"Henry IV" at Vivian Beaumont Theatre from 28 Oct 03 with Michael Hayden

Tue 30 Sep 03 "Henry IV" at Vivian Beaumont Theatre from 28 Oct 03 with Michael Hayden William Shakspeare's Henry IV will open at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, at Lincoln Center, 20 Nov 03, following previews from 28 Oct 03, and booking to 11 Jan 2004 The cast includes: Michael Hayden (Prince Hal), Richard Easton (Henry IV), Dana Ivey, Byron Jennings, Kevin Kline, Audra McDonald, Jeff Weiss, Ethan Hawke . William Shakespeare's Henry IV, originally two parts, has been condensed into a single evening by dramaturg/adapter Dakin Matthews. It is directed by Jack O'Brien, designed by Ralph Funicello, lighting by Brian McDevitt, with Costumes by Jess Goldstein. Shakespeare's Henry IV is a story about nations - England and France - as much as it is a story about families - specifically, fathers and sons. Henry IV picks up at the end of Richard II; the English throne has been usurped from King Richard II by his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, now King Henry IV (Richard Easton). The first of the play's two main plots concerns a rebellion that is being planned against King Henry by a discontented family of noblemen in the North, who are led by the young Harry Percy, known as Hotspur (Ethan Hawke). The second of the play's plots surrounds the strained relationship between King Henry and his son, Prince Hal (Michael Hayden). Amidst his father's political unraveling, Prince Hal is found drinking in bars with lowlifes, highwaymen and other members of the London underworld, including Knight Jack Falstaff (Kevin Kline). While Hal's behavior irritates his father and other members of the royal court, an increasing number of rebels conspire to overthrow the monarchy. These two plots intersect in compelling, dramatic and sometimes humorous ways in Henry IV, as we witness Prince Hal's transformation into King Henry V, one of the most powerful leaders in English history.