‘The Hills of California’ Announce Extension Ahead of Opening Night

Home » ‘The Hills of California’ Announce Extension Ahead of Opening Night

BroadwayItir Yildiz6 months ago

“The Hills of California”, a collaboration by playwright Jez Butterworth and director Sam Mendes, added two more weeks to its limited run. Following an opening on September 29, the production is now set to continue through December 22 at Broadway’s Broadhurst Theatre, instead of the initial closing date planned for December 8.

The production, which first premiere at the Harold Pinter Theatre on the West End in January 2024, received an Olivier Award nomination in London this year. The new production marks Butterworth and Mendes’ second reunion on Broadway since their 2018 play “The Ferryman,” where the pair each earned Tony Awards.

Some of the original West End cast members are reprising their roles on the Main Stem, such as Tony Award-nominated and Laurence Olivier Award winner Laura Donnelly as Joan and Veronica, Leanne Best as Gloria, Ophelia Lovibond as Ruby, Helena Wilson as Jill, Nancy Allsop as Patty and Young Gloria, Sophia Ally as Young Ruby, Lara McDonnell as Young Joan, and Nicola Turner as Young Jill.

Set in 1976’s Blackpool, an English seaside town, “The Hills of California” tells the story of the Webb sisters who return home where their mother lies dying upstairs. The play flashes back to 50s when the sisters rehearse songs for their act, under the management of their mother. Sweet memories of the past undergo a change with the arrival of an American record producer who offers them a shot at fame and a chance to escape – a tough decision for mother Veronica to make.

“If ‘The Hills Of California’ has a lesson to impart,” wrote Deadline in the review of the play, “that’s it: Watch out for those damned minutes when being a monster seems like a reasonable option – they’re rarely reasonable, and almost never just minutes.”

Rounding out the company are Bryan Dick as Jack Larkin, Richard Short as Bill, David Wilson Barnes as Luther St. John, Richard Lumsden as Mr. Potts, Ta’Rea Campbell as Penny, Ellyn Heald as Mrs. Smith, Cameron Scoggins as Dr. Rose, and Max Roll as Mr. Smith. Understudies feature Sawyer Barth, Erin Rose Doyle, Sadie Veach, Liz Pearce, Jessica Baglow, Liam Bixby, and Q. Smith.

The London production’s creative team also reprise their work on Broadway, including scenic and costume designer Rob Howell, lighting designer Natasha Chivers, composer and sound designer Nick Powell, choreographer Ellen Kane, and music supervisor Candida Caldicot.

Sonia Friedman Productions, No Guarantees Productions, Neal Street, Brian Spector, and Sand & Snow Entertainment, in association with Manhattan Theatre Club, helm the production of “The Hills of California.”

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