Sylvia

Matthew Broderick & Annaleigh Ashford star

Taking the age-old maxim of 'a dog is a man's best friend' quite literally, Sylvia is a warm and witty tale of doggy devotion taken too far. 2015 Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford (You Can't Take It With You) takes on the most challenging role of her career as the eponymous Sylvia, an all too lovable pooch whose presence in the apartment of New York couple Kate and Greg causes considerable marital strife. Two-time Tony winner Matthew Broderick is back on The Great White Way after a successful run in It's Only A Play while fellow 2015 Tony nominee, and previous winner, Julie White (Airline Highway) plays Kate.

Written by A. R. Gurney (Love Letters), Sylvia debuted Off-Broadway at the Manhattan Theatre Club in 1995, with Sarah Jessica Parker in the title role. Though undoubtedly canine in nature, the character of Sylvia takes to the stage on two legs, wears normal clothes and speaks to the audiences. Oblivious to the tension she's causing, she follows Greg around with unblinking adoration, drawing the ire of Kate, who begins to feel usurped by her husband's new pet. Taking its anthropomorphised conceit to hilarious levels, Sylvia delves into issues of loyalty and unconditional love with boundless invention.

Who's Who?

A Tony Award win was only a matter of time for Annaleigh Ashford, who has been treading the New York boards since she was nine years old, and has originated roles in Broadway musicals Legally Blonde and Kinky Boots. On the small screen, she's currently starring as Betty DiMello in Showtime's Masters of Sex.

Matthew Broderick is no stranger to the Broadway stage nor the silver screen, starring in hits like Ferris Bueller's Day Off and 1995's How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, for which he won his first Tony. Their co-stars are Julie White, who was awarded her Tony Award for 2006's The Little Dig Laughed, and Robert Sella (Verite). Daniel Sullivan (The Country House) is in the director's chair.

What is Sylvia About?

Experiencing a very middle class mid-life crisis, New York trader Greg finds an outlet for his angst in the form of Sylvia, a stray dog he chances upon in Central Park, and promptly adopts. Gazing up at him with unquestioning devotion, Sylvia is the perfect sounding board for his existential musings, but his wife Kate is not as big a fan. Annoyed by the attention her husband lavishes on Sylvia, Kate demands that Greg get rid of her. As passions rise, it looks like Greg may have to choose between the two females in his life.