The New Century: cast to include Peter Bartlett, Jayne Houdyshell and Linda Lavin

The Lincoln Center Theater has announced initial casting for its upcoming production of The New Century, by Paul Rudnick, directed by Nicholas Martin, opening at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater on 14 Apr 2007, following previews from 20 Marand running through to 15 Jun 2008.

The cast of five will include Peter Barlett, Jayne Houdyshell and Linda Lavin. The production will have sets by Allen Moyer, costumes by William Ivey Long, lighting by Kenneth Posner and original music and sound design by Mark Bennett.

Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

The New Century: A series of four short plays, which feature everyone from a concerned Long Island mother of at least three gay children, to an accomplished Midwestern craftswoman, to Mr. Charles, a flamboyant resident of Palm Beach. Ultimately, all of these delicious and distraught people collide under surprising and comic circumstances, and we discover just where our new century might be heading.

Peter Barlett can be currently seen on Broadway in the role of Underling in The Drowsy Chaperone, his other Broadway credits include: 'The Frogs' (2004), 'Never Gonna Dance' (2003), 'Voices in the Dark' (1999), replacement Cogsworth in 'Beauty and the Beast' (1994), 'Boom Boom Room' (1973) and 'A Patriot for Me' (1969).

Jayne Houdyshell was recenty seen on Boardway playing Madame Morrible (relacement) in the musical Wicked, she made her Broadway debut playing Ann in 'Well' (2006), for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. She will soon be seen off-Broadway starring in the Manhattan Theatre Club's production of Adam Bock's The Receptionist.

Linda Lavin has appeared in many Broadway productions, she was last seen on Broadway playing 'Nanny' in 'Hollywood Arms' (2002). Lavin won the 1987 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her role as 'Kate' in Broadway Bound (1986). She has been nominated for three times for Tony Awards - Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1969), 'The Diary of Anne Frank' (1997 revival) and 'The Tale of the Allergist's Wife' (2000).

Paul Rudnick, who will be making his Lincoln Center Theater debut with this production, is the author of the plays 'Regrets Only', 'Valhalla', 'The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told', 'Mr. Charles � Currently of Palm Beach', 'Pride and Joy', 'I Hate Hamlet' and 'Jeffrey', for which he won an Obie, an Outer Critics Circle Award and the John Gassner Playwrighting Award.

Nicholas Martin returns to Lincoln Center Theater where he directed Frank MacGuiness�s 'Observe The Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme', John Guare�s 'Chaucer in Rome' and Arthur Laurents� 'The Time of the Cuckoo'. His Broadway credits include: Butley (2006 revival), Match (2004), Hedda Gabler (2001 revival).

In addition to The New Century, Lincoln Center Theater�s 2007 � 2008 season will include:

the new musical The Glorious Ones by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, directed and choreographed by Graciela Daniele, beginning performances on 11 Oct 2007 , opening on 5 Nov 2007 at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater.

A new production of Shakespeare�s Cymbeline, directed by Mark Lamos, beginning performances on 1 Nov 2007, opening on 2 Dec 2007 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater

Followed by a new production of the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, directed by Bartlett Sher, beginning performances on 28 Feb 2008, opening on 3 Apr 2008, at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre.

In addition to these productions, Lincoln Center Theater is also a producer of Tom Stoppard�s new play Rock �n� Roll, directed by Trevor Nunn, which begins performances on Broadway on 19 Oct 2007, opening on 4 Nov 2007, at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre.