Cheri, starring Amy Irving, at the Signature

Signature Theatre has announced that Amy Irving ("Yentl," 'The Coast of Utopia') has joined the cast of their world premiere production of Chéri, conceived, directed and choreographed by Martha Clarke, based on the 1920 novella by French author Colette, opening at the Irene Diamond Stage on 08 Dec 2013, following previews from 19 Nov 2013, and closing on 22 Dec 2013.

The company of Chéri, an interdisciplinary work that fuses theatre, live music, and dance, will also star American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Herman Cornejo, prima ballerina assoluta Alessandra Ferri.

Chéri tells a tragic story of forbidden love between a young man and an older woman (Lea) in Belle Epoque Paris.

The creative team includes set and costume design by David Zinn, lighting by Christopher Akerlind and sound by Arthur Solari and Samuel Crawford.

The novel was adapted into a French movie in 1950 starring Jean Desailly as Chéri, and Marcelle Chantal as 'Lea,' the older waning beauty. An English language film adaptation was released in 2009 starring Rupert Friend as Chéri and Michelle Pfeiffer as 'Lea.'