'Lyons' roars to Broadway

Add yet another towards the roster of recent plays striking Broadway this spring: Nicky Silver's Off Broadway alum "The Lyons," toplined by Linda Lavin, has reserved a run in the Cort Theater to have an April opening. Play, in regards to a family faced through the imminent dying of their patriarch, bowed inside a nine-week run last fall at Off Broadway's Winery Theater. Lavin toplined that staging underneath the direction of Mark Brokaw, who reprises his helming responsibilities around the Primary Stem too. Dick Latessa ("Hairspray") will co-star with Lavin, because he did Off Broadway. The relaxation from the Winery cast -- including Michael Esper, Kate Jennings Grant, Brenda Pressley and Gregory Wooddell -- is also likely to result in the jump. Kathleen K. Manley ("Hair," "Race") produces the transfer. Even though production has yet to create exact dates, it's anticipated the run will open just before this season's April 26 cutoff for Tony Award eligiblity. "Lyons," which gained generally strong reviews in the Winery, joins an active slate of recent plays this spring including "Clybourne Park," "Peter and also the Starcatcher," "Miracle/Bird," "One Guy, Two Guvnors" and "The Writer," amongst others. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com