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Zero Hour Resumes Performances Tuesday

Ken Davenport — 2010-02-22T10:54:25-05:00

ZERO HOUR, Jim Brochu’s acclaimed play about the life of theatre legend Zero Mostel, will begin an open-ended Off-Broadway run at the DR2 Theatre (103 East 15th Street) beginning February 23rd, with opening night set for Sunday, March 7th. ZERO HOUR recently completed a limited 11-week limited engagement at Theatre at St. Clement’s, where it opened on November 22nd to rave reviews.

“In this solo bioplay directed by Hollywood veteran Piper Laurie, writer and performer Brochu is freakishly convincing as the blustery, brilliant Mostel. It’s more than just the ridiculous comb-over, the bug eyes and the Tevye beard. Brochu seems to have captured the soul of the bombastic clown who could wring laughs out of an audience with a bit of mime or a booming punch line…a funny tribute to a funny man.” – NY1

“Singularly captivating. Zero Hour is a success. Brochu is the spitting image of the bearish Mostel, down to the strands of hair barely covering his head. His wildly expressive gestures are particularly spot on. It brings Mostel back to life, just the way his fans want him.” - The New York Times

“Very funny. Brochu's living restoration has brought Mostel's larger-than-life personality back into the spotlight for a laugh-filled, much-welcomed presentation. - Associated Press

“It all flows and provides plenty of big laughs as well as hushed drama. After a while, you stop caring whether a particular line is Brochu’s or Mostel’s; all you know is that you’ve been privy to the work of a great comedian.” - The New Yorker

****(FOUR STARS/Critic’s Pick) “We owe Jim Brochu a debt of gratitude for Zero Hour, an extraordinary act of reincarnation that restores the outsize actor to us in all of his daunting dimensions. From the moment that Brochu spins around to face the audience, he is a Hirschfeld drawing come to pulsing life. You can’t help being swept up in the tornado of energy as Brochu’s star turn conjures forth a Zero larger than life and death.” - Time Out New York

“The rumors of Zero Mostel's death have apparently been greatly exaggerated. Jim Brochu recalls his subject so uncannily in looks, voice and anarchic spirit that one immediately wants to see him in revivals of Forum and Fiddler. Thirty-two years after Mostel's untimely death, it's a pleasure to have him back on the boards.” - New York Post

Three-time Academy Award nominee Piper Laurie directs ZERO HOUR, which was originally produced in Los Angeles, winning the Ovation Award for Best New Play. And just last month, ZERO HOUR received two Helen Hayes Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor and Outstanding Non-Resident Production.

Starring Jim Brochu as Zero Mostel, ZERO HOUR is set at Mostel’s West 28th Street painting studio where a naïve reporter attempts to interview the famously volatile actor, prompting an explosion of memory, humor, outrage, and juicy backstage lore. It is July 1977 and the actor is giving his final interview before leaving for the pre-Broadway tryout of The Merchant in Philadelphia. Mostel only played one performance as Shylock before his sudden death at the age of 62. ZERO HOUR traces Mostel's early days growing up on the Lower East Side as the son of Orthodox Jewish immigrant parents, through his rise as a stand-up comedian, from the Borscht Belt to Manhattan's most exclusive supper clubs, and from the devastation of the blacklist to his greatest Broadway triumphs, most notably as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof and working through his love-hate relationship with Jerome Robbins.

ZERO HOUR is produced Off-Broadway by Kurt Peterson and Edmund Gaynes in association with The Peccadillo Theater Company.

The playing schedule is Tuesday at 7PM, Wednesday at 2PM, Thursday & Friday at 8PM, Saturday at 2 & 8PM, and Sunday at 3PM. Tickets are $59.50 & $35.50 and are available through Telecharge.com 212-239-6200. For more information about ZERO HOUR, visit www.ZeroHourShow.com.

The Screwtape Letters Comes to the Westside Theatre

Ken Davenport — 2010-02-08T10:57:29-05:00

THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS, the provocative and wickedly funny theatrical adaptation of the C.S. Lewis novel about spiritual warfare from a demon’s point of view will begin performances at the Westside Theatre, 407 West 43rd Street, New York, April 15. Opening is set for May 3. Tickets go on sale on Tues., Feb. 16. Tickets are currently on sale through July 4.

THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS was a hit at Chicago’s Mercury Theatre where it ran for six months. It was also a success at The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C. where it played for ten sold out weeks. This fall it embarked on a national tour delighting capacity houses in San Francisco, Phoenix, Louisville, Chattanooga, Ft. Lauderdale, Houston and Austin.

Critics described THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS as “Sizzling entertainment…wonderfully clever...the intellectual temperature surely has shot up!!” (Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times). “Very smart…richly rewarding…exuberant theatricality!” (Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune), “A first rate production…terribly entertaining…Screwtape boils over with wit!” (Jayne Blanchard, The Washington Times), “Sly, funny, handsomely produced,” (Celia Wren, Washington Post) and “Pure genius…an outstanding piece of work,” (John J. Miller, National Review).

The book’s success as a piercing insight into humanity’s bent toward evil is due to Lewis’ lucid capacity to make his readers squirm in self recognition. When first published in 1942, it brought immediate fame to this little-known Oxford don, including the cover of Time Magazine.

THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS is still one Lewis’ most influential works, along with such other classics as The Chronicles of Narnia (including The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe), The Great Divorce and Mere Christianity.

Lewis dedicated it to his close friend J. R. R. Tolkien who had expressed to Lewis that delving too deeply into the craft of evil would have consequences. Lewis admitted as much when he wrote “Though I had never written anything more easily, I never wrote with less enjoyment . . . though it was easy to twist one’s mind into the diabolical attitude, it was not fun, or not for long. The work into which I had to project myself while I spoke through Screwtape was all dust, grit, thirst, and itch. Every trace of beauty, freshness, and geniality had to be excluded.”

Adapting this novel to the stage, Jeffrey Fiske and Max McLean, focused tightly on the novel’s arc of how to entice the mind of a human “patient” toward damnation. In this inverted moral universe set in an office in hell, God is called the “Enemy” and the devil is referred to as “Our Father below.”

As His Abysmal Sublimity Screwtape, Max McLean, the 2009 recipient of Chicago’s Jeff Award for Solo Performance, creates a “master of the universe” character, all too familiar to New Yorkers, whose rhetorical flourishes mesmerize while he persuades.

At his feet is the creature-demon, Toadpipe, who transforms into the paragons of vice Screwtape conjures with a flick of his fingers. The actors’ combined skills wheedle their unsuspecting soul down the “soft, gentle path to hell.”

Scenic design is by Cameron Anderson, costumes are by Michael Bevins, lighting by Jesse Klug, and sound is by Bart Fasbender.

The performance schedule for THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS is as follows: Mondays and Tuesdays at 7pm, Wednesday Matinee at 2pm, Fridays at 8pm , Saturdays 4pm and 8pm at and Sundays at 3pm. Tickets range in price from $20 to $95. There are a limited number of $20 student rush tickets that can be purchased day of each performance at the box office. A valid Student ID must be presented. To purchase tickets, call 212.239.6200 or visit www.telecharge.com. More information is available at www.ScrewtapeOnStage.com.

Visit www.bestofoffbroadway.com for more information.

New Cast Starts Performances at "Love, Loss, and What I Wore"

Ken Davenport — 2010-02-02T16:12:56-05:00

Beginning performances on Tuesday, February 3, 2010, a new cast settles in at the Westside Theater.

Jeaneane Garofalo, Joanna Gleason, Carol Kane, June Diane Raphael, and Caroline Rhea take the stage in this collection of monologues and reminiscences of clothes, memory and life. Written by Nora and Delia Ephron based on Ilene Beckerman's book of the same name.

Synopsis:

This collection of vignettes and monologues is based on the best-selling book by Ilene Beckerman, as well as on the recollections of the Ephrons’ friends. Like the book, the show uses clothing and accessories and the memories they trigger to tell funny and often poignant stories that all women can relate to.

Show Dates:

Performances from 21 Sep 2009

Opening 01 Oct 2009

Closing 28 Mar 2010

Performance Schedule:
Wednesday, 2PM & 8PM
Thursday - Friday, 8PM
Saturday, 2PM & 8PM
Sunday, 3PM & 7PM

Tickets:
212.239.6200
Pricing: $75

Box Office: Tele-charge: (212) 239-6200

Theatre Information:
Westside Theatre (Downstairs)
407 West 43rd Street
New York, NY

Don't Forget to Get Circumcised!

