Karen Akers(I)

Stage Play: Grand Hotel. Musical/drama. Book by Luther Davis. Music by Bob Wright [credited as Robert Wright] and George Forrest. Lyrics by Robert Wright [credited as Robert Wright] and Chet Forrest [credited as George Forrest]. Additional music by Maury Yeston and Wally Harper. Additional lyrics by Maury Yeston. Based on "Grand Hotel" by Vicki Baum. By arrangement with the owner of the motion picture "Grand Hotel," Turner Entertainment Co. Music orchestrated by Peter Matz. Musical and Vocal Direction by Jack Lee. Incidental French dialogue: Michel Moinot. Choreographed by Tommy Tune. Directed by Tommy Tune. Martin Beck Theatre (moved to The George Gershwin Theatre from 3 Mar 1992- close): 12 Nov 1989- 25 Apr 1992 (1017 performances + 31 previews that began on 16 Oct 1989). Cast: Karen Akers (as "Raffaela, the Confidante"), Jennifer Lee Andrews (as "Hildegarde Bratts, Telephone Operator/Trudie, the maid"), David Carroll (as "Felix Von Gaigern, the Baron") [final Broadway role], Keith Crowningshield (as "Kurt Krönenberg, Bellboy"), Gerrit de Beer (as "Hanns Bittner, Bellboy"), Pierre Dulaine (as "The Gigolo"), David Elledge (as "Werner Holst, Scullery Worker"), Ben George (as "The Chauffeur"), Henry Grossman (as "Ernst Schmidt, Scullery Worker"), Rex D. Hays (as "Rohna, the Grand Concierge"), Suzanne Henderson (as "Sigfriede Holzhiem, Telephone Operator/The Hotel Courtesan"), David Jackson (as "One of The Jimmys"), Mitchell Jason (as "Sandor, the Impressario"), Ken Jennings (as "Georg Strunk, Bellboy"), J.J. Jepson (as "Willibald, Bellboy captain"), Timothy Jerome (as "General Director Preysing, Saxonia Mills"), Michael Jeter (as "Otto Kringelein, the Bookkeeper"), Jane Krakowski (as "Flaemmchen, the Typist"), Charles Mandracchia (as "The Doorman"), Yvonne Marceau (as "The Countess"), Michel Moinot (as "Witt, the Company Manager"), Liliane Montevecchi (as "Elizaveta Grushinskaya, the Ballerina"), Kathi Moss (as "Madame Peepee"), Lynnette Perry (as "Wolfe Bratts, Telephone Operator"), Hal Robinson (as "Zinnowitz, the Lawyer"), William Ryall (as "Franz Kohl, Scullery Worker/The Detective"), Bob Stillman (as "Erik, Front Desk"), Danny Strayhorn (as "One of The Jimmys"), Walter Willison (as "Gunther Gustafsson, Scullery Worker"), John Wylie (as "Colonel Doctor Otternschlag"). Swings: Michael DeVries (as "Swing"), Niki Harris (as "Swing") and Glenn Turner (as "Swing"). Standbys: Mark Jacoby (as "Colonel Doctor Otternschlag/Felix Von Gaigern/General Director Preysing/Saxonia Mills") and Penny Worth (as "Elizaveta Grushinskaya/Madame Peepee/Raffaela"). Understudies: Gerrit de Beer (as "Sandor"), Michael DeVries (as "Erik/Zinnowitz"), Niki Harris (as "The Countess"), Ken Jennings (as "Witt"), J.J. Jepson (as "Otto Kringelein/The Gigolo"), Lynnette Perry (as "Flaemmchen"), William Ryall (as "Rohna/The Chauffeur") and Glenn Turner (as "One of The Jimmys"). Replacement actors during Martin Beck Theatre run: Brooks Almy (as "Madame Peepee"), Jerry Ball (as "Franz Kohl, Scullery Worker/The Detective"), Brent Barrett (as "Felix Von Gaigern, the Baron"), Caitlin Brown (as "Raffaela, the Confidante"), Michael-Demby Cain (as "One of The Jimmys"), Rene Ceballos (as "Elizaveta Grushinskaya, the Ballerina"), Cyd Charisse (as "Elizaveta Grushinskaya, the Ballerina") [Broadway debut], Valerie Cutko (as "Raffaela, the Confidante"), Debbie de Coudreaux (as "Raffaela, the Confidante"), Michael DeVries (as "General Director Preysing, Saxonia Mills"), George Dudley The Doorman"), Pascale Faye (as "The Countess"), Merwin Goldsmith (as "Zinnowitz, the Lawyer"), Mark Jacoby (as "Felix Von Gaigern, the Baron"), J.J. Jepson (as "Otto Kringelein, the Bookkeeper"), Delyse Lively-Mekka (as "Flaemmchen, the Typist/Tootsie/Wolfe Bratts, Telephone Operator"), Carlos Lopez (as "Kurt Krönenberg, Bellboy"), Edmund Lyndeck (as "Colonel Doctor Otternschlag") [during John Wylie's vacation], Lisa Merrill McCord (as "Hildegarde Bratts, Telephone Operator/Trudie, the maid"), Austin Pendleton (as "Otto Kringelein, the Bookkeeper"), Luis Perez (as "The Chauffeur"), Michael Piehl (as "Werner Holst, Scullery Worker"), Jill Powell (as "Hildegarde Bratts, Telephone Operator/Trudie, the maid"), Abe Ribald (as "The Detective"), John Schneider (as "Felix Von Gaigern, the Baron") [Broadway debut], Rex Smith (as "Felix Von Gaigern, the Baron"), Meg Tolin (as "Tootsie/Wolfe Bratts, Telephone Operator"), Walter Willison (as "Felix Von Gaigern, the Baron") (During John Schneider's vacation Nov 1991- Dec 1991], Greg Zerkle (as "Felix Von Gaigern, the Baron"), Chip Zien (as "Otto Kringelein, the Bookkeeper"). Standbys: Tina Paul (as "Elizaveta Grushinskaya"), Walter Willison (as "Felix Von Gaigern"). Understudy: Meg Tolin (as "Flaemmchen"). Replacement cast during George Gershwin Theatre run: Zina Bethune (as "Elizaveta Grushinskaya, the Ballerina"), Lynnette Perry (as "Flaemmchen, the Typist"). Produced by Martin Richards, Mary Lea Johnson, Sam Crothers, Sander Jacobs, Kenneth D. Greenblatt, Paramount Pictures Corporation and Jujamcyn Theaters (James H. Binger: Chairman. Rocco Landesman: President). Produced in association with Patty Grubman and Marvin A. Krauss. Associate Producer: Sandra Greenblatt, Martin R. Kaufman and Kim Poster.