Sherman Yellen’s December Fools to Bow on February 1

The world premiere of Emmy Award winner Sherman Yellen’s December Fools will be seen at the Abingdon Theatre Company, January 27-February 27. The production, to be directed by Donald Brenner, officially opens February 1.

The show’s cast also includes Eric Michael Gillett, Celia Howard, Mikel Sarah Lambert, Carol Monferdini, Arleigh Richards, and Elizabeth Shepherd. The creative team includes James F. Wolk (set design), Susan Scherer (costume design), and Matthew McCarthy (lighting design). The show’s music was composed by the late Wally Harper — best known for his work with singer Barbara Cook — and features arrangements by William Cox.

The play concerns Gloria Temple (Shepherd), the widow of a renowned Broadway musical composer, who summons her estranged daughter Marcie (Robbins) to her home. While there, she discovers a hidden cache of her mother’s unmailed letters. Yellen received a Tony Award nomination for his book of The Rothschilds. He also wrote the book to the musical Rex, the Broadway play Strangers, and the television film An Early Frost.