Kevin Kline, Laura Linney filming comedy series in N.J. What is ‘American Classic’?

Oscar and Emmy-winning talents will call New Jersey home this summer.

“American Classic,” a new comedy starring Laura Linney and Kevin Kline, is setting up production locally.

Kline, an Academy Award winner and three-time Tony winner (“A Fish Called Wanda,“ ”Present Laughter,“ ”The Pirates of Penzance,“ ”On the Twentieth Century"), who recently starred as Stephen Brigstocke in the Apple+ limited series “Disclaimer,” plays Broadway star Richard Bean in the new show.

The narcissistic Richard leaves New York and heads back to his hometown after having a public meltdown. There, he returns to Millersburg Festival Theater, his family’s theater where he got his start.

But Richard, finding that the theater has lost its luster and become a dinner theater serving up murder mysteries, vows to revamp the whole enterprise.

He hatches a plan to perform an American classic (the show’s title!) on that very stage. He will also direct the production as part of his grand effort to save the Bean family theater and his hometown.

For two other actors, “American Classic” is something of a Jersey homecoming.

One of them, Princeton native Jon Tenney (“The Closer,” “Scandal,” “And Just Like That...”) plays Richard’s brother, Jon Bean, who runs the dinner theater with his wife Kristen Forrest Bean, the mayor of Millersburg, played by Linney.

Tenney and Linney previously shared the screen in the Oscar-nominated 2000 film “You Can Count on Me,” Kenneth Lonergan‘s feature directorial debut, for which he was nominated for best original screenplay and Linney was nominated for best actress. They played old flames in the drama.

Linney, a four-time Emmy winner (“The Big C,” “John Adams,” “Frasier,” “Wild Iris”) and three-time Oscar nominee (“You Can Count on Me,” “Kinsey,” “The Savages”), was also nominated for her performances as Wendy Byrde in Netflix’s “Ozark.”

Her “American Classic” character, Kristen, grew up performing at Millersburg Festival Theater. After she fell for Richard Bean when she was 19, they went to New York together, but he was the only one who made it on Broadway. She returned home and married Jon Bean and they had a daughter, Miranda (Nell Verlaque from the horror movie “Thanksgiving”), now 18.

Linney and Kline previously co-starred in the 1993 film comedy “Dave,” directed by Ivan Reitman.

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“American Classic,” a half-hour comedy series that will be streaming on MGM+, comes from creators Bob Martin (“The Prom,” “Slings and Arrows”) and Michael Hoffman (“Soapdish,” “The Last Station,” “Restoration”).

Jessica Hecht, another Princeton native (Gretchen in “Breaking Bad,” Susan in “Friends”), plays Polly, Richard’s ex-wife, a Broadway designer. Hecht is currently nominated for a Tony for her performance in the play “Eureka Day.”

Harris Yulin, known for his roles in “Ghostbusters II,” “Scarface” and “Frasier,” plays Linus Bean, Richard and Jon’s father, who founded the theater in Millersburg.

Tony winner Jane Alexander (“The Great White Hope”), a four-time Oscar nominee (“The Great White Hope,” “All the President’s Men,” “Kramer vs. Kramer,” “Testament”) recently seen in “Severance,” has also been cast in “American Classic.” She plays Ethel Bean, mother to Jon and Richard and wife to Linus, who was also his partner in creating the theater.

A local casting call that went out for “American Classic” sought a 9 to 11-year-old girl for a still photo shoot planned for May 27. Per the call, in the photo, the young actor would be portraying a principal character as a child.

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Kline and Linney aren’t the only Oscar-winning and nominated talent currently or soon filming in New Jersey.

Others include Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo in the upcoming rom-com “Good Sex,” written and directed by Lena Dunham.

Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver also star in the upcoming James Gray movie “Paper Tiger," which is set to film in Jersey.

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Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup on Twitter/X, @amykup.bsky.social on Bluesky and @kupamy on Instagram and Threads.