The Nance: Lewis J. Stadlen and Jonny Orsini join cast

Jonny Orsini and Lewis J. Stadlen will join the previously announced two-time Tony Award-winning actor Nathan Lane ('The Producers' 'A Funny Thing Happened...') in the Lincoln Center Theater's production of Douglas Carter Beane's new play The Nance, directed by Jack O'Brien, opening at the Lyceum Theatre on 15 Apr 2013, following previews from 21 Mar 2013.

Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

A nance, according to Webster's Dictionary, is "an effeminate or homosexual man." In the world of 1930's burlesque, a nance was a wildly popular character, a stereotypically camp homosexual man, most times played by a straight performer.

In The Nance, playwright Douglas Carter Beane tells the story of 'Chauncey Miles' (to be played by Nathan Lane), a headline nance performer in New York burlesque, who also happens to be a homosexual. Integrating burlesque sketches into his drama, Beane paints, with humor and pathos, the portrait of a homosexual man, living and working in the secretive and dangerous gay world of 1930's New York, whose outrageous antics on the burlesque stage stand in marked contrast to his messy offstage life.

The Nance will have sets by John Lee Beatty, costumes by Ann Roth, lighting by Japhy Weideman and sound by Leon Rothenberg.

Bios:

Lewis J. Stadlen has appeared with Nathan Lane in the Broadway productions of 'The Man Who Came To Dinner,' 'Laughter on the 23rd Floor' and 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum' (Tony Award nomination). His other Broadway credits include 'The People in the Picture,' 'The Producers,' '45 Seconds From Broadway,' 'The Odd Couple' (Female version), 'Candide' (Tony Award nomination), 'The Sunshine Boys' and' Minnie's Boys.' He's appeared in the films "In & Out," "To Be or Not to Be," "I.Q," "The Verdict" and "Serpico" and on television on the series "Smash," "Damages" and "The Sopranos."

Jonny Orsini's is making his Broadway debut. His stage credits include productions off-Broadway with The New Group, the Irish Repertory Theatre and at Ars Nova. He's appeared in leading roles in the films "Beneath," "Generation Um," "Rocksteady," "Cigarette Candy" and "Eddie and Paul." His TV credits include "Gunny" and "Law & Order."