Atlantic announces full cast of Hold On To Me Darling

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

The Atlantic Theater Company has announced complete casting of its upcoming world premiere of Academy Award nominee and Pulitzer Prize finalist Kenneth Lonergan's Hold On To Me Darling, directed by Atlantic Artistic Director Neil Pepe, which will begin previews at the Linda Gross Theater on 24 February 2016, before an official opening on 14 March, and a limited run through to 3 April 2016.

The cast of Hold On To Me Darling includes (in alphabetical order) Adelaide Clemens (Essie), Tony nominee Jonathan Hogan (Mitch), Jenn Lyon (Nancy), Keith Nobbs (Jimmy), Emmy nominee Timothy Olyphant (Strings McCrane) and C.J. Wilson (Duke).

Synopsis: "On learning of his mother's death, world famous country and western star Strings McCrane begins questioning the meaning of his life and what it all adds up to. Determined to abandon his celebrity and career, he moves back to his hometown in Tennessee. It doesn't go well. This new play examines the costs of fame, fortune and narcissism in pursuit of the American Dream."

The creative team behind Hold On To Me Darling has also been announced and features scenic design by Walt Spangler, costume design by Suttirat Larlarb, lighting design by Brian MacDevitt, sound design by David Van Tieghem, and dialect coaching by Stephen Gabis.

Following this, the final production of Atlantic's 30th Anniversary season will be the world premiere of new musical The Band's Visit, featuring a book by Itamar Moses and music & lyrics by David Yazbek, based on the screenplay by Eran Kolirin. Hal Prince is set to direct the premiere, which will play a limited engagement at the Tony Kiser Theatre from 19 May to 10 July 2016.

Synopsis: "An Egyptian Police Band arrives in Israel to play a concert. After a mix up at the border, they are sent to a remote village in the middle of the desert. With no bus until morning and no hotel in sight, these unlikely travelers are taken in by the locals. Under the spell of the desert sky, their lives become intertwined in the most unexpected ways."

Casting and creative team information will be released at a later date.

At Atlantic Stage 2, the 30th Anniversary season kicked off with the world premiere production of Skeleton Crew, written by Dominique Morisseau, which began previews on 6 January 2016 and officially opened on 19 January. The limited run will play its final performance on 14 February 2016.

Synopsis: "In this final installment of Dominique Morisseau's Detroit trilogy, a makeshift family of workers at the last exporting auto plant in the city navigate the possibility of foreclosure. Power dynamics shift, and they are pushed to the limits of survival. When the line between blue collar and white collar gets blurred, how far over the lines are they willing to step?"

Finally, Atlantic will stage the New York premiere of The Purple Lights of Joppa Illinois, written and directed by Adam Rapp, which will run from 25 May to 26 June 2016 at Atlantic Stage 2.

Synopsis: "Ellis Shook lives alone in a small duplex apartment in Paducah, Kentucky. He works nights buffing floors, keeps to himself - and always remembers to take his medication. But when two teenage girls arrive at his doorstep one autumn afternoon, their visit will force him to confront a tragic past while also offering him a glimpse at hope."

That concludes the line-up for the remainder of the Atlantic Theater Company's 30th Anniversary Season.

- by Tom Millward

Timothy Olyphant

Originally published on

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