Jeff Daniels's Dream Part

P2JW250000-4-A008F0-1--------NS A8F | Friday, September 7, 2018 NY **** THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. GREATER NEW YORK New Productions on INTERVIEW |ByMaya Sweedler Broadwayand Beyond “Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties”: Jen Silverman’s comedy looks at five very different women named Betty. Cast in- cludes Dana Delany and Lea Jeff DeLaria. Opening Sept. 12, MCC Theater (off-Broadway). “Girl from the North Coun- try”: Created by Tony Award nominee Conor McPherson, this Daniels’s musical takes the songbook of Bob Dylan to tell the story of a Minnesota community in the 1930s. Opening Oct. 1, Public The- ater (off-Broadway). Dream “The Ferryman”: Jez Butter- worth’s play, set in rural Ireland in 1981, was the talk of London’s West End last season. Opening Oct. 21, Bernard B. Jacobs The- Part atre (Broadway). “Waiting forGodot”: Produc- tions of the Irish-born playwright Samuel Beckett’sclassic, comically GES The 63-year-old actor says tinged existentialistwork aren’tso IMA rare in NewYork. But this one he never wanted to do comes with acertain stamp of au- GETTY thenticity: Ireland’sown Druid The- BY Hamlet, but Atticus Finch atre is presenting it. Nov. 3-10, Lin- OUR is ‘role of a lifetime’ coln Center’s WhiteLightFestival. ONT “King Kong”: The big ape /C makes his waytothe big stage in BOER this musical version. The show’s DE websitebills the affair as “an inno- TEN vativemix of animatronics, pup- AR MA petry,music and stagecraft.” Open- Jeff Daniels is set to return to Broadway and portray Atticus Finch in Aaron Sorkin’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ a new play based on the 1960 novel by Harper Lee. ing Nov. 8, Broadway Theatre (Broadway). on’t ask Jeff Daniels to might be the role of alifetime.” Mr. Daniels described the read- the good in everyone emerge directly “The Cher Show”: It wouldn’t bet against Aaron Sor- “To Kill a Mockingbird” reunites ing of the original draft as electric. in the action of the play, rather than be a Broadway season without a kin. Mr. Sorkin with Mr. Daniels, a “You could feel it, you could see through the perspectiveofthe book’s bio-musical. Now, pop diva and D The actor, musician Broadway veteraN whose most re- where it was headed,” he said. narrator,his daughter,Scout. Oscar winner Cher gets the the- and playwright is set cent turn on stage resulted in a “Just getting that book up on the Performing “ToKill aMocking- atrical treatment. And Bob to return to Broadway in Mr. Sor- Tony nomination for best actor in stage was monumental. It wasn’t bird” liveonstage creates both a Mackie, long associated with the kin’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” a 2016 for his role as a tortured sex just a first draft, it was a heavy challengeand an opportunity to fashion icon, designed the cos- new play based on the 1960 novel offender in “Blackbird.” The pair lift.” makeMs. Lee’sstory moreimme- tumes. Opening Dec. 3, Neil Si- by Harper Lee. Mr. Daniels, 63 previously worked together on the That reading took placeinNo- diateand morecurrent, Mr.Dan- mon Theatre (Broadway). years old, will portray Atticus television series “The Newsroom” vember 2017, followedbyworkshops iels said. Although he is aware the Note: All productions have Finch, one of the most recogniz- (2012-14), for which Mr. Daniels in Januaryand Mayofthis year. cast will have to fight past audi- a preview period. able and revered characters in woN an Emmy Award, and the In between the workshops, Ms. ences’ preconceptions of the book American literature. 2015 biopic “Steve Jobs.” Lee’s estate sued the show’s pro- and the Oscar-winning 1962movie In the three years since Mr. Sor- It was during a Screen Actors ducers, alleging the play altered adaptation, the storytouches on Bob kin asked Mr. Daniels to take on Guild screening of “Steve Jobs” in characters. According to the com- themes relevant to amodern au- Dylan the role, Mr. Daniels has seen December 2015, Mr. Daniels said, plaint, Ms. Lee’s estate didn’t like dience. nearly two dozeN drafts of the that Mr. Sorkin approached him to that Atticus initially was a passive “It’s also fascinating to see how script, one legal challenge from let him know he was