Leading Ladies: Montana Rep annouces National Tour

Ken Ludwig is a national treasure. He has almost single-handedly kept alive the sense of humor of Philip Barry, Billy Wilder, Preston Sturgis, George S. Kaufman, and the Marx Brothers. With Lend Me a Tenor and Moon Over Buffalo, Ludwig established himself as the American playwright to look to for the fast and furious comedic stylings of those masters. Thus it is with great pleasure that we announce our 2010 production of Ken Ludwig's Leading Ladies.Leading Ladies has been described as a combination of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot. Not bad company! These are two of the most profoundly beautiful—and hysterically funny—stories ever told. In the hands of Ken Ludwig, this tale of mistaken identities, human foibles, and loves lost and found (not to mention cross-dressing) comes alive in a hilarious romp that has had great success in regional theatres around the country.Delightfully silly, Leading Ladies follows the adventures of Jack and Leo, two down-on-their-luck Shakespearean actors, who hope to scam their way out of the Moose Lodge circuit by posing as the long-lost nephews of Florence, an elderly and apparently dying heiress. When our heroes learn that Florence's missing relatives are nieces, not nephews, they ransack their costume trunks and don women's clothing—but their successful masquerade proves problematic when Leo falls head-over-heels for Florence's winsome niece, Meg.Established as the theatre-in-residence at the College of Visual and Performing Arts at The University of Montana, Montana Repertory Theatre has been providing top-quality theatre to audiences across the country since 1968. Past seasons have included works by Tennessee Williams, Wendy Wasserstein, Neil Simon, Arthur Miller, Eugene O'Neill, Horton Foote, Ken Ludwig, and William Gibson.Will Jack and Leo inherit millions and spend the rest of their lives in the lap of luxury? Will Meg marry her stuffy, fortune-hunting fiancé or follow her dream of seeing the big, wide world? Slapstick goofiness, scrambled Shakespeare, and good-natured laughs make Leading Ladies an irresistible treat.Montana Rep is dedicated to exploring the national character through great American stories. We feel confident that Leading Ladies has the singular power, human insight, and rollicking humor to become an American classic.Greg Johnson, Artistic Director, Montana Repertory TheatreFor more information, please visit the Montana Rep Website.