Ken Davenport — 2010-02-02T16:01:35-05:00

Circumcise Me: A New Comedy On the Cutting Edge

Synopsis: Yisrael Campbell takes the audience on a journey through his struggles with drugs and alcohol and his eventual salvation in the Jewish faith. Though he was born Catholic, Yisrael (who changed his name from Christopher) charts an extraordinary journey that includes three circumcisions along the way.

Show Dates:
Performances from 01 Nov 2009
Opening 11 Nov 2009
Closing 16 May 2010

Performance Schedule:
Wednesday, 3pm
Thursday, 8pm
Saturday, 8pm
Sunday, 4pm and 7pm

Tickets:
Pricing: $25.00 - $65.00
Box Office: (212) 239-6200 or (212) 260-8250

Theatre Information

Bleecker Street Theatre
45 Bleecker Street
(between Lafayette and Mott)

New York, NY 10012

Show Run Time:

75 Minutes (with no Intermission)

Circumcise Me: Official Site

Chicago's Hit Show FLANAGAN'S WAKE Opened Off-Broadway Yesterday

Ken Davenport — 2010-01-12T10:53:38-05:00

FLANAGAN'S WAKE, The Hilarious, Interactive Irish Wake that has been running 16 smash years in Chicago, will finally open in the Big Apple, Off-Broadway! FLANAGAN'S WAKE will be the first production set for an open run at the new Theater at Sweet Caroline's, 322 West 45th St, between 8th and 9th Aves. The official opening will be on Monday, January 11, 2010. Directed by Amy Binns-Calvey with Musical Direction by Bonnie Shadrake.

One of the longest-running shows in Chicago Theater History, FLANAGAN'S WAKE invites you to join the villagers of Grapplin, Ireland as they mourn and grieve the passing of one of their own as only the Irish can. Help celebrate Flanagan's life and mourn his death with a few pints and plenty of tears - of laughter! Flanagan's Wake is perfect for groups - so grab your friends, gather ‘round the casket and raise a glass for the man "Himself" in true Irish fashion.

FLANAGAN'S WAKE has delighted audiences all over the U.S. - in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Rochester, Milwaukee, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Minneapolis and Detroit.

Collaboratively written by Amy Binns-Calvey, Geoff Binns-Calvey, Jimmy Binns, Jack Bronis, Mark Czoske, Phil Lusardi, Pat Musker and Bonnie Shadrake, FLANAGAN'S WAKE was conceived by Jack Bronis and inspired by Joe Liss.

The show's co-creators have strong ties to the Chicago improv scene including Second City. Jack Bronis (director of the original production) has been on the faculty of the Second City in Chicago for over a decade, and has directed many shows there including Brain Humor, Starship Improvise, Corporation, Inc., Life is Mostly Good, and Pub, in addition to various student shows. Patricia Musker and Mark Mark Czoske have been faculty members at Second City. Phil Lusardi is a graduate from Second City and studied with improv legends Paul Sills and Del Close.

"We're so excited for the New York cousins to finally have a chance to come and pay their respects to Flanagan," says Director and Co-Creator Amy Binns-Calvey. "Given his love for theater, it's very fitting that Flanagan is being waked on the great off-white-way."

Amy Binns-Calvey has directed Flanagan's Wake in Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Buffalo. Currently she is also directing a spoof of "The View" entitled "The Spew" in Chicago, where she resides. She was a founding member of the Noble Fool Theater Company in Chicago, an Artist in Residence with the State of Illinois, and an instructor with the Art Institute of Chicago. Amy is a Network Playwright with Chicago Dramatists.

Bonnie Shadrake created the score for Flanagan's Wake and has acted as Music Director for the show in Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and other cities nationwide. She was a founding member of the Noble Fool Theater Company in Chicago, where she was the Cabaret/Musical Director. She is currently the Music Director/Staff Accompanist for the Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University in Chicago, and is working on two new musicals.

