NEW YORK, NY (October 16, 2026), The York Theatre (Joseph Hayward, Producing Artistic Director; Wendy Hall, Managing Director) announced today that Donna Vivino will star as Dorothy Kilgallen in the world premiere of KILGALLEN, a new musical with book and music by Tony-nominee Chuck Strand, lyrics by Chuck Strand and Emily Drossell, additional music by George Petersen, choreography by Jennifer Copaken, music directed by Eric Svejcar, and directed by Terry Berliner.
Vivino made her Broadway debut at age eight as the original Young Cosette in Les Misérables and later played Elphaba in Wicked. KILGALLEN begins previews Saturday, November 28 at The Theatre at Saint Jean's (150 East 76th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue) and plays a limited engagement through Sunday, December 27. Opening night is Thursday, December 3 at 7 p.m.
In the 1950s, a single line in Dorothy Kilgallen's Voice of Broadway column could make or end a career. Seventy years later, the woman playing her grew up on those same stages.
"I get to tell the story of a woman who lived, and died, in pursuit of the truth," said Vivino. "Dorothy was a trailblazer. I hope audiences walk out knowing who she really was, and how determined and brave she had to be."
KILGALLEN is a musical mystery about Dorothy Kilgallen, one of America's most influential journalists. Brilliant, relentless, and unapologetically ambitious, Kilgallen moved among the celebrities, politicians, and power brokers who defined her era. When President Kennedy was assassinated, she became convinced that the truth was being buried, and set out to prove it. Even as she realized her life was in danger, she forged ahead. Dorothy died under suspicious circumstances on November 8, 1965. The mystery remains unsolved today.
At her peak, Dorothy Kilgallen was America's most powerful voice. Columnist, radio host, and television star, she knew everything about everyone who mattered: film stars and club owners, gangsters and con men, kings and presidents. When her friend John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas, she didn't buy the official story. She started digging into Cuban exiles, the mob, and the CIA, and the people she was asking about started watching her. Even after she realized her life was in danger, she kept going. On November 7, 1965, Dorothy Kilgallen was found dead in her Manhattan home. Officially, it was an accidental mix of pills and alcohol. The case has never been solved.
Running Time: \u200b 95 minutes (no intermission)
Website: https://www.yorktheatre.org/kilgallen
DONNA VIVINO (Dorothy Kilgallen) made her Broadway debut at age eight as the original Young Cosette in Les Misérables. Her Broadway credits also include Wicked (Elphaba), Hell's Kitchen, Hairspray, and Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me. She recently played Meg Brockie in Brigadoon at Pasadena Playhouse, where Variety called her "The Love of My Life" an "action-packed, first-act rave-up," and Heidi Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen at Pioneer Theatre Company. Other favorites include Grizabella in the national tour of Cats, Next to Normal, and Merrily We Roll Along. On screen, she has appeared in Law & Order, FBI: Most Wanted, and the film Ezra, with Unsilenced coming soon. A Fair Lawn, New Jersey native and Barnard College graduate, Vivino also runs Broadway Unlimited, a youth theatre company for kids and teens. Instagram: @donnavivino
\nTHE YORK THEATRE, “Where Musicals Come to Life,” is the only theatre in New York City—and one of very few in the world—dedicated to developing and fully producing new musicals and preserving notable shows from the past. For over five decades, York’s intimate, imaginative approach to producing both original and classic musicals has earned critical acclaim and recognition from artists and audiences alike. Since 1997, The York has focused on new musicals in its Mainstage Series—most of them world, American, or New York premieres—by some of the field’s most esteemed creators and has also helped launch the careers of many talented new writers. Over 47 cast recordings from York Theatre productions are now available, including its acclaimed revival of CLOSER THAN EVER (2013 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Revival). Commercial transfers of such York premieres as THE MUSICAL OF MUSICALS (THE MUSICAL!), SOUVENIR (Tony Award Nomination for actress Judy Kaye), and JOLSON & COMPANY, and revivals of PACIFIC OVERTURES and SWEENEY TODD (four Tony Nominations including Best Revival) have all showcased the importance of The York and its programs.
The York has received an Emmy Nomination, a special Drama Desk Award for “Developing and Producing New Musicals,” and a special Outer Critics Circle Award for “50 Years of Producing New and Classic Musicals.” Most recently, Stephanie Jae Park received a Lortel Nomination for her performance in The York’s Monte Cristo. The York is currently producing at The Theatre at St. Jean’s at 76th Street and Lexington Avenue.
www.yorktheatre.org | www.facebook.com/yorktheatrecompany
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