Mark Linn-Baker to Star in Romantic Poetry; MTC Sets Casting for Two Shows

Casting has been announced for two forthcoming productions at Manhattan Theatre Club. Mark Linn-Baker Almost An Evening, A Year with Frog and Toad, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, TV's Perfect Strangers, Ivan Hernandez Zhivago at La Jolla Playhouse, The Fantasticks, The Most Happy Fella and Patina Renea Miller Hair, TV's All My Children will be featured in the world premiere production of John Patrick Shanley and Henry Krieger's musical Romantic Poetry. Performances begin at New York City Center Stage I on September 30 for a limited engagement opening on October 28, directed by Shanley.

Additional casting has also been announced for the world premiere production of Lynn Nottage's Ruined. Joining previously announced star Adriane Lenox will be Quincy Tyler Bernstine The Misanthrope, A Small Melodramatic Story, Chris Chalk The Overwhelming, Defiance, William Jackson Harper Queens Boulevard, Chiké Johnson The Crucible at Steppenwolf, Russell Gebert Jones Our Lady of 121st Street, Kevin Mambo Hoodoo Love, Emmy winner for The Guiding Light, Tom Mardirosian Wonderful Town, My Favorite Year, HBO's Oz, and Condola Rashad Pearl at the Kennedy Center. Ruined will begin performances at City Center Stage I on January 21, 2009, and will open February 10, directed by Kate Whoriskey.

Romantic Poetry is described as a crackpot musical romance from the author of Doubt Shanley and the composer of Dreamgirls Krieger. Connie of Woodmere has just married Fred of Newark, but her exes are back in the picture and not sure they approve of the union. Mary of Greenpoint climbs Frankie of Little Italy's fire escape with amorous erotic intent, but things go awry as she reaches for her dream. They are all mad and they are all sane and they are all creating Romantic Poetry.

Hernandez, Linn-Baker and Miller appeared in the New York Stage & Film/Vassar developmental production of musical. Additional casting will be announced later.

Shanley's creative team for Romantic Poetry will include David Korins scenic design, Laura Bauer costume design, Donald Holder lighting design, Brian Ronan sound design, Devanand Janki musical staging, August Eriksmoen orchestrations, and Howard Joines Music Coordinator.

Ruined is described as a haunting, probing work about the resilience of the human spirit during times of war. Set in a small mining town in Democratic Republic of Congo, the play follows Mama Nadi Lenox, a shrewd businesswoman in a land torn apart by civil war. But is she protecting or profiting by the women she shelters? How far will she go to survive? Can a price be placed on a human life?

The creative team for Ruined includes Derek McLane scenic design, Paul Tazewell costume design, Peter Kaczorowski lighting design, and Dominic Kanza original music. The play is a co-production with Chicago's Goodman Theatre, where it will open on November 17 before coming to MTC.