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Aleki77
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Robert Sean Leonard Will Inspire a New Dawn in Born Yesterday on Broadway
By Kenneth Jones
08 Feb 2011
Tony Award winner Robert Sean Leonard (The Invention of Love, TV's "House") will play the reporter Paul Verrall in the new Broadway production of Garson Kanin's Born Yesterday, the producers announced Feb. 8.
He joins Jim Belushi (TV's "According to Jim" and "The Defenders") as corrupt businessman Brock and Nina Arianda (Off-Broadway's Venus in Fur) as Billie Dawn, Brock's narrow girlfriend, who blossoms when Paul becomes her tutor.
The comedy, directed by Doug Hughes, opens April 24 at the Cort Theatre, 138 West 48th Street. Previews begin March 31. Additional casting will be announced.
Leonard won a 2001 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his performance in the Lincoln Center Theater production of The Invention of Love. In 2003, he was nominated in the same category for his performance in Long Day's Journey Into Night, which also starred Vanessa Redgrave, Brian Dennehy and Philip Seymour Hoffman. He was most recently seen on stage in Manhattan Theatre Club's The Violet Hour. His Broadway credits include The Music Man; The Iceman Cometh (with Kevin Spacey); Arcadia; Candida (at Roundabout, for which he received a Tony nomination); Philadelphia, Here I Come; The Speed of Darkness; Breaking the Code; and Brighton Beach Memoirs.
He made his film debut at 19 in "Dead Poets Society." His film credits include "Much Ado About Nothing," "The Age of Innocence," "Mr. & Mrs. Bridge," "Swing Kids" and "The Last Days of Disco." Since 2004, Leonard has played the role of Dr. James Wilson on the hit Fox medical drama "House."
The producers of Born Yesterday are Philip Morgaman, Anne Caruso/Vincent Caruso, Frankie J. Grande, and James P. MacGilvray.
Morgaman and Grande were attached to the yearlong 2009-10 Kanin celebration that resulted in Off-Broadway presentations of Kanin's plays Dreyfus in Rehearsal (July 2009) and Remembering Mr. Maugham (March 2010).
Born Yesterday, one of the first commercial theatrical hits in post-World War II America, focuses on Billie Dawn, the dumb-blonde girlfriend of Harry Brock, a corrupt businessman. Brock hires Paul Verrall, a New Republic reporter, to smarten her up. Judy Holliday starred in the original Broadway run and in the film version, for which she won an Academy Award. Madeline Kahn starred in the first (short-lived) Broadway revival, in 1989.
Garson Kanin (1912-1999) might be best known as the writer and director of Born Yesterday. With Ruth Gordon, whom he married in 1942, he wrote the Academy-Award nominated screenplays "A Double Life," "Adam's Rib" and "Pat and Mike." Kanin was also a novelist and memoirist. His books include "Smash," "Hollywood" and "Tracy and Hepburn." Gordon died in 1985, and Kanin married Marian Seldes in 1990. He died at his home in New York in 1999. Visit www.garsonkanin.com.
Tickets are $25-$120 and may be purchased by visiting www.telecharge.com or by phoning (212) 239-6200 or (800) 432-7250. For more information about Born Yesterday, visit ww.BornYesterdayOnBroadway.com.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/14744...day-on-Broadway
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Aleki77 .
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February 8, 2011 01:52 PM PST Will House Lose Robert Sean Leonard to Broadway?
House fans may be feeling a slight cardiac dysrhythmia in the wake of news that Robert Sean Leonard is Broadway-bound this spring.
Specifically, Wilson’s portrayer has landed a lead in Born Yesterday, which begins previews in late March and officially opens in April — right around the time House should be lensing the final episodes of its seventh season.
Is the doctor out? Not necessarily, says a source, shrugging off speculation that RSL’s Broadway commitment will pave the way for Fox’s hit medical drama — which just hit season-high viewership — to winnow its ranks. The insider maintains that Leonard’s extracurricular activity is expected to have minimal impact on his day job, save for a possible missed episode or two in the fall.
Of course, that’s assuming Leonard is back next season at all. The actor (among other cast members not named Hugh Laurie) has yet to be signed for Season 8, but we’re told both sides are optimistic that an agreement will be worked out. (But first Fox and Universal Media Studios have to come to reach a deal to bring the show back.)
And as for Leonard’s seemingly at-odds jobs, one must remember that House has an admirable track record when it comes to accommodating cast members’ busy schedules. Just ask Olivia Wilde, whose Dr. Remy “Thirteen” Hadley is due to return this spring, in between the increasingly in-demand actress’ film roles.
http://www.tvline.com/2011/02/will-house-l...rd-to-broadway/. -
Aleki77 .
