From The NY Times:
Marlee Matlin, who won an Oscar for best actress for the 1986 film“Children of a Lesser God,” has been cast in Deaf West’s upcoming Broadway revival of “Spring Awakening.”
“There is a feeling of nervous excitement that I haven’t felt in quite a long time,” Ms. Matlin said in an email.
Ms. Matlin, who is deaf, grew up performing in plays and musicals in sign language at the Center on Deafness in Chicago. She will make her Broadway debut in a cast of 27.
Michael Arden is directing the production of Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater’s 2006 musical, which will open at the Brooks Atkinson Theater in September.
Ms. Matlin will play Frau Gabor — mother to the young protagonist, Melchior — as well as Frau Schmidt. In this production, Melchior’s best friend, Moritz, is also deaf, and Frau Gabor “serves as a role model and source of compassion and inspiration” to him, according to Ms. Matlin.
“Because of its themes of experimentation, self discovery and miscommunication between adults and teenagers, ‘Spring Awakening’ lends itself toward being restaged in song and sign,” Ms. Matlin wrote.
When asked if she was now gunning for EGOT status (that is, to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony), given her Oscar and several Emmy nominations, Ms. Matlin joked that she was working on voice lessons for an upcoming album. “The first Deaf EGOT. Wouldn’t that be something?” she wrote.
