The Iceman Cometh has been nominated for a Tony as best revival of a play. In London, the hit Eugene O'Neill drama opened at the Old Vic June 19, 1998 for a run through Aug. 1, 1998. The Almeida Theatre production, directed by Howard Davies (Almeida's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), was greeted with ecstatic reviews and sold-out performances. On Broadway, the play began previews on March 29 and opened April 8.

The cast includes Kevin Spacey (Hickey), Tony Danza (Rocky), Katie Finneran (Cora), Robert Sean Leonard (Don Parritt), Ed Dixon (Piet Wetjoen), Michael Emerson (Willie Oban), Paul Giamatti (Jimmy Tomorrow), Patrick Godfrey (Cecil Lewis), James Hazeldine (Harry Hope), Catherine Kellner (Margie), Clarke Peters (Joe Mott), Tim Pigott-Smith (Larry Slade), Richard Riehle (Pat McGloin), Steve Ryan (Moran), Stephen Singer (Hugo), Dina Spybey (Pearl), Skipp Sudduth (Chuck Morello), Ned Van Zandt (Lieb), and Jeff Weiss (Ed Mosher).

Producing the four and a half hour drama on Broadway are Allan S. Gordon, Bill Haber, Ira Pittelman, Elan McAllister, Trigger Street Productions and Emanuel Azenberg.

Costumes and sets for both mountings have been designed by Bob Crowley (Tony Nominated), with lighting by Mark Henderson, sound by John A. Leonard, and original music composed by Paddy Cunneen.

The Iceman Cometh concerns the deluded pipe dreams of characters at Harry Hope's saloon who are confronted by Hickey (Spacey), a man who has broken free of his dreams and seeks to lead the others to do the same. Things come undone, however, when the reason for Hickey's transformation becomes known. People were surprised that the Drama Desk Awards nominating committee overlooked Spacey's lauded performance -- especially since the Outer Critics Circle awarded its Best Play Revival and Best Actor trophies to Iceman and Spacey. Iceman tied with Death of a Salesman for the Drama Desk's Play Revival Award.