'Brighton Beach' headed back to B'way

NEW YORK, June 4 (UPI) -- New Broadway productions of Neil Simon's stage comedies "Brighton Beach Memoirs" and "Broadway Bound" are in the works, the shows' producers said.

"Brighton" is to open Oct. 25 and "Broadway" Dec. 10. The plays are to eventually be performed in repertory on a varied schedule at a theater to be announced.

The semi-autobiographical "Eugene Jerome" plays were two of the longest-running Broadway plays of the 1980s. They are based on Simon's memories of his adolescence, early career and family life in New York in the 1930s and 1940s.

The revivals of the works star Laurie Metcalf as Kate Jerome and Dennis Boutsikaris as Jack Jerome, with Santino Fontana as Stanley Jerome, Josh Grisetti as Eugene Jerome in "Broadway," Jessica Hecht as Blanche, Allan Miller as Ben in "Broadway," Noah Robbins as Eugene Jerome in "Brighton" and Alexandra Socha as Nora in "Brighton."

Casting for the role of Laurie in "Brighton" will be announced soon, the producers said.

Tickets are to go on sale in August.

Rehearsals are to begin in New York Aug. 24.