Harvey: Jim Parsons to star as Elwood P. Dowd

The Roundabout Theatre, in association with Don Gregory, has announced that Emmy Award-winning actor Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) will return to Broadway starring as 'Elwood P. Dowd' in a revival of Mary Chase's Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy Harvey, directed by Scott Ellis.

The show will also star Jessica Hecht as 'Veta Louise Simmons' and Charles Kimbrough as (William R. Chumley, M.D.). Further casting to be announced.

Harvey will open at Studio 54 on 14 Jun 2012, following previews from 18 May 2012, where it will play a limited engagement closing on 5 Aug 2012.

Parsons made his Broadway debut in the Spring of 2011 starring as young gay activist 'Tommy Boatwright' in the Tony Award winning production of Larry Kramer's 'The Normal Heart.'

Tony Award nominee Jessica Hecht returns to the Roundabout Theatre Company having last been seen on their stage in Arthur Miller's 'After the Fall' and Patrick Marber's 'Howard Katz.' She most recently received a 2010 Tony Award nomination for her role as 'Beatrice' in 'A View From the Bridge'.

Tony and Emmy Award nominee Charles Kimbrough makes his Roundabout debut following his Broadway performances in 'The Merchant of Venice,' 'Accent on Youth,' 'HayFever,' 'Sunday in the Park...' and 'Company' (Tony Nomination). He television work includes "Murphy Brown" for which he received an Emmy Nomination.

The comedy is about the amiable, but eccentric, 'Elwood P. Dowd' whose best friend is an invisible six-foot-tall rabbit namedHarvey, whom only Elwood can see. Elwood lives with his sister Veta and niece Myrtle, whom he drives to distraction by insisting on introducing Harvey to all and sundry. A comedy of errors ensues when Veta decides to have Elwood committed to a sanatorium.

Harvey premiered on Broadway in 1949, where it played for over four years and for 1775 performances. Directed by Antoinette Perry, it starred Frank Fay as 'Elwood P. Dowd' and Josephine Hull as 'Vera.'

A movie of the play was made in 1950, the screenplay written by Mary Chase and Oscar Brodney. Diretced by Henry Koster, the movie starred James Stewart as 'Elwood P. Dowd' and saw Josephine Hull reprise the role of 'Vera' for which she won both an Oscar and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

Harvey was revived on Broadway in 1970. Directed by Stephen Porter, it starred James Stewart as 'Elwood P. Dowd' and Helen Hayes in a Tony nominated performance as 'Veta.'

 

Originally published on

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