Kelsey Grammer Will Return to Broadway in “Finding Neverland”
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Rick Miramontez / Andy Snyder / Jaron Caldwell / Andrew Esposito
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FOR RELEASE ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2014
TONY® AWARD NOMINEE AND FIVE-TIME EMMY® AWARD WINNER
KELSEY GRAMMER
WILL RETURN TO BROADWAY IN
“ F I N D I N G N E V E R L A N D ”
PREVIEWS BEGIN
SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2015
AT BROADWAY’S LUNT-FONTANNE THEATRE
OPENING SET FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15
New York – As was announced live earlier this morning on NBC’s “Today Show,” Tony® Award Nominee and five-time Emmy® Award winner Kelsey Grammer will return to Broadway in Finding Neverland as Charles Frohman (J.M. Barrie's theatrical producer). Grammer appeared on the national morning television program alongside Matthew Morrison, who will be playing the role of Barrie, as was announced earlier this week. Finding Neverland will begin previews on Sunday, March 15, 2015, at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street), and will open on Wednesday, April 15.
“I couldn't be more thrilled that Kelsey is joining our cast as Charles Frohman, J.M Barrie's producer” said Harvey Weinstein. “He might be the best theater producer on Broadway this season! I was an investor in La Cage when Kelsey did it and he was sensational as audiences and critics will attest. This is an absolute coup for this show.”
Based on the Miramax motion picture by David Magee and the play The Man Who Was Peter Pan by Allan Knee, Finding Neverland follows the relationship between playwright J. M. Barrie and the family that inspired Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up – one of the most beloved stories of all time.
Directed by Tony Award®-winner Diane Paulus (Pippin) with book by Olivier Award®-nominee James Graham, music and lyrics by U.K. pop sensation Gary Barlow (Take That) and Grammy Award®-winner Eliot Kennedy, choreography by Emmy Award®-winner Mia Michaels (So You Think You Can Dance), this new musical explores the power of imagination to open up new worlds, and the pressures put upon those worlds by the inevitability of growing up.
In its sold-out, world-premiere engagement at the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University, Finding Neverland played a total of 75 performances at the Loeb Drama Center on – all of which played to capacity crowds, making it the highest attended and highest grossing production in A.R.T.’s 34-year history.
The production boasts scenic design by Tony Award®-winner Scott Pask (Pippin, Book of Mormon), lighting design by Tony Award®-winner Kenneth Posner (Pippin, The Coast of Utopia), costume design by Suttirat Larlarb (Of Mice and Men), and sound design by Tony Award®-nominee Jonathan Deans (Pippin, La Cage aux Folles).
Additional casting information will be announced shortly.
Biography_________________________________________________________________
Kelsey Grammer has excelled at the highest level in theatre, television and film as an actor, producer and director. An initial role as Dr. Frasier Crane on “Cheers” developed into the cornerstone of the Juilliard-trained actor’s career. Grammer played the celebrated character in three different television series (“Cheers,” “Wings” and “Frasier”) over a span of 20 years, tying the record for longest-running television character. Grammer has won five Emmys, three Golden Globes and a SAG Award and has received an unparalleled 16 Emmy nominations, eight Golden Globe nominations, 16 SAG nominations and one Tony nomination. In 2012 Grammer was honored with his most recent Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Mayor Tom Kane in the Starz drama “Boss,” in which he starred and was executive producer. In the spring and summer of 2014, Grammer appeared in four films: Paramount’s fourth installment of the Transformers film series, Transformers: Age of Extinction, Twentieth Century Fox’ X-Men: Days of Future Past, Lionsgate’s The Expendables 3 and Screen Gems’ Think Like a Man Too. In spring 2014, he was also heard lending his voice to the iconic Tin Man in Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return, which was nominated for Best Feature at the 2013 Annecy International Animated Film Festival, prior to its 2014 release. Upcoming films include New Redemption Pictures’ Reach Me, Director Vadim Jean’s comedy Breaking the Bank and Writer and Director Brian Klugsman’s romantic drama Baby, Baby, Baby. In 2016 he will be heard lending his voice to the adventurous and comedic animated film “Bunyan and Babe.” Recent television includes FX Network’s comedic series “Partners,” in which Grammer co-stared with Martin Lawrence. In 2010 Grammer starred in La Cage aux Folles on Broadway for which he received rave reviews. His performance earned him a Tony® nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. Grammer created Grammnet NH Productions, a TV production company which has produced such hit television shows as the Emmy-winning “Medium,” for NBC, and “The Game” and “Girlfriends,” for CW. Other Grammnet producing credits include the NBC productions “The Innocent,” “Kelsey Grammer Salutes Jack Benny,” “Fired Up,” “In Laws” and “Gary the Rat.” For PAX, he produced “World Cup Comedy.” For FOX, he starred in and produced “Kelsey Grammer Presents: The Sketch Show.” Grammer has directed single episodes of “Everybody Hates Chris,” “My Ex Life” and “Out of Practice.” He has also directed several episodes of “Frasier”, one of which earned him a DGA nomination. Grammer also starred and served as executive producer of the ABC comedy “Hank.” Also accomplished as a voice-over artist, Grammer plays the character Sideshow Bob on “The Simpsons,” for which he won an Emmy in 2006. He has also lent his voice to the feature films Toy Story 2, Anastasia and Teacher’s Pet, to the television series “Father of the Pride” and “Gary the Rat,” and to the Emmy-nominated “Animal Farm” for TNT. Grammer’s other acting credits include The Weinstein Company’s I Don’t Know How She Does It, MGM’s remake of Fame, Paramount Pictures’ Middle Men, Vivendi Universal’s An American Carol, Disney’s Swing Vote, FOX’s blockbuster hit X-Men: The Last Stand, FOX’s Back To You in which he also served as executive producer, “A Christmas Carol” for NBC, “Benedict Arnold” for A&E, “Mr. St. Nick” for ABC’s Hallmark Hall of Fame, Fifteen Minutes for New Line Cinema, Down Periscope for 20th Century Fox and Even Money for Yari Film Group. Grammer began acting in plays at Pine Crest Preparatory School in Fort Lauderdale, where his teenage stage success inspired him to apply to Juilliard. He developed an interest in Shakespeare and began his professional acting career at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. He continued in regional theatre, and finally made his way to New York with roles in the off-Broadway productions Sunday in the Park with George, A Month in the Country and the Obie Award-winning Quartermaine's Terms. He scored on Broadway in Macbeth and Othello. Before long he appeared in two TV miniseries: first as Stephen Smith in “Kennedy” (NBC, 1983), and next as Lieutenant Stewart in “George Washington” (CBS, 1984). Grammer then landed the role of Dr. Frasier Crane in “Cheers,” after which he would return to the stage and receive critical acclaim as Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady. He also performed the title role in Richard II and Lucio in Measure for Measure at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.
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http://findingneverlandthemusical.com/