Hernandez, Linn-Baker, Miller Set for MTC’s Romantic Poetry; Additional Casting Announced for Ruined

Preliminary casting has been announced for Manhattan Theatre Club’s production of Henry Krieger and John Patrick Shanley’s world premiere musical Romantic Poetry, to begin previews on September 30, with an opening October 28.

Ivan Hernandez, Mark Linn-Baker, and Patina Renea Miller will star in the show, to be directed by Shanley. In this crackpot musical romance, Connie of Woodmere has just married Fred of Newark, but her exes are back in the picture and not sure they approve of the union. Mary of Greenpoint climbs Frankie of Little Italy’s fire escape with amorous erotic intent — but things go awry as she reaches for her dream.

The creative team will include David Korins (scenic design), Laura Bauer (costume design), Donald Holder (lighting design), Brian Ronan (sound design), Devanand Janki (musical staging), and August Eriksmoen (orchestrations).

As previously announced, Tony Award winner Adriane Lenox will star in the world premiere of Lynn Nottage’s drama Ruined, which will play Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, opening November 17. The engagement be followed by a run at Manhattan Theatre Club, beginning January 21, with an opening on February 10.

The play, to be directed by Kate Whoriskey, focuses on Mama Nadi (Lenox), a shrewd businesswoman living in a small mining town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The cast will also feature Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Chris Chalk, William Jackson Harper, Chiké Johnson, Russell Gebert Jones, Kevin Mambo, Tom Mardirosian, and Condola Rashad. The creative team will include Derek McLane (scenic design), Paul Tazewell (costume design), Peter Kaczorowski (lighting design), and Dominic Kanza (original music).

For more information, visit www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com.