Cate Blanchett, Laurence Fishburne, Estelle Parsons, and More Set for Kennedy Center 2009-2010 Season

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has announced selections for its 2009-2010 theater season.

Barbara Cook’s Spotlight will return for its third season (Terrace Theater, October 9-June 4), featuring Cheyenne Jackson (October 9), Christine Ebersole (November 14), Karen Akers (December 12), Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell (April 30), and Jessica Molaskey and John Pizzarelli (June 4).

As previously announced, Cate Blanchett will star as Blanche DuBois in the American premiere of Sydney Theatre Company’s production of A Streetcar Named Desire (Eisenhower Theater, October 29-November 21) by Tennessee Williams, directed by Liv Ullmann.

The national tour of Tracy Letts’ Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning drama August: Osage County will also play the Eisenhower, November 24-December 20. Directed by Anna D. Shapiro, the production stars four-time Tony Award nominee Estelle Parsons. The Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan musical Young Frankenstein will play the Opera House, December 15-January 10, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman. Montreal’s 4D Art will bring its tribute to pioneer filmmaker Norman McLaren, Norman, to the Eisenhower, February 3-5.

Three of Terrence McNally’s works including Master Class (directed by Walter Bobbie), The Lisbon Traviata (directed by Christopher Ashley), and a new play, Golden Age will appear concurrently on three of Kennedy Center’s stages under the umbrella title Terrence McNally’s Nights at the Opera, March 12-April 18. The work will first be presented at Philadelphia Theatre Company, with the PTC production then moving to the Kennedy Center.

Tony and Academy Award nominee Laurence Fishburne will star in George Stevens’ Thurgood (Eisenhower Theater, June 1-20), a solo drama about Thurgood Marshall which played Broadway last season. The Disney musical Mary Poppins will play the Opera House, beginning July 1. The show includes many original songs from the film, along with new tunes from George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. The show features a book by Julian Fellowes, direction by Richard Eyre, co-direction and choreography by Matthew Bourne, and co-choreography by Stephen Mear.

The Kennedy Center’s Young Audiences season will include Barrio Grrrl: The Musical (October 24-November 15), written by Quiara Alegría Hudes with music by Bill Sherman, directed by Peter Flynn; Teddy Roosevelt and the Ghostly Mistletoe (December 4-30), written by Tom Isbell with music by Mark Russell, directed by Gregg Henry; and Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical (May 8-16) adapted by Mo Willems with music by Michael Silversher. The award-winning biennial festival of new plays for young audiences, New Visions/New Voices 2010, will play May 21-23. In addition, the Kennedy Center will present Hobey Ford: Animalia (October 10-11), Galumpha’s The Human Jungle Gym (January 22-23), and Nubian Gents + Feminine Fire Gospel Step Teams (April 24-25).

For more information, visit www.kennedy-center.org.