The cast of FLANAGAN'S WAKE features James Houton, Mary Theresa Archbold, Pay Shay, Brett Waldon, Michael Kevin Baldwin, Mike Connell, and Abigail Gullo. Scenic Design is by Joseph Heitman.

Performances of FLANAGAN'S WAKE are on Thursday -Saturdays at 7:30PM, Sundays at 4:30PM and Mondays @ 7:30PM. Running time is a brisk 90 minutes.

General Admission tickets are $49.95, Premium Seating is available for $74.95 and includes VIP seating, a complimentary drink and souvenir glass. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.bestofoffbroadway.com/shows/flanagans-wake.html.

The Picture of Dorian Gray to Arrive Off-Broadway Jan. 21

Ken Davenport — 2010-01-07T14:53:11-05:00

The new Daniel Mitura stage adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray will have its world premiere Off-Broadway at the Kirk Theatre. Henning Hegland will stage the production based on Oscar Wilde's novel. Performances begin Jan. 21 prior to an official opening Jan. 25. The limited engagement will run through Feb. 6.

The cast includes Kaolin Bass, Christina Broccolini, Leif Huckman, Vayu O'Donnell, Wil Petre and Jade Rothman.

According to press notes, "The young, impressionable, and stunningly beautiful Dorian Gray sells his soul for eternal youth. Convinced by the dangerously clever aristocrat Lord Henry Wotton that youth and pleasure are to be valued above all else, and supported by the devotion of the artist who painted the fatal portrait, Basil Hallward, Dorian Gray dives into a life of hedonistic abandon, falling in love with and then quickly abandoning young actress Sibyl Vane, and poisoning the lives of countless others, leading them down to darkness with his strange and dangerous charm. While his body is immune to the ravages of time and sin, his soul is not, and by the end Dorian is faced with the ultimate choice: does he save the picture, or save himself? Or have the two become inextricably linked?"

My First Time Closes on 1/22/10 at New World Stages

Ken Davenport — 2010-01-05T11:20:27-05:00

Ken Davenport (theproducersperspective.com) today announced that his Off-Broadway hit My First Time (www.MyFirstTimeThePlay.com) would close Friday January 22nd. It has played over two-and-a-half years, having opened at New World Stages on July 30th, 2007. Davenport says, "I'm thrilled that my production of My First Time has lasted a hell of a lot longer than my own first time."

Since then, My First Time has been performed across the country (licensed by Samuel French) and around the world, including in Spain, Korea, Italy, Mexico, Chile, New Zealand, and Malta.

MY FIRST TIME is the new play in the style of The Vagina Monologues featuring four actors in hysterical and heartbreaking stories about first sexual experiences written by real people . . . just like you.
Even before its opening, My First Time quickly became the most talked about show in town, having been featured in TMZ.COM, the New York Times, Daily News, Associated Press, Playboy Magazine, and on television on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" as well as news programs on CBS, CNN, BBC, and MY9, as well as in a national Apple iPhone commercial.

In 1996, a decade before blogging began, a website was created that allowed people to anonymously share their own true stories about their ‘First Time.' The website became an instant phenomenon as over 40,000 stories poured in from around the globe that were silly, sweet, absurd, funny, heterosexual, homosexual, awkward, shy, sexy and everything in between. And now, these stories and the unique characters in them are all brought to life in MY FIRST TIME.

Remaining performances continue at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues). For tickets, visit BroadwaySpace at http://broadwayspace.broadway.com/shows/tickets/category/off-broadway/ or call 1-888-MY1-TIME or visit www.MyFirstTimeThePlay.com.

Altar Boyz Ends Off-Broadway Run

Ken Davenport — 2009-12-16T10:29:47-05:00

The long-running Off-Broadway musical comedy Altar Boyz will end its run at New World Stages on January 10, 2010.

In a letter posted on his website, producer Ken Davenport writes, "All GREAT must things must come to an end. Altar Boyz will close Jan. 10th. It is with great sadness that my partner, Robyn Goodman, and I officially announce that Altar Boyz, the longest running Off-Broadway musical to open in more than a decade, will play its final performance at New World Stages on Sunday, January 10th at 7:30 PM."

When it closes, the production will have played 2,032 performances. January 10th, the final performance day, is Altarholics Appreciation Day with special $35.00 tickets to the 3:00 PM show. Go to broadwayoffers.com or go directly to the New World Stages box office and use code ABAMEN1 to receive this special rate.

