Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Matthew Morrison Join '8' Cast

Milk and J. Edgar auteur Dustin Lance Black is at it again, this time assembling an all-star cast for the one-night-only, Los Angeles-based performance of his legal drama 8.

As we previously reported, 8 will star George Clooney as the lawyer representing California gays in their fight for marriage equality and is based around coverage of the legal battle against Proposition 8. Since the production is designed to raise money for AFER (the American Foundation for Equal Rights, for which last summer's Broadway showing brought in $1 million according to Reuters), Black and director Rob Reiner knew that they would need a few more famous faces to round out the cast. Apparently that wasn't a difficult task as it has been announced today that Glee's Matthew Morrison and Modern Family's Jesse Tyler Ferguson will be taking a break from the small screen to reenact one of the definitive legal battles of the gay rights movement on the stage.

Ferguson is no stranger to onscreen gay marriage: his Modern Family character Mitchell is one half of the groundbreaking portrayal of a gay married couple on ABC. In 8, Ferguson will ditch the slapstick and take on a weightier material as the play incorporates transcripts right from the courtroom. For Morrison, the show offers a return to familiar ground as he has spent much of his career working in theater. Additionally, he will be in familiar company as his arch-nemesis Sue Sylvester... err Glee costar Jane Lynch will be also featured.

Once again his rival, Lynch will star as the head of an organization fighting to maintain the "sanctity of marriage" to Morrison's gay plaintiff. Jeez, when will these two ever learn to get along?

Imagining all of the behind the scenes hilarity amongst the celebrity cast makes us wish we could be a fly on the wall at rehearsal, but the curtain goes up on March 3. That should give you enough time to pack for L.A.