BETH LEAVEL AND RICHARD THOMAS

COMPLETE THE PREMIERE CAST OF

“ S T A N D I N G   O N   C E R E M O N Y:

T H E   G A Y   M A R R I A G E   P L A Y S ”

PREVIEWS BEGIN MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7
OPENING SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13
AT THE MINETTA LANE THEATRE

New York, NY (10/24/2011) – Joan Stein and Richard Frankel, producers of Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays, announced today that Tony Award-winner Beth Leavel (The Drowsy Chaperone) and stage and screen veteran Richard Thomas (most recently seen in Race) will complete the show’s premiere cast.  They join previously announced cast members Craig Bierko (The Music Man), Mark Consuelos (“All My Children”), Polly Draper (“thirtysomething”) and Harriet Harris (Thoroughly Modern Millie) in the production, which begins previews on Monday, November 7 with an official opening night set for Sunday, November 13 at the Minetta Lane Theatre (18 Minetta Lane, NYC). 

Conceived by Brian Shnipper and directed by Stuart Ross, Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays brings together some of America’s most illustrious and Award-winning playwrights, including Mo Gaffney, Jordan Harrison, Jeffrey Hatcher, Moisés Kaufman, Neil LaBute, Wendy MacLeod, José Rivera, Paul Rudnick and Doug Wright, for a heartfelt, funny and altogether illuminating evening of short plays that celebrates the courage to be in a relationship – any relationship.  

Standing on Ceremonyhas partnered with Freedom to Marry, the campaign to win marriage nationwide, for its Off Broadway premiere and will donate a portion of all ticket sales to Freedom to Marry and other organizations promoting marriage equality.

As previously announced, Standing on Ceremonyhas joined with Tectonic Theater Project (Moisés Kaufman, Artistic Director; Greg Reiner, Executive Director) for Standing on Ceremony: The National Event, to help take the play’s message across the country (and the globe).  For one night only, on Monday, November 7, curtains will rise on Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays across America and beyond as more than 40 participating theaters everywhere present the play to raise awareness and funds in support of marriage equality.   The evening will feature an introduction before the play that will be streamed live to participating theatres across the globe.  Audience members can also watch a live streaming post performance Q&A, and can participate regardless of their locale, by submitting questions via Twitter in real time. 

Tickets for the Off Broadway run of Standing on Ceremony, priced from $59.oo to $79.00 (plus a $1.00 theatre facility fee), are now on sale via Ticketmaster.com and will be available at the Minetta Lane box office beginning November 3.  For groups of 10 or more, call 1-800-BROADWAY, ext.2 or visit www.Broadway.com/Groups.  The performance schedule is as follows: Tuesday- Friday at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 3:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.; Sunday at 3:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. 

Standing On Ceremony will feature a rotating cast of the best actors from theater, film and TV. 

Standing on Ceremony is produced Off Broadway by Joan Stein, Richard Frankel, Annette Niemtzow, Fakston Productions, Harley Medcalf, Jon Murray, Harvey Reese, in association with Diana Buckhantz and Niclas Nagler; Associate Producers, Luigi Caiola, Rebecca Falcon and Mary C. Solomon and Executive Producer, Joe Watson.

BIOS                                                                                                                                                  

BETH LEAVEL received Tony, Drama Desk, NY Outer Critics Circle and L.A. Drama Critics Awards for her performance as the title character in The Drowsy Chaperone.  Other Broadway roles include Florence Greenberg in Baby It’s You (Tony, Drama Desk nominations), Emily in Elf, Donna in Mamma Mia!, Frau Blucher in Young Frankenstein, Dorothy Brock in the revival of 42nd Street, Tess in the original company of Crazy For You, Mrs. Bixby in The Civil War, Ellie in Hal Prince's Showboat, and Anytime Annie (her Broadway debut) in 42nd Street.  Ms. Leavel was also seen in New York City Center Encores! production of No, No, Nanette as Lucille.  Numerous Off-Broadway, commercials, TV, and regional theatre. MFA from UNC-G.

RICHARD THOMAS made his Broadway debut over 50 years ago, and has since appeared on the New York stage many times in productions such a Race, Strange Interlude, Fifth of July, Democracy, A Naked Girl on the Appian Way, and most recently in Timon of Athens at the Public Theater.  He has worked extensively in film and television in projects that include Wonder Boys, Taking Woodstock, and “The Waltons,” for which he received an Emmy Award.  He currently resides in New York City.

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