The Best Man: Kerry Butler completes principal cast

Tony Award nominee Kerry Butler completes the principal cast of the upcoming Broadway revival of Gore Vidal's The Best Man, opening at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on 1 Apr 20122, following previews from 6 Mar 2012.

Butler joins the previously announced Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Oscar, Emmy and Tony Award winner James Earl Jones (Arthur Hockstader), Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Candice Bergen (Alice Russell), five time Tony Award winner Angela Lansbury (Mrs. Gamadge), Tony and Emmy Award winner John Larroquette (William Russell), and Academy Award nominee Michael Mckean (Dick Jensen), Emmy Award winner Eric McCormack, Jefferson Mays, Dakin Matthews and Donna Hanover.

A play about power, ambition, political secrets, ruthlessness and the race for the presidency, The Best Man will be directed by Michael Wilson, who directed the Off-Broadway production of Horton Foote's 'The Orphans Home Cycle Part I,II and III' at The Signature Theatre Company as well as 'Dividing The Estate' on Broadway.

The creative team will feature Tony Award winning scenic designer Derek McLane (33 Variations), Tony Award winning lighting designer Kenneth Posner (The Coast of Utopia, Part 2 - Shipwreck) and five-time Tony Award nominated costume designer Ann Roth (The Book of Mormon).

The Best Man will make its return to Broadway in its first major revival since its run on Broadway in Sep 2000. Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Michael B. Rothfeld (Eagle Productions), and Darren Bagert (Infinity Stages), the producers of that production, have reunited to present the upcoming revival.

The Best Man was Vidal's second play following his comedy 'Visit to a Small Planet.'

The play premiered on Broadway in March of 1960 and was nominated for 6 Tony Awards including Best Play. Melvyn Douglas, portraying candidate 'William Russell,' a former secretary of state, won the Tony Award for outstanding actor.

Bios:

Butler received a 2008 Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for playing 'Kira/Clio' in 'Xanadu.' Other Broadway credits include 'Blood Brothers,' 'Les Miserables,' 'Audrey' in 'Little Shop of Horrors,' 'Penny Pingleton' in 'Hairspray,' 'Sherrie' in 'Rock of Ages,' and most recently 'Brenda' in 'Catch Me If You Can.'

Among her television and film credits are: "Blue Bloods," "Rescue Me," "30 Rock," "Cupid," "Lipstick Jungle," "Borough of Kings," "Campfire Stories," "One Life to Live," "Second Honeymoon," "Sesame Street," "Hometown," "Another World," "Twins," as well as several live performances on national television shows.