Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune is a two-character play by Terrence McNally. Terrence McNally is an American playwright. ...

It focuses on two lonely, middle-aged people whose first date ends with them tumbling into bed. Johnny is certain he has found his soul mate in Frankie. She, on the other hand, is far more cautious and disinclined to jump to conclusions. As the night unfolds, they slowly begin to reveal themselves to each other as they take tentative steps towards the possible start of a new relationship.

The play, directed by Paul Benedict, opened on June 2, 1987 at Stage II of the off-Broadway Manhattan Theatre Club, where it ran for two weeks. On October 14, it opened at Stage I for a six-week run. On December 4, it transferred to the Westside Theatre, where it remained for fifteen months. Kathy Bates and Kenneth Welsh were the original cast. Paul Benedict (born September 17, 1938 in Silver City, New Mexico) is an American character actor who has made several appearances in television and movies from the 1960s on. ... June 2 is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Off-Broadway plays or musicals are performed in New York City in smaller theatres than Broadway, but larger than Off-Off-Broadway, productions. ... The Manhattan Theatre Club is a theatrical company which produces new plays and musicals at the Biltmore Theatre and the New York City Center. ... October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 4 is the 338th day of the year (339th on leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Kathy Bates (right) with Frances Conroy in Six Feet Under. ... Kenneth Welsh (born 1942, Edmonton, Alberta) is a Canadian actor. ...

A 1991 film adaptation by McNally shortened the title to Frankie and Johnny and was a dramatic departure from the play. Frankie and Johnny is a 1991 motion picture directed by Garry Marshall. ...

After fifteen previews, the first Broadway production, directed by Joe Mantello, opened on August 8, 2002 at the Belasco Theatre, where it ran for 243 performances. Edie Falco and Stanley Tucci, who was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in Play, were replaced by Rosie Perez and Joe Pantoliano later in the run. The production, which was nominated for a Tony for Best Revival of a Play, drew a great deal of press coverage for the performers' extended period of nudity in the first act. Broadway theatre[1] is often considered the highest professional form of theatre in the United States. ... Joe Mantello (born 27 December 1962) in Rockford, Illinois is a Tony Award-winning American actor and director. ... August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (221st in leap years), with 145 days remaining. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... The Belasco Theatre is a Broadway theatre. ... Edie Falco Edith Falco (born July 5, 1963) is an American television and film actress. ... Stanley Tucci (born November 11, 1960 in Katonah, New York) is an American film and television actor. ... What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater, primarily honoring productions on Broadway in New York. ... Perez in Do the Right Thing Rosa Maria Perez (born September 6, 1964 in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York) is an Oscar-nominated American actress, dancer, and choreographer based in New York City. ... Joseph Peter Joe Pantoliano (born September 12, 1951) is an American actor. ...

External link

• Original off-Broadway production
• 2002 Broadway production
• New York Times review