adapting “To observer of racism and eventually Aaron doesn’t have to change a Ms. Lee’s estate and skepticism Kill a Mockingbird” and to ask if became an heroic moral crusader. thing,” said Mr. Daniels, who spent from critics that the beloved novel he would like to play Atticus. The idea that Atticus is at any time studying the Jim Crow South isn’t suited for the stage. Being attached to the project point comfortable with systemic to prepare for the role. “All of a But Mr.Daniels said he didn’t sincethe beginning afforded Mr. racism departs from the essence of sudden, you hear Charlottesville, hesitatetosign ontothe production. Daniels aunique viewofMr. Sorkin’s the book, they contend. The pro- all of the sudden you hear…what’s “You go back to,well, what are writing process. Mr.Daniels,who ducers countersued. All parties going on in the news every single the roles you’vealways wanted to came up through the Circle Reper- agreed to dismiss the case in May. day with Trump.” playand wish youcould, and Inever tory Companyinthe late’70s, com- Mr.Daniels,for his part, said the Still, the production will empha- hadananswerfor that. Inever pared it to watching the company’s Atticus of the playisultimately the sizethe original setting.“We don’t wanted to do Hamlet or King Lear,I resident playwright, LanfordWilson, same heroofthe book,asheleaves want youtosit therewith acopy of S just don’t have the experiencewith continuously refine his work.He his “comfortable little lawyer exis- the book and followalong,” he said. PRES Shakespeare,” he said last month. said that about half of the “Mock- tence” to take astand against racial “Wewant youtofeel what that was TED “But when Aaron said, would you ingbird” script’sfirst draftremains prejudice. Atticus’sfaith in the jus- in ’35 Alabama, we want youto CIA SO liketoplayAtticus,Ihad afeeling it in the most recent, 22nd version. ticesystemand insistenceonfinding hear it and see it and feel it.” AS Museum Matchmaker Don’tknowwhich exhibit to visit this fall? Use the flowchart to find your perfect match. What’syour favorite The classics or Do youknowwhataa Do yousee food kind of culture? pop culture? ‘Muggle’ is? or apainting? Something in ‘The Arts’ My goldfish Iwas marriedrried Yes. Awhat? apetri dish. arenamed at aComicic ...And...A yes Leonardo & Conbya Iownw an owl. Da Vinci.nci. Klingon. High art Yougonna eatthat? Germ CityDutch Masters Harry Potter Andy Warhol Musuem &Pizza Museum of the CityofNew York Metropolitan Museum of Art New-York Historical Society WhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt Museum of Pizza Sept. 14 to April 28, 2019 Oct. 16 to Oct.1, 2020 Oct. 5toJan. 27, 2019 Nov. 12 to March 21, 2019 Oct. 13-28 Billed as a‘fascinating look at NewYork The Met will featureits collection of This exhibition expands on the world The Whitneyistaking anew look at the Notquiteyour traditional museum, City’sbattle againstinfectious disease,’ paintings from the Dutch Golden Age, createdbyJ.K. Rowling by showcasing iconic worksofWarhol, diving into the this pop-up experiencetouts itself this exhibition examines the social inclduding worksbyRembrandt and rare books, manuscripts and magical complexities of the artist’scareer in the as a‘spacetobask in multi-sensory, effects of disease and features Lairesse. The exhibition is designed to objects from the collections of the hopes of introducing ‘a Warhol forthe psychedelic pizza joy.’Exhibits will historical artifacts alongside orientvisitors to keyissues in 17th- British Library and New-York Historical 21stcentury.’ The exhibit features more range from apizza fun house to a contemporary artworks. century Dutch culture. Society. Visitors will also get alook at than 350 worksofart, manyassembled pizza beach, plus an interactive original Harry Potter manuscripts together forthe firsttime. history of pizza. Photos: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Rembrandt ); The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./ and illustrations. Artists Rights Society (Warhol ); U.S. National Archives and RecordsAdministration (Germs); Bloomsbury Publishing (Harry Potter); iStock (Pizza) Lara Korteand Dylan Moriarty/THE WALL STREETJOURNAL..

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