Playbill.com - 25/Apr/2012

[Source]

Patrick Breen Will Be Ned Weeks in Normal Heart Tour; Luke MacFarlane, Christopher J. Hanke Also Cast

By Andrew Gans
25 Apr 2012

Patrick Breen Photo by Monica Simoes

Initial casting has been announced for the national tour of the 2011 Tony Award-winning production of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart ? presented by special arrangement with Daryl Roth, and directed by George C. Wolfe ? which will launch in June at Arena Stage.
Performances of the award-winning drama are scheduled for June 8-July 29 in the Kreeger Theatre.

Playbill.com has learned that Patrick Breen, who played Mickey Marcus in the Broadway production, will head the cast as AIDS activist Ned Weeks, the role played on Broadway by Tony winner Joe Mantello. "Brothers and Sisters" star Luke Macfarlane, who played Craig Donner/Grady on Broadway, will be Felix Turner, and How to Succeed's  Christopher J. Hanke will play the role of Tommy Boatwright. Additional casting will be announced at a later time.

The story of a city in denial, The Normal Heart, press note state, "unfolds like a real-life political thriller?as a tight-knit group of friends refuses to let doctors, politicians and the press bury the truth of an unspoken epidemic behind a wall of silence. A quarter-century after it was written, this outrageous, unflinching and totally unforgettable look at the politics of New York during the AIDS crisis remains one of the theater's most powerful evenings ever."

The Normal Heart played a limited, sold-out engagement on Broadway last season at the John Golden Theatre. The design team included David Rockwell (sets), Martin Pakledinaz (costumes), David Weiner (lighting), David Van Tieghem (sound and original music), and Batwin & Robin (projections).

For ticketinformation visit www.arenastage.org.