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Tony Winner Robert Sean Leonard to Join Jim Belushi in Broadway’s Born Yesterday
News By Broadway.com Staff February 8, 2011 - 11:18AM
Tony Award winner Robert Sean Leonard will join previously announced stars Jim Belushi and Nina Arianda in the upcoming Broadway revival of Garson Kanin's Born Yesterday, according to The New York Times. The show, directed by Doug Hughes, will begin performances at the Cort Theatre on March 31 and officially open on April 24.
Leonard joins the cast as Paul Verrall, a journalist tasked with educating ditzy showgirl Billie Dawn (Arianda), the companion to crooked mogul Harry Brock (Belushi).
Leonard’s previous Broadway credits include Candida and Long Day’s Journey into Night, both of which earned him Tony nominations, as well as The Invention of Love, which won him the Tony for featured actor in a play. His many screen credits include Dead Poet’s Society, Swing Kids, Much Ado About Nothing, The Last Days of Disco, and a starring role in the hit TV series House.
Born Yesterday originally opened on February 4, 1946, with a cast that included Judy Holliday as Billie Dawn, Paul Douglas as Harry Brock and Gary Merrill as Paul Verrall. The play ran for 1,642 performances and was adapted into a 1950 film that won Holliday a Best Actress Oscar opposite Broderick Crawford as Harry and William Holden as Paul. A 1989 Broadway revival starred Madeline Kahn, Ed Asner and Daniel Hugh Kelly.
http://www.broadway.com/shows/born-yesterd...born-yesterday/. -
Aleki77 .
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Fan photos from Born Yesterday On Broadway - Robert Sean Leonard
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Aleki77 .
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Thursday April 7, 2011 Broadway-Bound Robert Sean Leonard Declares: ‘This Is My Last Season of House‘
By Michael Ausiello
Before he joined Fox’s House as the yin to Hugh Laurie’s yang, Robert Sean Leonard was an accomplished Broadway thespian with a handful of Tony nominations (and a win — hello!) under his belt. Now, for the first time in nearly a decade, he’s back on the Great White Way in a revival of Garson Kanin’s 1946 comedy, Born Yesterday. So, while the show is in previews at the moment (ahead of its April 24 opening), the actor is juggling his stage duties with his taping of the final episodes of House‘s seventh season, meaning he commutes from NYC to L.A. on his one day off a week. What was so appealing to him about playing the journalist hired by a corrupt tycoon (The Defenders‘ Jim Belushi) to tutor his airheaded girlfriend (played by newcomer Nina Arianda) that he’d put himself through all this? A hint can be found in the headline. But, as you might expect, there’s more to the story — much more.
TVLine | Why did you wait seven years to return to Broadway?
This is my last season of House. I’m shooting my last episode now. Contractually this is it. There’s also no deal for House next year because Comcast bought NBC Universal and no one has a deal. If I do House next year it’ll be under a new umbrella. But legally and contractually, I’m free after this [season]. So my wife [Gabriella Salick] and I were wondering how the summer looked and what we wanted to do. And I’ve never had enough time to do a play [while doing House] because our hiatuses are only about a month of maybe six weeks long.
TVLine | You don’t really believe this is your last season, do you? I mean, House will eventually get renewed, and you’re a huge part of the show so they’re going to want you back.
[Pauses] I. Love. Money. Very, very much. But I also love my wife and my daughter. And when this play first came up I knew the only way it could work is if the show was over because the run [would overlap] with House‘s shooting schedule. And when my contract was not renewed this season… The long and short of it is, I don’t know. I would love to make more money. Money is nice. I also really miss [living in] New Jersey. I also really miss theater. I miss my friends. Gabby misses her family. I’m sick and tired of living in a place I don’t feel at home. There are very pressing, strong things pulling us in both directions at the moment, so I really don’t know what we’re going to do. It’s going to be a family decision, but it’s not one we have the discomfort of making right now because we’re not being offered options. I assume they’ll make another year of House. And I assume I will do it. But I can’t say for sure. My wife and I are really strange people. We never spend any money. I got my first car when I got out here — a Jetta — and I’ve been driving it since the pilot. We haven’t spent much of the money we’ve made.
TVLINE | You’re shooting the season finale of House now. Does it allude to a possible Wilson departure?
That’s not the plot of the episode, no. That’s not what the episode is about at all.
TVLINE | Even if you do return next season, you’ll still have to miss a couple of episodes because of the play, right?
I’d have to miss quite a few. We could do what we’re doing now, but I’m not sure I would do that – for any amount of money. Commuting 2700 miles is too much for me, and it’s too much for my voice… It’s just hard. I would either have to not be in the first few episodes or they’d have to delay the start date. Or I can be written lightly in them and shoot a couple of Mondays here and there. Anything’s possible.
TVLINE | Why did you decide to make Born Yesterday your Broadway comeback?
