The cast is set for Manhattan Theatre Club's previously announced world premiere of Outside Mullingar, starring Tony winner Brian F. O'Byrne and Emmy winner Debra Messing. Joining O'Byrne as Anthony and Messing as Rosemary will be John Aylward as Tony and Tony nominee Dearbhla Molloy as Aoife. Written by Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner John Patrick Shanley and directed by Tony winner Doug Hughes, Outside Mullingar begins previews at Broadway's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on January 3, with opening night set for January 23, 2014.
Aylward is best known as Dr. Anspaugh on TV's ER and appeared on Broadway in The Kentucky Cycle. His TV and film credits include The West Wing, Mad Men, American Horror Story, House of Lies, North Country, Armegeddon and Gangster Squad. Molloy received a Tony nod for her performance in Dancing at Lughnasa and also starred in the Broadway production of A Touch of the Poet. Her TV and film credits include Waking the Dead, Sex in the City, No Reservations, Ulysses and Run of the Country.
Outside Mullingar follows Anthony and Rosemary, two introverted misfits straddling 40. Anthony has spent his entire life on a cattle farm in rural Ireland, a state of affairs that—due to his painful shyness—suits him well. Rosemary lives right next door, determined to have him, watching the years slip away. With Anthony’s father threatening to disinherit him and a land feud simmering between their families, Rosemary has every reason to fear romantic catastrophe.
The creative team for Outside Mullingar includes scenic design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by Catherine Zuber, lighting design by Mark McCullough, and original music and sound design by Fitz Patton.