After the show, the cast is cleaning out their closet and putting it all on sale for purchase. There will also be a pizza party to follow.

A 2005 Outer Critics Circle winner, Altar Boyz is directed by Stafford Arima with choreography by Christopher Gattelli. Originally birthed as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, Altar Boyz opened Off-Broadway March 1, 2005.

Altar Boyz has music and lyrics by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker with book by Kevin Del Aguila. The musical is based on a concept by Marc Kessler and Ken Davenport.

New World Stages is located at 340 West 50th Street, just west of Eighth Avenue. Get tickets for the final perfomance here: http://broadwayspace.broadway.com/shows/tickets/category/off-broadway/

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter opens tonight, December 3, 2009!

Ken Davenport — 2009-12-03T16:14:15-05:00

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, written by Rebecca Gilman, based on the novel by Carson McCullers, and directed by Doug Hughes, officially opens tonight at 7pm at the New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) and will run through Sunday, December 20th.

A beautiful and timeless tale about the universal need for human connection, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter tells the story of John Singer, a deaf man, as he navigates the world without his dearest friend who has recently been committed to an insane asylum. When Singer, initially isolated and alone, moves to a small Southern town, the locals-a café owner, a rebellious teenager, a black physician, and an idealistic labor organizer-flock to him as a newfound confidant, seeking compassion and understanding from the one person who needs it most. The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter intertwines the lives of these characters in a surprising way that results in a deeply moving story of outcasts in the South during the Great Depression.

The production stars Bob Braswell, Jimonn Cole, Michael Cullen, James McDaniel, Cristin Milliotti, Randall Newsome, Roslyn Ruff, I. N. Sierros, Henry Stram, and Andrew Weems.

New York Theatre Workshop is located at 79 East 4th Street, between Second Avenue and Bowery. The regular performance schedule is Tuesday at 7:00pm, Wednesday through Friday at 8:00pm, Saturday at 3:00pm and 8:00pm, and Sunday at 2:00pm and 7:00pm. There will be special student matinees on Wednesday, November 25 at 12pm and Wednesday, December 16 at 1pm.

Tickets may be purchased at http://www.bestofoffbroadway.com/shows/the-heart-is-a-lonely-hunter.html Check it out!

THIS opens Off Broadway tonight, December 2, 2009!

Ken Davenport — 2009-12-02T11:38:30-05:00

Melissa James Gibson's new play THIS opens off-Broadway tonight at Playwright's Horizons. Previews for THIS began November 6th and will play through December 13th. The cast features "Law and Order's" JuliAnne Nicholson, as well as Louis Cancelmi, Eisa Davis (Obie Award winner for Passing Strange), Darren Pettie, and Glenn Fitzgerald. THIS is directed by Daniel Aukin.

THIS follows the story of Jane, a promising poet without a muse, a single mother without lessons to pass along. Her dating life's a shambles, and her helpful friends are only helping make things more complicated. This un-romantic comedy captures the uncertain steps of a circle of friends backing their way into middle age.

The creative team includes scenic design by Louisa Thompson, costume design by Maiko Matsushima, lighting design by Matt Frey, sound design by Matt Tierney, and features original music by Peter Eldridge. Kasey Ostopchuck stage manages.

Nicholson has appeared in Stranger at The Vineyard and was most recently seenin the film "Brief Interviews with Hideous Men". Davis won an Obie Award for her performance in Passing Strange and was last seen in Angel's Mix Tape. Cancelmi has been seen in The Singing Forest and Blasted. Pettie was last seen at Playwrights Horizon's in Spatter Pattern and was featured in the Broadway play Butley, starring Nathan Lane. Fitzgerald received a Lortel Nomination for his performance in Playwrights Horizon's Lobby Hero and is featured on ABC's drama "Dirty Sexy Money."

Tickets for THIS may be purchased at http://www.bestofoffbroadway.com/shows/this.html. Performances for THIS take place Tuesday through Friday at 8:00pm, Saturday at 2:30 & 8:00pm, and Sunday at 2:30 & 7:30pm.

For more information, visit www.playwrighthorizon.com