Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Debbie Allen to direct an all African-American production

Debbie Allen is to make her Broadway directional debut when she helms an all African-American production of Tennessee Williams' Pulitzer Prize winning play, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, opening at the Broadhurst Theatre on 6 Mar 2008, following previews from 12 Feb 2008.

Hypocrisy, greed and secret passions threaten to tear apart a wealthy but dysfunctional Mississippi family in Tennessee Williams' stunning American masterpiece. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof portrays the larger-than-life characters of Maggie "the Cat," her alcoholic husband, Brick, and the dominating family patriarch, Big Daddy.

The revival is being presented on Broadway by Tin Cat Productions and produced by Stephen Byrd. Cast will be announcing soon.

Producer Stephen Byrd said "I have been on a 12 year journey with this vision of an African-American version of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and am ecstatic that Ms. Debbie Allen will helm this production. It will truly be a historic presentation of a classic piece of theatre.�

Director Debbie Allen said �I am thrilled to stand at the helm of this unique production as we navigate our way through Tennessee Williams� riveting and explosive American classic. Cat, said to be his favorite of his many plays, achieves a timeless coherence with its characters as they wrestle with the universal struggles of life, love, money, sex and death.�

Debbie Allen is an internationally recognized director/choreographer known for working with The Royal Shakespeare at Stratford, and The Rahbani Family in Lebanon. A Culture Connect Ambassador Ms. Allen represented the U.S. in visits to Brazil, China, Italy, and India. A member of the President�s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, a board member of the American Film Institute, and an Executive Committee member of UCLA�s School of Theatre, Film, and Television.

Though this production marks Allen's Broadway directional debut, she is no stranger to the Great White Way. Her Broadway credits include choreography for Carrie (1988), she has twice been nominated for Tony Awards, the first was when she played 'Anita' in West Side Story (1980) and the second for when she played the leading role in the 1986 revival of Sweet Charity.