To Be Or Not To Be: Casey Nicholaw to direct Nick Whitby's dark comedy

Casey Nicholaw is to direct Nick Whitby's dark comedy To Be Or Not To Be based on the 1942 motion picture of the same name.

The production will kick off Manhattan Theatre Club's 2008/09 season, when it opens at the Biltmore Theatre on 2 Oct 2008, following previews from 11 Sep.

To Be Or Not To Be: At the Polski Theatre in 1939 Warsaw, Joseph and Maria Tura are about to open yet another smash with their theatrical troupe. As the German invasion gets underway, the theatre is closed by the censors, forcing the troupe to face desperate times. But when a handsome young bomber pilot enlists their help to catch a spy, what is a group of actors to do?

The play is adapted from the original 1942 film, that features a screenplay by Edwin Justus Mayer, based on a story by Melchior Lengyel, and was directed by Ernst Lubitsch. The film starred Carole Lombard and Jack Benny as Joseph and Maria Tura who find themselves matching their wits with the Nazi's occupiers.

To Be Or Not To Be will mark Nick Whitby�s Broadway debut, and his first play produced in New York. The British playwright's previous works include: 'Bolivia,' 'The Devil's Dancing Hour,' 'Dirty Dishes' and 'To the Green Fields Beyond.'

Director Casey Nicholaw has been nominated for three Tony AWards: Best Director & Best Choreographer for 'The Drowsy Chaperone' (2006), and Best Choreographer for the musical comedy Spamalot.

Casting and creative team to be announced.