Curtains: complete cast announced

The complete cast has been announced for the Broadway premiere of Curtains: A Backstage Murder Mystery Musical Comedy, the last collaboration by song writing duo John Kander and Fred Ebb, opening at Broadway's Al Hirschfeld Theatre on 22 Mar 2007, following previews from 27 Feb 2007.

Ernie Sabella (producer Sidney Bernstein) joins the previously announced David Hyde Pierce (Lieutenant Frank Cioffi), Debra Monk (producer Carmen Bernstein), Karen Ziemba (lyricist Georgia Hendricks), Jason Danieley (composer Aaron Fox), Jill Paice (ing�nue Niki Harris), Edward Hibbert (director Christopher Belling), John Bolton (theatre critic Daryl Grady), Michael X. Martin (stage manager Johnny Harmon), Michael McCormick (investor Oscar Shapiro), Noah Racey (choreographer Bobby Pepper) and Megan Sikora (understudy Bambi Bern�t).

Ernie Sabella was last seen on Broadway when he played Herman in Sweet Charity (2005 Revival). His Broadway credits include: Man of La Mancha ( 2002 Revival), Chicago (Revival 1996), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Revival 1996), Guys and Dolls (Revival 1992), Little Johnny Jones (Revival 1982) and The Robber Bridegroom (1976).

The musical's ensemble features: Ashley Amber (Swing), Nili Bassman (Arlene Barucca), Kevin Bernard (Roy Stetson/Detective O�Farrell), Ward Billeisen (Brick Hawvermale), Paula Leggett Chase (Marjorie Cook), Jennifer Dunne (Jan Setler), David Eggers (Swing), J. Austin Eyer (Swing), Matt Farnsworth (Harv Fremont), Patty Goble (Jessica Cranshaw/Connie Subbotin), Mary Ann Lamb (Mona Page), David Loud (Sasha Iljinsky), Brittany Marcin (Peg Prentice), Jim Newman (Randy Dexter), Joe Aaron Reid (Ronnie Driscoll), Darcie Roberts (Roberta Wooster), Christopher Spaulding (Russ Cochran), Allison Spratt (Swing) and Jerome Vivona (Swing).

Curtains had its world premiere in the summer of 2006 at Los Angeles' Center Theatre's Ahmanson Theatre.

The show is directed by four-time Tony Award-nominee Scott Ellis, also represented on Broadway this season with The Little Dog Laughed. Choreography is by Tony Award-winner Rob Ashford (Thoroughly Modern Millie).

As previously announced the Broadway production see's the shows original stars: David Hyde Pierce, Debra Monk, Karen Ziemba, Jason Danieley, Jill Paice and Edward Hibbert reprose their roles for the Broadway production.

Curtains is set in 1959 in Boston during the pre-Broadway tryout of a new musical called Robin Hood. When the leading lady mysteriously dies onstage during the applause at the end of the show, the entire company and creative team are possible suspects; their various motives must be sorted out by a local detective (Pierce) who happens to be a musical theater fan.

The book for Curtains has book by Rupert Holmes - based on a concept by the late Peter Stone, score by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, with additional lyrics by Rupert Holmes.

Set design is by Anna Louizos, with costumes by William Ivey Long, lighting by Peter Kaczorowski and sound by Brian Ronan.

Curtains is being produced on Broadway by Roger Berlind, Roger Horchow, Daryl Roth, Jane Berg�re, Ted Hartley and Center Theatre Group.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on 21 Jan 2007.

Curtains is the last musical to be written by composer Kander and late lyricist Ebb.

John Kander and Fred Ebb began working on the musical with librettist Peter Stone. When Stone died in 2003, Ebb continued working on the musical with librettist Robert Holmes, who wrote a new book for the musical based on Stone's ideas. When Ebb himself died from a heart attack in September 2004, Holmes wrote additoinal lyrics for the show.

Kander and Ebb are one of the longest song-writing teams in Broadway history.

Together the pair wrote:

• Flora the Red Menace (1965)
• Cabaret (1966)
• Go Fly a Kite (1966), an industrial musical for General Electric
• The Happy Time (1968)
• Zorba (1968)
• 70 Girls 70 (1971)
• Chicago (1975)
• The Act (1978)
• Woman of the Year (1981)
• The Rink (1984)
• And The World Goes 'Round (1991)
• Kiss of the Spider Woman (1992)
• Steel Pier (1997)
• Fosse (1999)
• The Skin Of Our Teeth (1999)
• The Visit (2001)
• Curtains (2006)