Katherine Helmond, Joie Lee and Hayley Mills will form the next trio to voice Eve Ensler's long-running Off-Broadway hit, The Vagina Monologues. They begin their tenure on May 15 and will stay until June 24.
The six-week casting gig is relatively new to the long-running play. When author and original star Eve Ensler left the show in early 2000, each new trio spent a mere two weeks at the Westside Theatre. By the fall, the length of each stay had stretched to three weeks. Now, with the turn of the year 2001, it has doubled to six weeks.
Helmond is still best known as Jessica Tate, the ditsy rich wife in the television sitcom "Soap." Her movie roles have included "Brazil." Lee, the sister of filmmaker Spike Lee, has appeared in several of his films, including "Do the Right Thing," "Crooklyn," "Mo' Better Blues" and "Summer of Sam." Mills became a star at a very young age with "The Parent Trap." Last season, she appeared in the Off-Broadway double bill of Noel Coward plays, Suite in Two Keys.
A complete list of actresses who have appeared in the New York production follows:
Feb. 8-20: Julie Kavner, Swoosie Kurtz and Audra McDonald
Feb. 22-March 5: Mary Alice, Amy Irving and Rosie Perez
March 7-19: Rita Moreno, Cynthia Nixon and Marlo Thomas
March 21-April 2: Shirley Knight, Andrea Martin and Alanis Morissette
April 4-16: Viola Davis, Gina Gershon and Annie Potts
April 18-30: Claire Danes, Jenifer Lewis and Mary McDonnell
May 2-14: Mo Gaffney, Marsha Mason and Lynn Whitfield
May 16-28: Diahann Carroll, Judith Ivey and Marisa Tomei
May 30-June 11: Joy Behar, Hazelle Goodman and Holland Taylor
June 13-15: Linda Ellerbee, Calista Flockhart and Lisa Gay Hamilton
June 27-July 9: Melissa Joan Hart, Carol Kane and Phylicia Rashad
July 11-23: Teri Hatcher, Ricki Lake and Regina Taylor
July 25-Aug. 6: Gloria Reuben, Julia Stiles and Mary Testa
Aug. 8-20: Brett Butler, Kellie Martin and Tonya Pinkins
Aug. 22-Sept. 3: Teri Garr, Julianna Margulies and Sanaa Lathan
Sept. 5-24: Brooke Shields, Mercedes Ruehl and Ana Gasteyer
Sept. 26-Oct. 15: Kathleen Chalfant, Nell Carter and Annabella Sciorra
Oct. 17-Nov. 5: Donna Hanover, Robin Givens, Susie Essman
Nov. 7-Nov. 26: Erica Jong, Angelica Torn, Lauren Velez.
Nov. 28-Dec. 17: Lolita Davidovich, Sarah Jones and Ann Magnuson
Dec. 19-Jan. 7, 2001: Carolee Carmello, Roma Maffia and Rue McClanahan
Jan 9-Feb. 18: Julie Halston, Lisa Leguillou and Lois Smith
Feb. 20-April 1: Becky Ann Baker, Cynthia Garrett and Ruthie Henshall
April 3-May 13: Kim Coles, Judy Gold and Patricia Kalember *
Joe Mantello, who staged Love! Valour! Compassion! on Broadway, is the director of the show.
$10 of each $55 ticket sold to The Vagina Monologues goes to the V Day Initiative.
For information on the Westside engagement, call (212) 239-6200.
— By Robert Simonson
