Mercedes Ruehl will join Michael Urie in Torch Song

Second Stage Theatre has announced that Tony and Academy Award winner Merecedes Ruehl has joined previously announced Michael Urie in the upcoming revival of Harvey Fierstein's Tony Award-winning play Torch Song. Ms. Ruehl will take on the role of Ma, the mother of Urie's Arnold Beckoff. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

Torch Song begins previews on September 26, 2017, with an official opening on October 19, and a limited engagement scheduled through to November 19, 2017.

Synopsis: "It's 1979 in New York City and Arnold Beckoff is on a quest for love, purpose and family. He's fierce in drag and fearless in crisis, and he won't stop until he achieves the life he desires as a doting husband and a Jewish mother. Now, Arnold is back...and he's here to sing you a torch song."

Directed by Moisés Kaufman, the creative team behind Torch Song features scenic design by David Zinn, costume design by Clint Ramos, lighting design by David Lander, and sound design by Fitz Patton.

Torch Song Trilogy originally opened on Broadway at the Little Theatre (now the Helen Hayes Theatre) on June 10, 1982, where it ran for 1,222 performances until May 19, 1985. The original production starred Mr. Fierstein in the lead role, who went on to win the Tony Award for "Best Play" and "Best Actor in a Play." A film adaptation followed in 1988 in which Mr. Fierstein reprised his role.

Mercedes Ruehl won a Tony Award in 1991 for 'Lost in Yonkers' and earned Tony nominations in 1995 for 'The Shadow Box' and in 2002 for 'The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?' She was last seen on the Great White Way in 'The American Plan' in 2009 and her other Broadway credits include 'The Rose Tattoo' in 1995 and her Broadway debut in the 1985 production of 'I'm Not Rappaport.' On screen, she won an Oscar and Golden Globe for her performance in "The Fisher King" in 1992. Other notable screen credits include "Gia," "Frasier," "Last Action Hero," "Married to the Mob," and "Big."