LUNT AND FONTANNE: The Celestials Of Broadway will have its New York Premiere at The New York International Fringe Festival in August. The famous duo of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne are played by real life married actor-couple Mark E. Lang and Alison Murphy, who met fifteen years ago performing in Cape May, New Jersey. They have subsequently worked together numerous times on stage in New Jersey and elsewhere. The play was written by Mark E. Lang, inspired by a comment from a theatergoer who exclaimed, “You two are becoming the Lunt & Fontanne of South Jersey.” 
The production is directed by award-winning director Owen Thompson, whose directing highlights include the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway productions of The London Cuckolds produced by Protean Theatre at Davenport Theatre and The Imaginary Invalid for The Actors Company Theatre (TACT) at Theatre Row.
The creative team includes costume design by Jessa-Raye Court & Viviane Galloway, sound design by Richard Frohlich, original music by Eric Gersen, stage management by Candice DiLavore, ACR Veronique Ory and company manager Patrick Hyland.
Meet the most famous forgotten actor-couple in theater history, The Lunts, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. This fast-paced new comedy/drama covers their extraordinary partnership, from the 1920s through WWII and to the opening night of The Visit on Broadway in 1958. Friend Laurence Olivier gave them the nickname “The Celestials,” and Cole Porter’s musical Kiss Me Kate was inspired by their offstage battles. Actor-playwright Mark E. Lang co-stars with his wife Alison Murphy in this entertaining new play exploring their lives and careers, with cameos by Olivier, Noel Coward and Marlon Brando.
ABOUT LUNT & FONTANNE:
Alfred Lunt & Lynn Fontanne were two actors who married in 1922. They worked together, almost exclusively, for decades. Stage actors who chose to turn down big-money offers from Hollywood. Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne ruled Broadway, toured the nation and even played London’s West End in the middle of World War II. With the Theatre Guild, they took low salaries to play in acclaimed productions of Shaw, O’Neill and Shakespeare; as well as three plays by their good friend Noel Coward. Laurence Olivier once said, “Everything I know about acting I learned from Alfred Lunt.” A Broadway theater was named for them in 1958, and the Cole Porter musical “KISS ME KATE” was inspired by their on and off-stage battles. Hugely famous in their time, they are now almost completely forgotten by the general public.
Performances take place at Venue #11, 64E4 Mainstage, 64 East 4th Street (Bowery and 2nd Ave.) Subways: B/D/F/M to Broadway Lafayette, F to 2nd Ave., N/R to 8th Street, 6 to Bleecker. Running time: 95 minutes. Tickets are $18.00 and go on sale July 15th at www.fringenyc.org.
Show dates: Saturday, August 13th @ 12:00 pm, Wednesday, August 17th @ 7:00 pm, Saturday, August 20th @ 7:00 pm, Tuesday, August 23rd @ 2:15 pm, Saturday, August 27th @ 4:45 pm.
More info is available at www.luntandfontanne.com.