After almost a half-century hiatus from Broadway, Jane Fonda will return to the Great White Way early next year.

Fonda’s much-anticipated return is due to her role in Moisés Kaufman’s "33 Variations," in which she will star, for 15 weeks at the Eugene O’Neill Theater. The play will begin previews on February 9, 2009, and open on March 9, running through May 24. The play, "33 Variations," tells the story of a woman [Fonda] racing against time to solve the riddle of a composer’s 200-year-old obsession. What else does the play have? We’ve got a daughter, a baggage-filled past and quite a few other dramatic twists. 

Director Kaufman is also the author and director of "Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde" and "The Laramie Project" - the latter of which is based on interviews conducted in Laramie, WY, after the murder of Matthew Shepard.

The last time Fonda was onstage was in 1963. She earned a Tony nomination for best featured actress for her role in the 1960 play, "There Was a Little Girl." She joined actor Jack Nicholson and others as the 2008 inductees into the California Hall of Fame this week.

"I am very excited about being in Moisés’s new play. I can’t wait to get back onstage with him in this role that I understand so well. It’s been 40-some years!" said Fonda, who turns a fabulous 71 this month.

Added Kaufman: "I am delighted to be working with one of America’s greatest actresses, a performer of such insight, intellect and heart."