'The Glass Managerie' to close on the 3 Jul 2005

Bill Kenwright's production of Tennessee Williams� The Glass Menagerie, wil close on Sun 3 Jul 2005, the show was to have played a limited engagement until the 17 Jul 2005. When the play closes it will have played 30 previews and 119 performances.

Synopsis: Set in St. Louis in the 1930�s, the memory play tells the story of the Wingfield family - Tom, who is torn between his obligation to his family and his desire to break away, his overbearing mother Amanda, and his frail sister Laura, whose memory he cannot escape.

The Glass Menagerie, directed by David Leveaux, stars Jessica Lange as Amanda, Christian Slater as Tom Wingfield, and Sarah Paulson as Laura Wingfield, and Joey Collins, who has been playing the role of The Gentleman Caller since Josh Lucas left the production on the 5 Jun, will continue in that role through closing.

Joey Collins, the understudy for the role of Tom Wingfield, had his moment on stage when he played Tom in previews up to the 3 Mar 2005, until Christian Slater took over the role on the 4 Mar 2005. Christian Slater was bought in to replace Dallas Roberts who was originally to have played Tom, but was dismissed from the show days before previews began.

The show opened to luke-warm to poor notices, Ben Brentley of the New York Times said of the production "Within its first 15 minutes, you feel the entire production sinking into a watery grave." and Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote "Director David Leveaux delivers a muted staging that robs the work of much of its power," though Elysa Gardner of USA Today said "It's Williams' women who lead us to the meat of his work. Luckily, this Menagerie boasts a pair that aren't afraid to dig in and get their hands dirty."

The Glass Menagerie has set design and costumes by Tom Pye, lighting by Natasha Katz and sound by on Jon Weston.