Center Theatre Group has announced that it will be extending the Los Angeles run of VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE through March 16th at the Mark Taper Form. The new Tony Award-winning play from Christopher Dunning is under the direction of David Hyde Pierce who starred in the show on Broadway. Shalita Grant and Kristine Nielsen are reprising their Tony-Nominated Performances and have been joined by Mark Blum, Christine Ebersole, David Hull and Liesel Allen Yeager.
Set in 21st century Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with hints of 19th century Russia, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” is a riotous comedy with the Chekhovian set-up of a middle-aged Vanya and his stepsister, Sonia, who live together in their ancestral farmhouse, complete with a pond and a cherry orchard. Their normally quiet existence is thrown into upheaval by the surprise visit from their glamorous, movie-star sibling, Masha, and her 20-something boyfriend, Spike, the unlikely prophecies of their cleaning lady and an all too important costume party.
The cast features (in alphabetical order) Mark Blum (Obie Award-winner for “Gus and Al”), Christine Ebersole (Tony Award for “Grey Gardens” and “42nd Street”), Shalita Grant (Tony nomination for “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”), David Hull (“Wicked” and “The Book of Mormon”), Kristine Nielsen (Tony nomination for “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”) and Liesel Allen Yeager (reprising the role she played on Broadway).
The performances in this production are every bit as polished as they were on Broadway, and the newcomers to the cast add their own unique interpretations that give a new and fresh feel to the show. If you saw the show in New York, you will love it in L.A. just as much. If you haven’t seen it, then you must! It is simply hilarious and will have you rolling in the aisles.
Tickets for “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” can be purchased by calling (213) 972-4444 or visiting online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org. Tickets range from $20 – $70 (ticket prices are subject to change). The Mark Taper Forum is located at the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012