Because I love the play. And because [director] Doug Hughes hired Nina [Arianda]. If Doug had hired a famous actress I would have been hesitant. The point of Born Yesterday and the joy of Born Yesterday is Nina Arianda and discovering [her character]. And if you do the play right, then the joy of the play is redefining her every 18 minutes. You think you know who this girl is, and then every 18minutes or so you go, “Wait a minute. Where’d that come from.” That’s what makes the play work. Unfortunately, there aren’t many times in theater when you have someone good enough to pull it off, and we somehow got lucky with Nina.
TVLINE | Was it tough to get back into the eight-shows-a-week grind after doing a TV show for seven years?
No, not at all. I’m at House 17 hours a day. To go into a theater and do a play and be home by 11 – oh my god, are you kidding? It’s like nothing to me. And when you have two dogs and a two-year-old daughter, that’s a nice schedule. I drive to [the House set] in the dark and I come home in the dark. Sure, theater is tough because you’re not home at night a lot and you work on weekends – every job has its downside. But to do something that you love doing for two hours a night, that’s a pretty sweet gig.
TVLINE | Did you miss it?
Oh my God yes. I almost didn’t do it because of scheduling. I looked at the schedule and said, “This is insane. There’s no way.” I had days highlighted in yellow that I was going to be in L.A., and days highlighted in pink that I was going to be in New York. I looked at my wife and I said, “Forget it. There’s no way. I’ll lose my mind.” And she basically said, “If you don’t do this I’ll kill you. You need this. You need to do something you feel this [passionate] about.” I’ve been [on a high] since the first day of rehearsal. I love this company. I love Doug Hughes, I love the play. I love doing it. I can’t wait to get to work every night. I enjoy every minute of it.
TVLINE | I gather House has been accommodating with the scheduling?
Yes, amazingly so. They were extremely, extremely accommodating and sweet about it. They were great. They moved some things around, and they probably wrote me lighter in the final episodes.
TVLINE | Were you prepared to use the “Olivia Wilde got to take a year off to make a movie” argument if they resisted?
No. When I called I said, “Look, you guys — If this can work, great. If it can’t, there are no hard feelings.” Wilson is many things but he’s not Thirteen. I can’t just go away. Thirteen can disappear; Wilson can’t. The show just isn’t structured that way. He has to be there. It’s the way the show works. [He's like] Carlton the Doorman on Rhoda.
TVLINE | What is Wilson’s arc in these final episodes? Is it mostly him continuing to prop up House?
He’s kind of propping up House. This season has mostly been about House and Cuddy and them trying to make [a relationship] work, which is fine with me. I’ve had a lot of time with my dogs and my daughter. I’m just around to pick up the pieces this season.
TVLINE | Were you disappointed Wilson couldn’t make things work with his ex Sam [Cynthia Watros]?
Yeah. I love Cynthia. Anne Dudek was also great. It’s always sad [when Wilson loses a love interest]. But it’s like when Fonzie gets a girlfriend. You’re like, “She’ll be gone soon.” How long can Pinky Tuscadero stick around?
TVLINE | She’ll be hit by a train or something.
[Laughs] Right. Wilson can’t have a long-term girlfriend. It just doesn’t work.
Thoughts? Can there be a House without Wilson? And are you excited to see Leonard stretch his creative wings in Born Yesterday? Hit the comments!
http://m.tvline.com/2011/04/robert-sean-le...born-yesterday/
Edited by Aleki77 - 7/4/2011, 23:44. -
Aleki77 .
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Is Robert Sean Leonard Leaving House?
Apr 7, 2011 05:34 PM ET
by Adam Bryant
Can you envision a version of House in which Dr. Crankypants doesn't rely on right-hand man Wilson? Perhaps you should start trying.
Robert Sean Leonard, who has played Dr. James Wilson, the best friend of Hugh Laurie's Dr. House since the show began in 2004, says he's not certain about returning to the show next season.
"There's also no deal for House next year because Comcast bought NBC Universal and no one has a deal," Leonard told TVLine.com. "If I do House next year it'll be under a new umbrella. But legally and contractually, I'm free after this [season]."
Leonard, who concedes that new deals for the show and the actors could still be worked out, is splitting his time now between filming House's season finale and doing previews for Born Yesterday, which opens on Broadway April 26.
"When this play first came up, I knew the only way it could work is if the show was over because the run [would overlap] with House's shooting schedule," Leonard said. "And when my contract was not renewed this season ... The long and short of it is, I don't know. I would love to make more money. Money is nice."
But he also misses living in New Jersey, acting on stage and seeing his friends. And wife Gabby misses her family. "I'm sick and tired of living in a place I don't feel at home. There are very pressing, strong things pulling us in both directions at the moment, so I really don't know what we're going to do."
If Leonard were to return next season, he would have to miss several episodes because of his Broadway commitment, he said.
"It's going to be a family decision, but it's not one we have the discomfort of making right now because we're not being offered options," Leonard said. "I assume they'll make another year of House. And I assume I will do it. But I can't say for sure."
Would you sill watch House without Leonard?
www.tvguide.com/News/Robert-Sean-Leonard-House-1031564.aspx.
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