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Artwork for Birthday Candles. Debra Messing, in a red dress, stands in front of a bunch of falling baking items. Artwork for Birthday Candles. Debra Messing, in a red dress, stands in front of a bunch of falling baking items. Artwork for Birthday Candles. Debra Messing, in a red dress, stands in front of a bunch of falling baking items.
Birthday Candles Birthday Candles

Birthday Candles

March 18—May 29, 2022

Todd Haimes Theatre

Birthday Candles

March 18—May 29, 2022

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"A truly must-see show. Epic and beautifully written."

CHRIS JONES, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

"A true gift."

AYANNA PRESCOD, VARIETY

Emmy Award winner Debra Messing (Will & Grace) comes home to Broadway in the poignant and funny new hit play about the extraordinary moments that make up one woman’s ordinary life.

Messing leads a remarkable cast as Ernestine Ashworth, who spends her 17th birthday agonizing over her insignificance in the universe. Soon enough, it’s her 18th birthday. Even sooner, her 41st. Her 70th. Her 101st. Five generations, an infinity of dreams, and one cake baked over a century.

This “true gift” of a play (Variety) will take you through the highlights and heartbreaks of 90 years in 90 minutes. As the Daily News says, “Messing is extraordinarily moving. It’s truly a must-see show.”

Running time: 1 hour and 30 minutes, no intermission.

Birthday Candles Cast

Ernestine
Debra Messing
Kenneth
Enrico Colantoni
Matt/William
John Earl Jelks
Joan/Alex/Beth
Crystal Finn
Alice/Madeline/Ernie
Susannah Flood
Billy/John
Christopher Livingston
u/s Ernestine
Kate Hampton
u/s Billy/John
Brandon J. Pierce
u/s Matt/William
Thomas Silcott
u/s Kenneth
Stephen Barker Turner
u/s Joan/Alex/Beth, Alice/Madeline/Ernie
Arielle Yoder
u/s Joan/Alex/Beth, Alice/Madeline/Ernie
Allison Altman

Birthday Candles Creative

Playwright
Noah Haidle
Director
Vivienne Benesch
Set Design
Christine Jones
Costume Design
Toni-Leslie James
Light Design
Jen Schriever
Sound Design
John Gromada
Hair & Wig Design
Matthew B. Armentrout
Makeup Design
Kirk Cambridge-Del Pesche
Original Music
Kate Hopgood

GalaPro

Roundabout is pleased to offer GalaPro, a free app for live transcription and audio description that you can use on your personal smartphone device. Download the GalaPro app from the app store or Google Play.

  • Closed captioning is now available
  • Audio description is now available

Check out exclusive interviews and features

Discover the artists and history behind Birthday Candles in the Upstage Playgoer’s Guide. 

READ THE UPSTAGE GUIDE

Learn more about the history of the production and its creators through a lively discussion with Roundabout Teaching Artists. 

VIRTUAL THEATRE TALK


WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE
THE ROUNDABOUT LEADERS FOR NEW WORKS
  • Alec Baldwin
    James Costa and John Archibald
    Linda L. D’Onofrio
    Peggy and Mark Ellis
    Jeanne Hagerty
    Sylvia Golden
    Angelina Lippert
    K. Myers
    Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater
    Ira Pittelman
    Mary Solomon
    Lauren and Danny Stein
    Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust
    The Tow Foundation

Major support for Birthday Candles generously provided by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation.

Birthday Candles was originally commissioned and produced by Detroit Public Theatre (Detroit, MI; Producing Artistic Directors: Courtney Burkett, Sarah Clare Corporandy and Sarah Winkler).

Birthday Candles was developed as part of Chautauqua Theater Company’s New Play Workshop series, 2017, underwritten by the Roe Green Foundation. 

The empty house of the Todd Haimes Theatre with a wash of purple light over the seats, and a chandelier hangs at the top of the theatre.

Presented at

Todd Haimes Theatre

227 West 42nd Street, New York, NY

between 7th and 8th Avenues