Golden Age: F. Murray Abraham joins cast

Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham joins the cast of Manhattan Theatre Club's New York premiere of Golden Age, written by four-time Tony Award winner Terrence McNally, directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie.

F. Murray Abraham replaces the previously announced Richard Easton in the role of 'Gioacchino Rossini.' Easton has withdrawn from the production for personal reasons.

Abraham returns to Manhattan Theatre Club after appearing in the Broadway play 'Mauritius.' His many theatrical credits include the repertory productions of 'The Merchant of Venice' and 'The Jew of Malta.' He won the 1985 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as classical composer "Salieri" in "Amadeus."

In addition to Abraham, Golden Age also stars Dierdre Friel (Giulia Grisi), Coco Monroe (Page), two-time Emmy and two-time Tony Award winner Bebe Neuwirth (Maria Malibran), Emmy Award nominee Lee Pace (Vincenzo Bellini), Ethan Phillips (Luigi Lablache), Lorenzo Pisoni (Antonio Tamburini), Will Rogers (Francesco Florimo) and Eddie Kaye Thomas (Giovanni Battista Rubini).

The show opens at NY City Center Stage I on 4 Dec 2012, following previews from 15 Nov 2012, and plays through to 6 Jan 2013.

Golden Age: It's opening night of Vincenzo Bellini's new opera I Puritani in Paris in 1835. The Italian composer is determined to win the adulation of not only his French audience, but his colleagues and rivals as well. Everything depends on it.

The creative team will include Santo Loquasto (scenic design), Jane Greenwood (costume design), Peter Kaczorowski (lighting design) and Ryan Rumery (sound design).