The National
Theatre of Great Britain's production of
Tom Stoppard's Jumpers comes to Broadway
for a 15-week engagement this spring. The
play is described as "a dazzling philosophic
debate and crackling murder mystery,"
whose elements include an ill-fated moon
landing, a naked lady on a swing, a dead
body in a closet, a pyramid of acrobats,
an onstage band, and a trained tortoise
on the loose. It concerns George Moore,
a professor of philosophy who is struggling
to write a speech about moral absolutes
and the existence of God, while coping with
the distraction of his mentally unbalanced
wife, Dorothy, who is a musical comedy star,
and the murder investigation being conducted
in their bedroom.
The production will feature the rest of
the National Theatre principals, including
Nicky Henson (Archie), Eliza Lumley (Secretary),
John Rogan (Crouch) and Nicholas Woodeson
(Bones). The titular jumpers, a team of
gymnastic members of the Philosophy School
- or are they the philosophical members
of the gymnastics team? - include Michael
Arnold, Andrew Asnes, Clark Scott Carmichael,
Tom Hildebrand, Michael Hollick, Don Johanson,
Joseph P. McDonnell, Hillel Meltzer, Zachary
Oberzan and Aaron Vexler. Understudies are
John Curless, Crista Moore, Tony Carlin
and Julian Gamble.
Tom Stoppard’s JUMPERS is an outrageous
comedy, crackling murder mystery, and musical
spectacle, all at once. The elements include
an ill-fated moon landing, a naked lady
on a swing, a dead body in the closet, a
pyramid of acrobats, an onstage band and
a trained tortoise on the loose.
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