Inherit the Wind
Broadway Drama Previews
March 19 2007
Opened April 12 2007
Limited run to July 8 2007 Run
27 previews & 100 performances Producer
Boyett Ostar Productions, The Shubert
Organization, Lawrence Horowitz, Jon Avnet, Ralph Guild, et al
Creative
Jerome Lawrence & Robert E Lee author
Doug Hughes director
Santo Loquasto costume design
Brian MacDevitt lighting design
Santo Loquasto scenic design
David Van Tieghem sound design
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Opening Night Cast |
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Brian Dennehy |
Matthew Harrison Brady |
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Christopher Plummer |
Henry Drummond |
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Byron Jennings |
Reverend Jeremiah Brown |
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Denis O'Hare |
E K Hornbeck |
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Terry Beaver |
Judge |
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Anne Bowles |
Mrs Loomis
Townsperson |
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Steve Brady |
Townsperson |
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Bill Buell |
Mr Bannister |
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Bill Christ |
Vendor
Townsperson |
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Carson Church
Katie Klaus
Mary Kate Law
David M Lutken |
Gospel Quartet |
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Conor Donovan |
Howard |
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Lanny Flaherty |
Elijah |
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Kit Flanagan
Sherman Howard
Philip LeStrange |
Townsperson |
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Beth Fowler |
Mrs Brady |
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Maggie Lacey |
Rachel Brown |
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Jordan Lage |
Tom Davenport |
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Kevin Loomis |
Monkey Man
Townsperson |
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Charlotte Maier |
Mrs Krebs
Townsperson |
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Matthew Nardozzi |
Timmy
Townsperson |
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Randall Newsome |
Photographer
Townsperson |
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Jay Patterson |
Dunlap
Townsperson |
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Pippa Pearthree |
Mrs Blair
Townsperson |
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Scott Sowers |
Meeker |
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Amanda Sprecher |
Melinda |
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Erik Steele |
Reuter's Reporter
Harry Y Esterbrook
Townsperson |
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Jeff Steitzer |
Mayor |
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Henry Stram |
Mr Goodfellow |
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Benjamin Walker |
Bertram Cates |
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Andrew Weems |
Sillers
Townsperson |
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Synopsis
Inherit the Wind is loosely
based on the 1925 trial where John Scopes was convicted of teaching
the theory of evolution. In their version, Messrs Lawrence and Lee
use the fundamentalists versus evolutionists struggle as a parable
to reject the McCarthy-era ban on free thinking they perceive
The plot itself is fairly simple.
Bertram Cates is to be tried for teaching evolution. High-powered
prosecutor Matthew Brady arrives in town for the trial, as does
equally high-powered Henry Drummond for the defense. The love angle
is supplied by Rachel Brown, daughter of the Reverend Jeremiah, the
man leading the popular charge against Bertram
Contentiousness reigns as Brady and
Drummond spar both in and out of the courtroom. Small slights are
magnified for advantage, every edge is sought
And then Drummond gets to question
Brady on the witness stand
Broadway Show History
Inherit the Wind premiered on
Broadway Thursday, April 21, 1955 at the National Theater. Paul Muni
and Ed Begley starred as Henry Drummond and Matthew Harrison Brady.
Tony Randall appeared as E K Hornbeck and Staats Cotsworth played
Reverend Brown. Messrs Muni and Begley picked u
1956 Tonys® for actor and
featured actor as the production went on to play 806 performances,
an outstanding number for a straight play at that time
The only other revival on the Great
White Way was the 1996 staging produced by Mr Randall's National
Actors Theatre. Opening April 6th, the showed starred Charles
Durning as Brady opposite George C Scott as Drummond. Somewhat lost
in the notes was Mr Randall standing by, ready to take on the roles
of E K Hornbeck and Henry Drummond
In the Movies
The 1960 Stanley Kramer-directed film
version starred Spencer Tracy as Drummond, Fredric March as Brady
and Gene Kelly as Hornbeck. Dick York played Bertram with Donna
Anderson appearing as Rachel
On Television
In 1965 we again saw Ed Begley as
Matthew Harrison Brady, this time in a Hallmark Hall of Fame
production. Melvyn Douglas played Henry Drummond, with Burt
Brinckerhoff as Bert and Diane Baker as Rachel
And we guess they're going to keep
doing it until they think they get it right. 1988 brought a
made-for-television version to NBC with Kirk Douglas as Brady, Jason
Robards as Drummond and Darren McGavin as Hornbeck. Eleven years
later another television version aired on Showtime. George C Scott
now played Brady opposite Jack Lemon's Drummond. Beau Bridges popped
in as Hornbeck, with John Cullum as the Judge and Piper Laurie as
Sarah Brady Tony Award®, Tony®, the Tony Award® logo, and
the Tony Award® medallion are registered trademarks of the American
Theatre Wing
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