Actor Michael Urie, Star of Comedy “Buyer & Cellar,” Is Sunday Symposium Guest on June 19 at the
Michael Urie (Photo by Joan Marcus)
Actor Michael Urie, reprising his award-winning role in the original Off-Broadway production of “Buyer & Cellar” at Westport Country Playhouse, will be guest speaker at the Playhouse’s Sunday Symposium following the Sunday, June 19, 3 p.m. matinee performance. He will talk about the production, as well as his career. Moderator is David Kennedy, Playhouse associate artistic director.
The Playhouse Sunday Symposium program is free and open to the public.
Urie won the Drama Desk, Clarence Derwent, Lucille Lortel, and LA Drama Critics awards for originating the role of Alex More in “Buyer & Cellar.” He is well known for the role of Marc St. James on the award-winning “Ugly Betty” television series. Other television credits include the role of Gavin Sinclair in “Modern Family,” as well as “Partners,” “The Good Wife,” “Hot in Cleveland,” “Younger,” and “Workaholics.” He currently hosts the Logo series, “Cocktails & Classics,” and directs the web series, “What’s Your Emergency.”
“Buyer & Cellar” is written by Jonathan Tolins of Fairfield, CT. The comedy is about a woman named Barbra who has a mall in the basement of her Mailbu mansion. Alex More, played by Urie, is a struggling L.A. actor who finds himself with the odd job of the mall’s shopkeeper. He takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride of fame and friendship at the outer reaches of American celebrity. The comedy will run through July 3.
The Sunday Symposium Series is supported, in part, by the White Barn Program of the Lucille Lortel Foundation.
“Buyer & Cellar” Production Sponsor is Joyce Hergenhan; Corporate Production Sponsor is Fidelity.
Single tickets start at $30; buy early for best prices.
For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.westportplayhouse.org or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), and on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).
About Westport Country Playhouse
The mission of Westport Country Playhouse is to enrich, enlighten, and engage the community through the power of professionally produced theater worth talking about and the welcoming experience of the Playhouse campus. The Playhouse creates this relationship with the community and provides this experience in multiple ways by offering: Live theater experiences of the highest quality from May to October; educational and community engagement events and opportunities to further explore issues presented by the work on stage; special performances and programs for students and teachers with extensive curriculum support material; Script in Hand playreadings throughout the year to deepen relationships with audiences and artists alike; the renowned Woodward Internship Program training program during the summer months for aspiring theater professionals; Family Festivities presentations from November through April to delight young and old alike and to promote reading through live theater; and the beautiful and historic Playhouse campus open for enjoyment and community events year-round. The value of the Westport Country Playhouse to all it touches is immeasurable.
Westport Country Playhouse’s 2016 Season includes two Tony Award-winning plays staged in repertory, directed by Mark Lamos, from May 3 to 29: “Art” by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton; and “Red” by John Logan. Each of the plays is about art: making it, owning it, the anguish of creating it, and the ache of believing in it. The recent Off-Broadway comedy hit, “Buyer & Cellar” by Jonathan Tolins, and directed by Stephen Brackett, is about a young, out-of-work actor who winds up working for a well-known star named Barbra in the mall she built in her Malibu mansion, playing June 14 – July 3. The comedy won a Lucille Lortel Award. Another recent Off-Broadway piece, “The Invisible Hand,” a riveting and relevant new thriller by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar, author of Broadway’s “Disgraced,” will run July 19 – August 6, directed by David Kennedy, Playhouse associate artistic director. When an American futures trader finds himself kidnapped and held hostage in Pakistan, he knows the only way to get home is to do what he does best: play the market like his life depends on it. Joe Orton’s comedy, “What the Butler Saw,” offering a little blackmail, and a lot of sexual innuendo, will play from August 23 – September 10, directed by John Tillinger, who helmed a recent, critically acclaimed production of the play in Los Angeles. Lerner and Loewe’s “Camelot,” a freshly inventive take on one of the foremost musicals in the American canon, will run October 4 – 30, directed by Mark Lamos. The classic love triangle of King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and Sir Lancelot will be a reimagined version.
