Theater News

Ready, Aim, Fire!

Stars twinkle and first-nighters make the scene at Ring of Fire, Measure for Pleasure, and Grey Gardens.

New York City

The opening of the Johnny Cash revue Ring of Fire on Sunday, March 12 brought an eclectic array of celebrities to the Barrymore Theater. Among the most excited of the first-nighters was Cash’s daughter, country singing star Rosanne Cash.

Also on hand for the big night were Cash’s son, John Carter Cash, and stepdaughter, Carlene Carter…

…country singer Larry Gatlin, who starred on Broadway in The Will Rogers Follies…

…film and television star Jennifer Love Hewitt, whose new TV show Ghost Whisperer is one of the season’s big hits…

…actress Jane Seymour, lovely as ever…

…Vincent Pastore, who must have been TiVo-ing the season premiere of the mega-hit series The Sopranos, in which he once co-starred as Big Pussy…

…and CBS news personality Harry Smith.

On Wednesday, March 8, David Grimm’s bawdy comedy Measure for Pleasure opened at The Public Theater. Celebrating after the show were stars Michael Stuhlbarg and Euan Morton, who both give spectacular performances…

…Suzanne Bertish, who is hilarious as the unhappy Lady Vanity….

…former Seinfeld star Wayne Knight, who plays her husband, the aptly-named Sir Peter Lustforth…

…John Ortiz, who will star in School of the Americas later this season at the Public…

…and Public Theater veteran Keith David, who stars in the upcoming Broadway musical Hot Feet.

On March 7, the new musical Grey Gardens opened at Playwrights Horizons, and the after-party was held at Planet Hollywood. Here are the show’s luminous leading ladies, Christine Ebersole, Mary Louise Wilson, and Sara Gettelfinger…

…the always superb John McMartin, who plays Major Bouvier…

…and the handsome Matt Cavenaugh, who plays Joseph Kennedy, Jr. in Act I of the show and a corn-loving Long Island teenager in Act II.