All posts by The King of Broadway

Israeli-Mexican Chicken Thighs with Chickpea Stew

Israeli Chicken Stew

Boneless-Skinless Chicken Thighs in a Chickpea/Matbucha Stew Base

  • 4 pieces Boneless-Skinless Chicken Thighs
  • 1 cup Chicken Stock (or you can use Vegetable Stock)
  • 1/2 cup White Wine (optional)
  • 1 recipe Chickpea Salsa (See attached)
  • 1 cup Madbucha (I use Achla brand)
  • 1 tbsp Pereg Chicken Seasoning
  • 1 tbsp McCormick Salt Free Garlic & Herb Seasoning
  • Salt & Pepper to tase

Chickpea Salsa

  • 1 can Chickpeas (no salt added or low sodium)
  • 1/2 Minced Red Onion
  • 1/2 Minced Green Pepper
  • 2 cloves Minced Garlic
  • 1 Minced Jalepeño Pepper
  • 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1/2 Minced Red Pepper
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 tsp Lemon Juice
  • 2 oz Finely Chopped Cilantro
  • 2 oz Finely Chopped Parsley

RECIPE PREPARATION: A few hours or the day before:

  1. Mince/Dice/Combine all the ingredients for the Chickpea salsa.
    Refrigerate and marinate at least 2 hours, overnight would be best.

When ready to cook:

  1. In a medium saute pan, saute the chicken thighs for 3 minutes.
    Do not move them until you start to see them the top side turning white around the edges.
    Season then turn over.
    Season the 2nd side and cook another 2-3 minutes.

  2. Once cooked, add the stock and the wine (optional) into the pan.

  3. Add the chickpea salsa and Matbucha, stir to combine.

  4. Cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes.

  5. Serve by plating the Thighs then covering with the Chickpeas and sauce

Instant Pot Tilapia with Veggies

Instant Pot Tilapia with Veggies

Instant Pot Tilapia with Veggies is another “Elli’s One Pot and Done” recipes.

Easy to prepare and goes from IP to plate in less than 30 minutes.

  • 1 16 oz package Frozen Tilapia (You can put it in thawed or frozen (add 2 minutes cooking time if frozen))
  • 1 Package Spiralized Vegetables (I used spiralized Yellow, Green, and Butternut Squash but feel free to use any veggies you like!)
  • 1 Onion Sweet Vidalia Onion, sliced
  • 1 Pepper Green, Red, Yellow Pepper (Your choice or use all 3!)
  • 1 14 oz Can Diced Tomatoes (No Salt Added) (whole can with the juice)
  • 1/2 tub Achla Madbucha (or you can use Salsa)
  • 1/2 cup water (used to make the IP come to pressure)
  • 1/2 tsp each Salt, Pepper, McCormack No Salt Garlic & Herb, Badia Sazon (or any combination of spices that you like)

  1. Note: Tilapia is added at the end before cooking

  2. Slice your vegetables and place in the bottom of a 3 qt Instant Pot (that’s what I used for this recipe. If you want more, just double the recipe and use a larger IP)

  3. Add the Diced tomatoes (juice too)

  4. Add the Madbucha or Salsa

  5. Add the Water

  6. Season the vegetables as per ingredients above

  7. Place a metal or Silicone Trivet on top of the vegetables and press down.

  8. Place the Tilapia (fresh or frozen) on the trivet.

    Note: It’s ok to stack or overlap the fish. I place one each way stacked.

  9. Season the TIlapia

  10. Close and seal the IP lid and vent (to the closed position).

  11. Set to Manual Pressure for 8 minutes if using fresh or defrosted – 10 if frozen.

  12. When the IP beeps that it’s done, do a QR (Quick Release), and open the IP

  13. Being VERY careful (it’s REALLY HOT) remove the Trivet and place on a plate to drain.

  14. Using a slotted spoon, take out the veggies and plate.

  15. Set a piece (or two!) of Tilapia on top of the vegetables.

  16. Let it cool a minute or two before eating.

  17. ENJOY! ENJOY! ENJOY!

Cooking with Elli

G@d of the Theatre Smile on Us: Working in the Theatre While Keeping a Religious Lifestyle – BroadwayCon Panel January 13, 2019

(Almost) Complete Video of
G@d of the Theatre Smile on Us:
Working in the Theatre While Keeping a Religious Lifestyle
BroadwayCon Panel 01.13.19
(Missing Last 8 minutes)


COMPLETE AUDIO OF THE PANEL

VIDEO: The 6th Annual “Chanukah with Elli thekingofbroadway & Friends 2018 – 5779 Edition

Video is at the bottom!

