Possible Extension for Morning’s at Seven

Though the Lincoln Center Theater’s acclaimed Broadway revival of Morning’s at Seven is still officially scheduled to end its limited run at the Lyceum on June 16, the show may be around for a bit longer. At the Tony Award nominees brunch at the Marriott Marquis hotel today (May 15), Elizabeth Franz–nominated for her performance in the show along with co-stars Estelle Parsons, Frances Sternhagen, William Biff McGuire, and Stephen Tobolowsky–told TheaterMania that the production will most likely continue its run “through the summer” with its original cast intact except for Christopher Lloyd, who has not signed to stay on in the role of Carl.

Morning’s at Seven, by Paul Osborn, concerns the intertwined lives of four late-middle-aged sisters living in close proximity in a small Midwestern town in 1938. The current revival opened to almost universally enthusiastic reviews in April of this year. TheaterMania’s David Finkle, after praising the individual performances of Franz, Parsons, Sternhagen, and Piper Laurie, wrote that “most importantly, when the four actresses stand together, they are as convincing a quartet of siblings as could be wished.” He added that “the men of [this production] are every bit as good as the women” and concluded that, “as far as this Morning’s at Seven is concerned, all is definitely right with the world.”

The show received nine 2002 Tony Award nominations: In addition to the actors listed above, nominations went to John Lee Beatty for scenic design, Jane Greenwood for costume design, and Daniel Sullivan for direction, in addition to the production’s nomination as Best Revival of a Play.