnergan's This is Our Youth, Kevin Elyot's My Night With Reg, and many more. The New Group is a recipient of the 2004 Tony® Award for Best Musical (Avenue Q).
