Michael Learned, Lance Nichols Headline DRIVING MISS DAISY at the Alhambra, Beginning 2/5

Winning a Pulitzer Prize in 1988 and the Oscar for Best Picture in 1989, "Driving Miss Daisy" is opening at the Alhambra Theatre on February 5. Appropriate for a play of such esteem, the Alhambra has brought in not one, as has been its custom of late, but two stars to carry the show: four-time Emmy Award Winner, Michael Learned will star as Daisy Werthan and Lance Nichols, star of the HBO series TREME, as her chauffeur, Hoke Coleburn. This will be the fourth time Learned and Nichols will star together in "Driving Miss Daisy." Rounding out the three-person cast is Michael Edward Hodge, a New York actor who plays Daisy's son, Boolie Werthan.

"Driving Miss Daisy" was first staged at New York's Playwright Horizons and ran for nearly 1,200 Off Broadway performances. Written by Alfred Uhry in 1987, the play traces the relationship between an elderly Southern Jewish widow (Learned) and her African-American driver (Nichols). Set primarily in 1950's and 1960's, the show blends the civil rights themes of the era with what is sometimes described as a bit of a love story.

Said Executive Director, Todd Booth, "This is a moving, touching, warm show that really recognizes the times and the places of the era in our nation's history." He continued, "Michael and Lance are so wonderful together. The audience will be treated to a fantastic acting experience, a great performance and a touching story." Interestingly, Booth reports, after 46 seasons, this is the first drama every performed at the Alhambra.

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