Julianna Margulies and Peter Gallagher Find Love in First Look at New Broadway Rom-ComLeft on Tenth(Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Peter Gallagher (left) and Julianna Margulies inLeft on Tenthon Broadway.Photo:Joan Marcus

Joan Marcus

Love is in the air at the James Earl Jones Theatre on Broadway.

That’s whereDelia Ephron’s new play,Left on Tenth,is being performed eight times a week, with starsJulianna MarguliesandPeter Gallagherplaying two characters who find a second chance in life and love.

Peter Gallagher (left) and Julianna Margulies inLeft on Tenthon Broadway.Joan Marcus

Based on Ephron’sNew York Timesbest-selling memoir of the same name,Left on Tenthsees Margulies playing the beloved novelist and screenwriter ofYou’ve Got Mail.The play follows Delia who — while mourning the deaths of her sister, Nora, and husband, Jerry — makes a surprising connection with a man from her past (Gallagher).

Soon, she falls into her own romantic comedy. “What starts with an unlikely spark blossoms into a love story that seems to defy all odds in the face of life’s challenges,” a description forLeft on Tenthreads, noting the story"celebrates the messy, beautiful true story of two people with the courage to open their hearts again."

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Julianna Margulies inLeft on Tenthon Broadway.Joan Marcus

Both Margulies and Gallagher are stage veterans, returning to the boards after a long absence. She made her Broadway debut in 2006 with the playFesten,and has a number of Off-Broadway credits including Jon Robin Baitz’sTen Unknownsat Lincoln Center, for which she won the Lucille Lortel Award in 2001.

Gallagher has been on Broadway 10 times before. His first role was as a replacement Danny Zuko in the original 1972 production ofGrease, followed not long after as a turn as a Claude replacement in the original 1977 production ofHair.Subsequent parts have included notable productions ofA Doll’s House(1982),The Real Thing(1984),A Long Day’s Journey Into Night(1986) andNoises Off(2001). He led the 1992 revival ofGuys and Dollsas Sky Masterson, and last appeared opposite Kristin Chenoweth in 2015’sOn the Twentieth Centuryrevival.

Of course, Margulies and Gallagher are widely known for their screen work. Margulies has earned an Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards for her work onERandThe Good Wife, while Gallagher delivered critically acclaimed performances in such shows likeThe OCandGrace and Frankie.

Peter Gallagher inLeft on Tenthon Broadway.Joan Marcus

Coming back to the stage was an easy decision for both, they said, upon reading Ephron’s script. “I was immediately smitten,” Gallagher, 69, said ina video preview for the playreleased in June. Margulies, 58, noted she was “smitten, too.”

“There’s a line in the play,” Margulies recalled in the conversation with Gallagher. “Your character has flown all across the country to see her for the first time, and they’ve both lost their spouses. She says to you, ‘At this stage it would be easier to just say, “Enough.” [But] you say, “I want totality.” ' "

“Oh yes, he speaks about the total eclipse as a type of metaphor,” Gallagher explained. “The difference between a total eclipse and 95 percent totality — the different between kind of doing something and really doing something — is all the different in the world.”

From left: Peter Francis, James Peter Gallagher, Julianna Margulies and Kate MacCluggage inLeft on Tenthon Broadway.Joan Marcus

The two went on to share how they hope audiences will react to the story. “I think it will inspire people, when they leave the theater,” said Margulies. “I think you will love it as much as we do.”

“For a moment, no one will feel alone.” Gallagher added.

Julianna Margulies and Peter Francis James inLeft on Tenthon Broadway.Joan Marcus

In addition to Gallagher and Margulies,Left on Tenthwill also feature Peter Francis James (Funny Girl) and Kate MacCluggage (The 39 Steps).

Direction comes from five-time Tony Award winnerSusan Stroman(The Producers), whose work will also be seen on Broadway in the spring withthe stage adaptation ofSmash.

“Working onLeft on Tenthhas been a thrilling journey, collaborating with the incomparable Delia Ephron and bringing her story to life with the extraordinary talents of Julianna Margulies and Peter Gallagher,” said Stroman, 70, in a statement. “It’s an experience that seamlessly blends the magic of her storytelling with the brilliance of these actors.”

Julianna Margulies and Kate MacCluggage inLeft on Tenthon Broadway.Joan Marcus

Tickets forLeft on Tenthare now on sale.

source: people.com