Guys and Dolls: Lauren Graham to make her Broadway debut starring as 'Miss Adelaide'

Lauren Graham (Golden Globe Award nominee for 'Gilmore Girls') will make her Broadway debut playing 'Miss Adelaide,' in the new Broadway production of Guys and Dolls, directed by Des McAnuff, the Tony Award-Winning director of Jersey Boys, opening at Broadway's Nederlander Theatre on 1 Mar 2009, following previews from 3 Feb 2009.

Graham will star alongside the previously announced Oliver Platt (Nathan Detroit.) Further casting and design team will be announced shortly.

"We are thrilled with the casting of Lauren as Miss Adelaide. She is the perfect combination of leading lady and natural comedienne and I know she will be the ideal romantic foil for Oliver Platt's Nathan," said lead producer Howard Panter.

"To be making my Broadway debut in this role, in this musical, is truly thrilling," said Graham.

Graham is well known for her critically acclaimed performance as 'Lorelai Gilmore' on 'Gilmore Girls,' for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for 'Best Actress in a Drama Series,' two Screen Actors Guild Awards for 'Outstanding Female Actor in a Drama Series' and two Television Critics Association Awards for 'Individual Achievement in Drama and Comedy.' Her many feature film roles include 'Flash of Genius,' 'Evan Almighty,''Because I Said So' and 'Bad Santa' amongst others.

With music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, the musical marks the first joint Broadway project by two-time Tony Award winning director Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys, 'Urinetown') and choreographer Sergio Trujillo since their collaboration on the Tony Award winning musical Jersey Boys.

Guys and Dolls brings to life the Broadway of the 1940's, inhabited by gamblers, nightclub performers and members of the Salvation Army, in search of sinners to cure. The score includes the songs 'Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat', 'Luck Be A Lady Tonight' and 'Take Back Your Mink'.

The musical is based on 'The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown' and 'Blood Pressure,' two short stories by Damon Runyon. It also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably 'Pick the Winner'.

Guys and Dolls was first produced on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre, opening on 24 Nov 1950. It was directed by George S. Kaufman and starred Robert Alda, Sam Levene, Isabel Bigley and Vivian Blaine. The productioin won 5 Tony Awards: Best Musical, Best Director, Best Choreography (Michael Kidd), Best Actor (Robert Aida) and Best Festured Actress (Isabelle Bigley).

The musical enjoyed an initial run of 1,201 performances, winning five 1951 Tony Awards: Best Musical, Best Director, Best Choreography (Michael Kidd), Best Actor (Robert Aida) and Best Festured Actress (Isabelle Bigley).

The show was revived on Broadway in 1955, 1965, 1977 and 1995.

Oliver Platt (Nathan Detroit) returns to Broadway after making his Broadway debut in Conor McPherson's 'Shining City' for which he received a Tony nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actor. He can be seen in the following upcoming films: Ron Howard's 'Frost/Nixon' as 'Bob Zelnick'; the Harold Ramis comedy 'The Year One' opposite Jack Black and Michael Cera; Nicole Holofcener's untitled film opposite Catherine Keener; and Roland Emmerich's epic '2012' opposite John Cusack, Thandie Newton and Amanda Peet. He has received Emmy and Golden Globe Nominations for his work in the critically acclaimed Showtime series 'Huff.'

Des McAnuff (Director) is a two-time Tony Award-winning director and was recently named Artistic Director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, where he is currently directing 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Caesar and Cleopatra' (starring Christopher Plummer). His 2006 Broadway production of Jersey Boys garnered four Tony awards, including Best Musical.

Sergio Trujillo (Choreographer) choreographed the 2006 Tony Award Best Musical, Jersey Boys, for which he received both Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations, and the Broadway musical 'All Shook Up' (2005). Trujillo was a replacement 'Guy' in the 1992 revival of 'Guys and Dolls'. As a performer he has also appeared on Broadway in 'Fosse' (1999) and 'Jerome Robbins' Broadway' (1989).

Frank Loesser (Music and Lyrics) has written five Broadway musicals: 'Where's Charley?,' 'Guys And Dolls,' 'The Most Happy Fella,' 'Greenwillow' and 'How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.'

Jo Swerling (Book) was both a playwright and lyricist, as well as writing the book for Guys and Dolls, he wrote the book and lyrics to the Broadway musical revue 'The New Yorkers' (1927). His comedy 'Kibitzer' played on Broadway in 1929.

Abe Burrows (Book) wrote and/or directed many Broadway musicals: Guys and Dolls, 'Make a Wish,' 'Two on the Aisle,' 'Three Wishes for Jamie,' 'Say, Darling,' 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,' 'Cactus Flower,' 'Can-Can,' 'Silk Stockings,' 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' 'Good News' (1974 revival), and many others.