When we last heard of the Broadway revival of the Pulitzer prize winning “Glengarry Glen Ross,” it was reported that Al Pacino would be joining the cast as the sadsack and desperate Shelley “The Machine” Levene, played by Jack Lemmon in James Foley’s 1992 film adaptation, instead of the role that nabbed him an Oscar and Golden Globe nod. And now, The New York Times is reporting that the role of the voluble Ricky Roma will go to the underrated Bobby Cannavale.
Cannavale, who fans will recognize from the Thomas McCarthy films “The Station Agent” and “Win Win,” is no stranger to the stage as he has a pair of Tony nominations, including one for his performance in the recent run of “The Motherfucker With The Hat,” which also starred Chris Rock in his broadway debut.
The David Mamet-written play may be most remembered for the searing 1992 movie that brought together the firecracker ensemble of Pacino, Lemmon, Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris, Alec Baldwin, Alan Arkin and Jonathan Pryce and launched some of the most quoted lines in recent memory.
If you’re only familiar with Mamet’s work on screen, you should plan a visit to see the Daniel Sullivan-directed revival when it begins previews at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater on October 16th. “Glengarry Glen Ross” is scheduled to open on November 11th.