* * * * * * * *

I am humbled ב״ה to present

THE OFFICIAL VIDEO OF

The 6th Annual
Chanukah with Elli theKingOfBroadway & Friends
2018 – 5779 Edition

We were privileged to present it ONE NIGHT ONLY:

Sunday, December 2nd (1st Light Chanukah) @ 7:00pm

The theme was, of course,
Chanukah the Festival of Light & Freedom!

There was Music, Song, Comedy, Menorah Lighting, Sufganiot, Dreidels, Chanukah Gelt & MORE!

Featuring: 
Elli theKingOfBroadway
and an all-star Broadway cast!

Stuart Marshall
Tommy Vance
Ron Orlovsky

with Music by “The Drey-dels”

Elliot Finkel – Piano (MD)
George Rush, Bass
Michael Bellusci, Drums
Daniel Bennett, Clarinet/Sax


Enjoy!

PRESS RELEASE: MCP ANNOUNCES LAURA OSNES, NORM LEWIS, COREY COTT, DANA COSTELLO AND DREW GEHLING IN ‘THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL’


PRESS RELEASE
for immediate release

MANHATTAN CONCERT PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCES LAURA OSNES, NORM LEWIS, COREY COTT, DANA COSTELLO AND DREW GEHLING
AS PRINCIPALS IN ‘THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL’
AT DAVID GEFFEN HALL, LINCOLN CENTER, FEBRUARY 18, 2019

New York, NY, November 21, 2018 – Manhattan Concert Productions (MCP) is pleased to announce initial casting and leadership for their concert performance of Frank Wildhorn and Nan Knighton’s musical comedy The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Starring as Marguerite, Laura Osnes (Bandstand, Cinderella) returns to MCP’s Broadway Series opposite Tony nominee and Broadway favorite Norm Lewis (Les Misérables, Porgy and Bess) as the cunning and evil Chauvelin. Also featured will be Bandstand and Newsies star Corey Cott in the role of Armand and Dana Costello (Finding Neverland, Jekyll and Hyde) as Marie. The cast also boasts Jersey Boys and Waitress leading-man Drew Gehling as Prince of Wales/Robespierre.

But who is The Scarlet Pimpernel?

Manhattan Concert Productions is soon to unveil the mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel and invites you to participate in the unmasking. Stay tuned for clues to the identity of this hero on MCP’s social media pages leading up to the reveal. Send your guess to whoisthescarletpimpernel@mcp.us for the chance to win two (2) Premium Orchestra-Level tickets.*

*Correct guesses will be entered into a ticket raffle and the winner will be announced upon the casting release.

Gabriel Barre (Stage Director) and Jason Howland (Music Director) reunite to lead the cast and creative team in this concert performance of The Scarlet Pimpernel. Barre has acted and directed TV, film, Broadway, Off-Broadway and regional productions, and in 2016, directed (with Howland) The Scarlet Pimpernel translated into Japanese and performed by Umeda Arts Theatre in Osaka and Tokyo, Japan. Howland returns to conduct The Scarlet Pimpernel after serving as the music supervisor for the original Broadway production in 1997, and is currently serving as Music Director of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway.

The Scarlet Pimpernel marks the seventh year of Manhattan Concert Productions’ critically-acclaimed Broadway Series, following the success of Broadway Classics (2018), Crazy For You (2017), The Secret Garden (2016), Parade (2015), Titanic (2014), The Hunchback of Notre Dame workshop (2014), Broadway Classics in Concert (2013), and Ragtime (2013). The performance will feature a chorus of over 200 singers from the across the United States, a professional cast and creative team, and the New York City Chamber Orchestra.

