The Lyons: transferring to Broadway in Apr 2012

Vineyard Theatre's world premiere of Nicky Silver's new play The Lyons is to open at Broadway's Cort Theatre before the 26 Apr 2012. The production's first preview, expected in early Apr, is still to be announced.

Directed by Mark Brokaw, the show will move to Broadway starring Tony winners Linda Lavin (Broadway Bound ) and Dick Latessa (Hairspray). The rest of the original cast - Michael Esper, Kate Jennings Grant, Brenda Pressley and Gregory Wooddell - is expected to return as well.

The Lyons - Silver's seventh new play to open at The Vineyard - is about a family grappling with the death of its patriarch. When Ben Lyon's wife, Rita, and their grown children gather to say goodbye, they learn that despite being a family, each of them is utterly isolated. Afraid of closeness and afraid of solitude, Ben's death may be a catalyst that propels them into foreign territory ­ human connection.

The Lyons opened at the Vineyard Theatre on 11 Oct 2011, following previews from 21 Sep 2011, and was originally scheduled to close on 30 Oct 2011, but was extended through to 20 Nov 2011.

The comedy opened to mostly excellent reviews: This play is wound as tightly as its characters (newyorktheatreguide); Snappy dialogue, curvy plot twists and a topflight cast (NY Daily News); Uproariously dark cartoon (Back Stage).

The Vineyard Theatre production of The Lyons will be presented on Broadway by Kathleen K. Johnson.