The production, which officially opened April 25 following previews that began April 4, had originally been announced as a 16-week engagement. When it closes, House of Blue Leaves will have played 21 previews and 72 regular performances.
The cast is led by Ben Stiller as Artie Shaughnessy, Edie Falco as Bananas Shaughnessy (Falco was Tony-nominated for her performance) and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Bunny Flingus and also features Thomas Sadoski as Billy Einhorn, Alison Pill as Corrinna Stroller, Mary Beth Hurt as Head Nun, Christopher Abbott as Ronnie Shaughnessy, Halley Feiffer as Little Nun, Susan Bennett as Second Nunn, Jimmy Davis as Military Policeman and Tally Sessions as White Man.
In The House of Blue Leaves, "Ben Stiller is Artie Shaughnessy, a zookeeper and wannabe songwriter, who is trying to cope with a schizophrenic wife (Falco), an impatient girlfriend (Leigh) and a visit from the Pope, all while sustaining his dream of hitting it big. [The play] is a satirical take on celebrity, religion, and the frequent merging of the two." Read the Playbill.com Brief Encounter interview with Falco.
The production team includes Scott Pask (scenic design), Jane Greenwood (costume design), Brian MacDevitt (lighting design), Fitz Patton (sound design) and Tom Watson (hair design).
Scott Rudin produced the revival. Stiller, it should be noted, made his Broadway and professional debut as Ronnie Shaughnessy in the 1986 Tony-winning production of The House of Blue Leaves. Now, 25 years later, he makes his first return to Broadway in the role of Artie Shaughnessy. He talks about his experience in a Playbill.com feature.
The play's New York City premiere was in 1971 at Off-Broadway's Truck and Warehouse Theatre. Lincoln Center Theater made a Broadway hit out of it in 1986, and the production was subsequently taped for broadcast. The LCT staging earned 1986 Tonys for performers John Mahoney and Swoosie Kurtz, director Jerry Zaks and set designer Tony Walton. It was also nominated for Best Play.
Tickets, priced $57-$132, with premium seats available for $137-$227, are on sale by visiting Telecharge.com.