With music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics and book by Nan Knighton, The Scarlet Pimpernel is based on Baroness Orczy’s famous 20th-century novel of the same name, taking place at the peak of the French Revolution and the fight for liberty, equality and fraternity. Set in England and France, The Scarlet Pimpernel tells the story of an English nobleman, Sir Percy Blakeney, who adopts a secret identity, the heroic Scarlet Pimpernel, to battle the forces of evil during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution. The Scarlet Pimpernel serves as a brilliant window to life in 18th-century England, and was a precursor to the spy fiction and superhero genres, the first to feature a hero hiding under an alias. The musical made its Broadway debut at the Minskoff Theatre on November 9, 1997 and ran through January 2000 in several theatres, has had numerous regional U.S. productions, and has been produced internationally in Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Sweden, Canada, Mexico, Malta, and Norway, among others.

Tickets, starting at $50 are on sale now, and may be purchased by visiting www.mcp.us; visiting www.lincolncenter.org; calling CenterCharge (212) 721- 6500; or visiting the David Geffen Hall box office at 10 Lincoln Center Plaza (Columbus Avenue at 65th Street).

ABOUT MANHATTAN CONCERT PRODUCTIONS
Manhattan Concert Productions is an esteemed production company in its 20th season. MCP has provided opportunity to thousands of musicians in choirs, bands, and orchestras that have performed at famous venues throughout the United States and many countries abroad. Additionally, MCP regularly features the work of professional singers, actors, instrumentalists, conductors and composers. The guest musicians of The Scarlet Pimpernel chorus will spend five days in New York City rehearsing and performing side-by-side with the professional principal cast and crew as part of Manhattan Concert Productions’ continuing mission of student and professional collaboration. Visit www.mcp.us to learn more.

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FIRST LOOK! PHOTOS AND VIDEO RELEASED OF DAVID ROSSMER & STEVE ROSEN’S ACCLAIMED MUSICAL COMEDY THE OTHER JOSH COHEN

FIRST LOOK!
PHOTOS AND VIDEO RELEASED OF
DAVID ROSSMER & STEVE ROSEN’S
ACCLAIMED MUSICAL COMEDY

THE OTHER JOSH COHEN


OPENING TONIGHT AT THE WESTSIDE THEATRE

FOUR-MONTH LIMITED ENGAGEMENT
THROUGH FEBRUARY 24, 2019

(New York, NY) The critically-acclaimed musical comedy THE OTHER JOSH COHEN opens Off-Broadway tonight, Monday November 12, at the Westside Theatre (407 West 43rd Street).  The musical – nominated for six Drama Desk Awards and the Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical upon its world premiere in 2012 – features Book, Music and Lyrics by David Rossmer and Steve Rosen, who co-star in the title roles, under the direction of Tony Award nominee Hunter Foster.  Joining Rosen and Rossmer in the cast are Drama Desk nominee Kate Wetherhead (Legally Blonde), Hannah Elless (Bright Star), Elizabeth Nestlerode (Once Tour), Luke Darnell (Million Dollar Quartet Vegas) and Louis Tucci (Buddy); Zach Spound (Cruel Intentions: The Musical) will serve as swing. Previews began Friday, October 26, 2018, for the show’s limited engagement of seventeen weeks through February 24, 2019.

Josh Cohen just can’t get a break.  He’s single, broke and to top it all off, his apartment’s been robbed of everything but a Neil Diamond CD. Yet, his luck takes a turn when a mysterious envelope arrives that changes his life forever. David Rossmer and Steve Rosen play the hapless-yet-warmhearted title character – one eventful year apart – in this hilarious romantic comedy about courageously owning the hand life deals you, and making your own luck. The Other Josh Cohen was declared a “Critic’s Pick!” by The New York Times, praising it as “Superb and sweetly funny, with an infectious score! …The Other Josh Cohen is that precious rarity: an original musical with a life-affirming message and songs worth remembering.” Backstage Magazine raved, “Ingenious and Uproariously Witty! The Other Josh Cohen is a hilarious and smart new musical. Imagine Seinfeld-meets-Rodgers & Hart.”

