Broderick set for Broadway return

NEW YORK, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- U.S. film and stage actor Matthew Broderick is set to star in the new Broadway production of "The Philanthropist," the Roundabout Theatre Company announced.

The play was written by Tony and Oscar winner Christopher Hampton and will be directed by David Grindley.

Preview performances are scheduled to begin April 10, 2009 at the American Airlines Theatre, with an opening night planned for April 26, 2009.

Additional cast members and the design team will be announced shortly, the theater company said.

"Written as a response to Moliere's 'The Misanthrope,' Hampton's biting bourgeois comedy examines the empty, insular lives of college intellectuals," the Roundabout said in a news release. "At the center of the story is Philip (played by Broderick,) a professor who seems almost absurdly removed from the political turmoil surrounding him, including the assassination of the prime pinister and his cabinet."

Broderick has won Tony Awards for his work in "The Producers" and "How to Succeed in Business." His film credits include "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Glory," "War Games" and Disney's "The Lion King," as the adult voice of Simba.

He has also appeared in the movies "The Cable Guy," "Inspector Gadget," "Deck the Halls" and "The Freshman."