Second Stage Theater presents Grand Horizons, written by Bess Wohl, directed by Leigh Silverman and co-commissioned by Williamstown Theatre Festival, as part of its 2019-2020 Broadway season.
Inspired by the growing trend of ‘grey divorce’ when older couples separate after many years of marriage, Grand Horizons puts an underrepresented demographic of senior citizens squarely in the spotlight of Broadway. This has attracted a top calibre, multi-generational cast of actors to Second Stage Theater, led by Emmy Award winner James Cromwell and Emmy & Tony Award winner Jane Alexander, with stellar support from “Gotham” star Ben McKenzie, Drama Desk Award winner Michael Urie, Tony Award nominee Ashley Park, “30 Rock” star Maulik Pancholy, and Tony Award winner Priscilla Lopez.
An Oscar nominee for his beloved performance as Farmer Hoggett in the 1995 family classic “Babe,” James Cromwell has enjoyed a formidable career on both stage and screen, receiving an Emmy Award in 2013 for “American Horror Story,” following previous Emmy nominations for “Six Feet Under,” “ER,” and “RKO 281.” Gracing the Broadway stage for the first time in almost three decades, Cromwell takes on the role of Bill in the Broadway premiere of Grand Horizons. Starring opposite him as Nancy, who asks for a divorce from Bill after fifty years of marriage, Jane Alexander has accumulated an astonishing four Oscar nominations, three Golden Globe nominations, and two Emmy Award wins and five further nominations over the years. Her screen credits include the likes of “The Great White Hope,” “All the President’s Men,” “Eleanor and Franklin,” “Kramer vs. Kramer,” “Testament,” and “Warm Springs,” among others. On the Broadway stage, she won a Tony Award in 1969 for The Great White Hope and has since been nominated six times, including her last Broadway venture (Honour) in 1998.
Highly anticipated for this Broadway premiere is the Broadway debut for Ben McKenzie, taking on the role of Ben. Thanks to his work on such popular television shows as “The O.C.” (2003-2007) and “Southland” (2009-2013), Ben has garnered a huge, international fan base. His role as Detective James Gordon in the Batman-prequel “Gotham” (2014-2019) has subsequently made him a superstar. Following the conclusion of “Gotham,” it is incredibly exciting to see that he has chosen Broadway as his next artistic venture.
Grand Horizons promises to be a comic and yet profoundly moving portrait of a family in crisis.
(Photos by Joan Marcus)
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10 images Bill and Nancy have spent fifty full years as husband and wife. They practically breathe in unison, and can anticipate each other's every sigh, snore and sneeze. But just as they settle comfortably into their new home in Grand Horizons, the unthinkable happens: Nancy suddenly wants out. As their two adult sons struggle to cope with the shocking news, they are forced to question everything they assumed about the people they thought they knew best. By turns funny, shocking and painfully honest, Grand Horizons explores a family turned upside-down and takes an intimate look at the wild, unpredictable, and enduring nature of love.
Last night Second Stage Theater celebrated the official opening of a new tragi-comedy by the talented playwright Bess Wohl. Entitled Grand Horizons, after the retirement home where Bill and Nancy now find themselves, the play asks questions about the notions of marriage, love and family and the growing trend of 'grey divorce,' as Nancy decides she wants out of the marriage after 50 years.
Second Stage Theater has now released official production photography for its current Broadway premiere of Bess Wohl's Grand Horizons, directed by Tony Award nominee Leigh Silverman. The new shots depict the entire star-studded Broadway cast, which includes Tony & Emmy Award winner Jane Alexander (as Nancy), Emmy Award winner James Cromwell (as Bill), Tony Award winner Priscilla Lopez (as Carla), Ben McKenzie (making his Broadway debut as Ben), Maulik Pancholy (as Tommy), Tony Award nominee Ashley Park (as Jess), and Michael Urie (as Brian).
A comedy on Broadway, especially one that revolves around seniors who’ve been married for 50 years--portrayed by the likes of Jane Alexander and James Cromwell, no less--is such a rarity that it deserves some applause for even trying. Clap. Clap. But Grand Horizons actually needed to try harder, since the view from the audience seat is, unfortunately, more seen-this-before bland than grand.... Read more
