Henry Winkler is heading back to Broadway after more than a decade, as a porn star.
“The Performers” is a romantic comedy about the porn industry. It was written by David West Read and Evan Cabnet will direct. The show is being produced by Robyn Goodman, Scott M. Delman and Amanda Lipitz. Previews for “The Performers” are set for October 23, 2012 and the official opening is November 14, at the Longacre Theater.
“The Performers” is about two high school friends (Cheyenne Jackson and Daniel Breaker) who reconnect with two women in their lives (Ari Graynor and Jenni Barber who was just annouced) in Las Vegas at the Adult Film Awards. Things go sour throughout the night and Chuck Wood, (Henry Winkler) an aging adult film star and also the hardest-working man in the business, gives them advice about love.
Henry Winkler is most known for his role as the Fonz in the 1970’s sitcom, Happy Days. He last appeared on the Broadway stage in a 2000 revival of Neil Simon’s “The Dinner Party.” He also performed on the stage in “42 Seconds from Broadway.” He has appeared in many films, including Night Shift, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination, The King of Central Park, The Waterboy, and Down To You.
Henry Winkler is also an award winning producer and director of family oriented shows. The multi-talented star is an author as well, he wrote the “Hank Zipzer” series.
Cheyenne Jackson was seen recently in the stage production of “Finian’s Rainbow” in 2009. His first Broadway show “All Shook Up,” earned him a Theater World Award. Some of his other Broadway credits include “Aida,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” and “Xanadu.” His TV credits include NBC’s hit comedy 30 Rock, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Glee. In addtion to acting, Jackson is also a singer and songwriter.
Daniel Breaker earned a Tony nomination for his role in the Broadway production, “Passing Stranger.” He also played Donkey in the original Broadway production of “Shrek the Musical.”
Jenni Barber was last seen on Broadway in 2005, in the production “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Some of her other stage credits include, “Cactus Flower,” and “From Up Here.”
Ari Graynor made her Broadway debut in “Brooklyn Boy” in 2005. Her other Broadway stage credits include “Relatively Speaking,” and “The Little Dog Laughed.” Graynor’s first break into stardom was her supporting role on the TV show The Sopranos. Some of her other film credits include What’s Your Number, Whip It, and Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.
“The Performers” will have set designer Anna Louizos, lighting designer Jeff Croiter, costume designer Jessica Wegener Shay, and sound designer Nevin Steinberg.
Evan Cabnet has directed for David West Read in the past. Cabnet directed Read’s 2011 production, “The Dream of the Burning Boy,” which was nominated for numerous awards. “The Performers” will be both Cabnet’s and Read’s first Broadway production as director and screenwriter, according to The New York Times.
There haven’t been many other plays about the porn industry, just one. The production “Adult Entertainment,” was a comedy by Elaine May. Michael Riedel, a New York Post reporter said, “…if ‘The Performers’ is even half as funny as ‘Adult Entertainment,’ it should do just fine.”
