Opening dates for the Lincoln Center Theater productions of Flying Over Sunset and the opera adaptation of Intimate Apparel have been revised. The new Broadway musical and Off-Broadway opera were put on hold March 12 last year when theatres were closed in an effort to curb the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Openings for both productions were delayed until spring 2021, and Lincoln Center Theater had subsequently hoped to reopen both productions this fall; Intimate Apparel has now been pushed back until next year.
Flying Over Sunset, featuring a book by director James Lapine, music by Tom Kitt, and lyrics by Michael Korie, was scheduled to begin previews March 12, 2020 (the day the shutdown went into effect), in the Vivian Beaumont Theater ahead of an April 16 opening. Previews will now begin at the Broadway venue November 4 this year prior to an official opening December 6. The musical, choreographed by Michelle Dorrance, is set to star Carmen Cusack as Clare Boothe Luce, Harry Hadden-Paton as Aldous Huxley, and Tony Yazbeck as Cary Grant—all three of whom experiment with psychedelic drugs int the ’50s to unlock their psyches.
Flying Over Sunset has sets by Beowulf Boritt, costumes by Toni-Leslie James, lighting by Bradley King, sound design by Dan Moses Schreier, projections by 59 Productions, casting by Telsey + Co., orchestrations by Michael Starobin, and music direction by Kimberly Grigsby. The musical is produced in association with Jack Shear. Rick Steiger is the production stage manager.
Intimate Apparel, the new opera adaptation of Lynn Nottage's play of the same name, had begun previews in the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center February 27 ahead of a slated March 23 opening last year. Performances will now begin in the Newhouse January 13, 2022, prior to an official opening January 27. Two-time Pulitzer winner Nottage adapted her script to a libretto, collaborating with composer Ricky Ian Gordon and director Bartlett Sher. The cast is set to star Kearstin Piper Brown as seamstress Esther with Chabrelle Williams singing the role Wednesday and Saturday matinees.
The production also features sets by Michael Yeargan, costumes by Catherine Zuber, lighting by Jennifer Tipton, sound by Marc Salzberg, projections by 59 Productions, casting by Telsey + Co., music direction by Steven Osgood, and choreography by Dianne McIntyre. Theresa Flanagan is the stage manager.
“Ecstatic excitement barely begins to describe the feelings we have about reopening,” said Artistic Director Andre Bishop. “LCT will be back with two wildly different musical works whose lives were cut short well over a year ago. Like all the other theatres that are reopening in New York and all over the country, we rejoice and we are grateful. And boy, do we look forward to seeing our audiences again! It will be a happy time.”
In addition to these two works, LCT plans to produce a full slate of productions, to be announced, in the Vivian Beaumont, Mitzi E. Newhouse, and Claire Tow Theater during the 2021-2022 season. LCT will also be a co-producer of the previously announced Broadway transfer of its LCT3 production of Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s Pass Over, directed by Danya Taymor, opening at the August Wilson this fall.
