Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, announces the cast and creative team for its production of James Goldman’s “The Lion in Winter”, directed by Tyne Rafaeli. The production will run Nov. 12-Dec. 4, with the opening night at 8 p.m. on Nov. 18. The lead production sponsor for “The Lion in Winter” is Monmouth University.
Tony Award nominee and Obie Award winner Michael Cumpsty (“The End of the Rainbow”, “Hamlet”) and three-time Tony Award nominee Dee Hoty (“Footloose”, “The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public”, “The Will Rogers Follies”) star as Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine in this American classic, written in 1966 by James Goldman and adapted into a 1968 film starring Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn. Also featured in the company are Noah Averbach-Katz (John), KeiLyn Durrel Jones (Richard), Ronald Peet (Philip), Hubert Point-Du Jour (Geoffrey), and Madeleine Rogers (Alais).
Set during Christmas 1183, “The Lion in Winter” crashes through castle doors as King Henry II of England, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their sons Richard, Geoffrey, and John spend a memorable holiday revisiting old wounds—and making new ones—as they fight over who will rule the land after Henry’s death.
Director Tyne Rafaeli was born in London and trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Columbia University. A longtime Associate Director to Bartlett Sher, she has directed classics, new plays and musicals in London and the US. She was awarded the 2013-14 SDCF Sir John Gielgud Fellowship for Classical Direction. Her current and upcoming projects include “Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz”, a new musical by Marc Acito, at Goodspeed Musicals and “My Fair Lady” at Playmakers Rep.
The creative team for “The Lion in Winter” includes scenic designer Kristen
Robinson, costume designer Andrea Hood, lighting designer Jennifer Tipton, and sound designer Josh Schmidt. The fight direction is by J.Steven White, the casting is by Jack Doulin and Sharky, and the stage manager is Jenny Kennedy.
Open rehearsal will be held at 7 p.m. on Oct. 25. Audiences are invited to join Two River Theater to watch an open rehearsal in the Rechnitz Theater with director Tyne Rafaeli and members of the cast as they work on scenes from the play. To reserve a spot, interested patrons should call 732-345-1400 or visit www.tworivertheater.org.
Ticket prices range from $40 to $70, with discounts available for groups, seniors, and U.S. military personnel, their families, and veterans. A limited
number of $20 tickets are available for every performance; $20 tickets may be partial view. Tickets for patrons under 30 are $20 and include the best available seats at every performance. Tickets are available from
tworivertheater.org or 732-345-1400.