A Guide to the Broadway stars of THE GILDED AGE - Part One

Created by Julian Fellowes, writer of Downtown Abbey (and more importantly he adapted Mary Poppins, School of Rock and Half a Sixpence for the stage), The Gilded Age is the new American historical drama currently premiering on HBO and it is full to the brim of Broadway stars. 

So Besties, we have created your guide to characters of the stage to the Gilded Age! 

Photo credit: Karen Moline

Michael Cerveris

Michael guest stars as Watson, valet to George Russell who has a mysterious past and possible fall from grace. He is optimistic about the potential the Russell family have for success in New York City. 

With Broadway and Off-Broadway credits including Fun Home, Evita, Sweeney Todd, Assassins, Titanic and Tommy, Michael also made his West End debut in John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch at The Playhouse Theatre in the West End in 2000 and has won two Tony Awards for Assassins and Fun Home.

If you’re a fan of Michael’s, check out his band ‘Loose Cattle’ which he sings and plays guitar in.

Christine Baranski

Christine appears as Agnes van Rhijn, a proud and stubborn aristocratic woman. She found herself penniless, but managed to catch herself a husband just in time.  Now widowed, she worships her son Oscar who does not return his Mother’s affections.

Photo credit: Rex Features

Having starred in films Chicago, Mamma Mia!, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and Into the Woods and appeared in theatrical productions of Company, Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeney Todd, Mame, Follies and A Little Night Music, Christine is no stranger to belting out a tune.

Baranski studied at The Julliard School of Performing Arts in New York City, graduating in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Celia Keenan-Bolger

Celia Keenan-Bolger plays Mrs Bruce, the Russell’s’ new housekeeper who is enlisted to help Bertha plan lavish events for New York’s social elite. 

Photo credit: Julieta Cervantes

Mrs Bruce is quite a bit older than Celia's most recent Broadway role as six-year-old Scout Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird, for which she won a Tony and a host of other awards. She also earned Tony nominations for originating the parts of Molly in Peter and the Starcatcher and Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and playing Laura Wingfield in the 2013 Broadway revival of The Glass Menagerie.

If you want to get to know Celia better, you can check out the first season of her podcast Sunday Pancakes, which she created during 2021 to “nourish your head and heart” and help us all feel less alone during the pandemic. Well worth a listen, Besties!

Cynthia Nixon

Cynthia plays Ada, Agnes’ gentler sister. Having never married, she relies on Agnes to support her financially, but she’s still willing to disagree with Agnes and stand up for what she believes in. She’s the driving force behind bringing their niece Marian to New York.

Photo credit: Joan Marcus

Cynthia might be best known for her role as Miranda in Sex And The City and its sequel And Just Like That…, but she’s got a rich history on the Broadway stage as well. She made her debut in The Philadelphia Story in 1980, and has starred in Angels in America, Wit and many others. She’s a double Tony Award winner too, for her roles in Rabbit Hole and The Little Foxes.

You might not know Besties that, in 2018, Cynthia ran for Governor of New York and received 34% of the vote in the Democratic primary! She may not have won, but she shed light on important issues like income inequality and renewable energy. We love her passion for politics and LGBTQ rights.

Denée Benton

Photo credit: Chad Batka

Denée appears as Peggy, an aspiring writer who travels from Pennsylvania to New York with Marian. She quickly makes herself indispensable as a secretary to Agnes, but she’s clearly hiding some secrets from her past.

Denée is best known for playing Natasha in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 on Broadway, a role which earned her a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She also played Eliza in the Broadway production of Hamilton in 2018.

The UK has had a chance to enjoy Denee’s theatre work too, as she starred as Nabulungi in The Book of Mormon in the West End, back in 2014.

Morgan Spector

Morgan is George Russell, a man who is ruthless in business and fond of his wife and children. He has already aquired millions of dollars but must always win in every challenge.

In the theatre world, Morgan made his first Broadway appearance as Rodolpho in Arthur Miller's play A View from the Bridge in 2010, when the actor originally cast in the role suffered an injury during previews. He has also starred in Harvey at Studio 54 and Machinal at the American Airlines Theatre.

In 2015 ,he married his Machinal co-star Rebecca Hall, whom he met when they appeared together on Broadway.

Stayed tuned for the next instalment, Besties!