Craig, Jackman to star in 'Steady Rain'
Broadway production to bow at Schoenfeld

By GORDON COX

It's official: Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman will star in a Broadway production of Keith Huff's two-hander "A Steady Rain," bowing at the Schoenfeld Theater in September.

The two high-profile thesps look poised to turn straight play "Rain" into a top-selling hit along the lines of Julia Roberts-starrer "Three Days of Rain," which in 2006 racked up boffo weekly sales figures more common to large-scale tuners. Current, starry production of play "God of Carnage" has recently done similarly spectacular biz.

Jackman previously demonstrated his power at the Broadway B.O. in the 2003 Peter Allen bio-musical "The Boy from Oz," which was a major hit despite mixed reviews (and netted Jackman a Tony). Craig, whose stage credits in London include "A Number" and "Angels in America," will make his Main Stem debut in "Steady Rain."

John Crowley ("The Pillowman") helms the show, about two Chicago cops whose friendship is rocked by a domestic dispute that is not what it seems.

Huff's play had its 2007 world preem in Chicago, where the success of an initial run at Chicago Dramatists led to a 2008 re-mounting at the Royal George Theater. In Chi the monologue-based play, helmed by Russ Tutterow, starred Randy Feinmeyer and Peter DeFaria.

Creative team for the Broadway staging includes Scott Pask (the set designer who won a Tony for his work on "Pillowman"), Hugh Vanstone (lights) and Mark Bennett (music and sound).

Producing team of "Rain" is led by Federick Zollo, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli (one of the producers of the James Bond franchise currently toplined by Craig), who were all producers of the financially disappointing 2005 tuner "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."

Raymond L. Gaspard, Frank Gero, Cheryl Wiesenfeld, Jeffrey Sine, Michael Rose and Robert Cole are also on the list of producers.

"Rain" will be begin previews at the Schoenfeld Sept. 10 ahead of a Sept. 29 opening. Production will run 12 weeks.

I love that so many of the playwrights from my area are starting to grab Broadway by the you-know-whats. Tracy Letts and Co. win Best Play for "August," David Cromer's "Old Town" has transferred to off-Broadway and now Huff's "Rain." Awesome.

Um, excuse me, but if Mr. Jackman is going to be on Broadway again, he needs to be singing and dancing, thank you very much.

Tee-hee.