Badalucco, Benanti, Berresse, Korey, and Kristen to Star in Benefit Reading of Plaza Suite

Michael Badalucco, Michael Berresse, Alix Korey, and Ilene Kristen will join the previously announced Laura Benanti in a benefit reading of Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite at the High School for the Humanities (351 West 18th Street) at 8pm on Monday, September 19. Andrew McCarthy, who had been scheduled to appear, has had to cancel due to a last minute conflict.

Produced by Jamie McGonnigal and Suzy Meyers, the event will benefit Opening Act, a non-profit organization that provides free after-school theater programming to New York City’s most underserved public high schools. Jonathan Ross will direct the reading; rounding out the cast are John Lavelle, Toby Lawless, Christopher Murney, and Britt Shubow.

Benanti is a two-time Tony Award nominee for her work in Swing! and Into the Woods. Badalucco is best known for his role on the TV drama The Practice. Berresse is currently featured in The Light in the Piazza, while Korey is featured in All Shook Up. Kristen co-stars as Roxanne Balsom on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live.

Plaza Suite, a trio of one-act plays that all take place in the same hotel room, opened on Broadway in 1968 and played nearly 1,100 performances. It starred Maureen Stapleton and George C. Scott. The 1971 film version starred Stapleton, Walter Matthau, Lee Grant, and Barbara Harris, while a 1987 TV version starred Carol Burnett, Dabney Coleman, Hal Holbrook, and Richard Crenna.

Tickets to the September 19 reading are priced from $10 to $100. For more information, visit www.openingactnewyork.org.