A special recording of the musical was released by Yellow Sound Label ahead of its Off-Broadway opening at the Westside Theatre. On the album, THE OTHER JOSH COHEN: a musical with songs, Rossmer and Rosen sing the title roles alongside an all-star lineup of special guest performers, including: six-time Emmy Award winner Hank Azaria (The Simpsons, Ray Donovan, Brockmire), two-time Tony Award winnerSutton Foster (“Younger,” Thoroughly Modern Millie), three-time Tony winner Chita Rivera (Kiss of the Spider Woman), Tony Award winner Kelli O’Hara (The King and I), Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin, Hamilton), Tony nominee & Drama Desk winner Brian D’Arcy James (Something Rotten!, Shrek), Tony nominee & Drama Desk winner Richard Kind (The Big Knife, The Producers), Tony nominee Jenn Colella (Come From Away), Emmy-nominated “Westworld” star Jimmi Simpson, Frozen star Caissie Levy, “Psych” star James Roday, Tony Award winner Lindsay Mendez (Carousel), Tony nominee & Drama Desk winner Celia Keenan-Bolger (Peter and the Starcatcher), Tony nominee John Ellison Conlee (The Full Monty), Sarah Chase (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), Sarah Bishop (Cabaret), E. Clayton Cornelius (Beautiful), Jeremy Geller (Shrek), Marissa Rosen (R.R.R.E.D.) and Rashidra Scott (Ain’t Too Proud).  The album, produced by Michael Croiter (Heathers: The Musical, Matilda), was released October 19, 2018, and is now available for digital download on iTunes and Amazon, and in stores nationwide.

Originally developed at New York Musical Festival, THE OTHER JOSH COHEN premiered in 2012 at the SoHo Playhouse, presented by Amas Musical Theatre, starring Rossmer and Rosen.  In February 2014, the musical played a sold-out engagement at Paper Mill Playhouse as part of the theater’s 75th Anniversary Season, which was followed by a limited engagement in Rochester, NY, in January 2018 at Geva Theatre Center. Geva serves as associate producer for this Off-Broadway production at Westside Theatre.

David Rossmer and Steve Rosen met as teenagers at French Woods summer camp in the Catskill Mountains. In addition to writing and performing THE OTHER JOSH COHEN, they co-created the hit comedy variety show Don’t Quit Your Night Job, which began at Joe’s Pub before moving to a successful run Off-Broadway. For Don’t Quit, Rossmer and Rosen wrote special material for the likes of Sting, Sutton Foster, James Corden, Julianna Margulies, Andrea Martin and David Hyde Pierce. Their work has been performed at Joe’s Pub, Ars Nova and at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (to benefit The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation).

The design team for THE OTHER JOSH COHEN includes Scenic Designer Carolyn Mraz (Beardo, {my lingerie play}), Tony Award-winning Lighting Designer Jeff Croiter (Peter and the Starcatcher), Sound Designer Bart Fasbender (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), Costume Designer Nikki V. Moody (Rocky Horror Show, Guys and Dolls at Bucks County Playhouse) and Co-orchestrator & Music Supervisor Dan Lipton (The Last Ship, Assoc.). Casting is by Tara Rubin Casting (Kaitlin Shaw, CSA), and General Management is by Brierpatch Productions.

SHOW TICKETS & PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
The regular playing schedule for THE OTHER JOSH COHEN is Tuesdays at 7:00pm, Wednesdays at 2:00pm & 8:00pm, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:00pm, Saturdays at 3:30 & 8:30pm, and Sundays at 3:30pm. Tickets are $59–$110, and are now available for purchase by Telecharge (212-239-6200 or www.Telecharge.com)
__________________________________________ 


__________________________________________ 

Whitney Holden Gore
Vivacity Media Group
1650 Broadway, Suite 609, New York, NY 10019
212-812-1483
www.vivacityny.com

PRESS RELEASE: SUDDENLY, a new play based on the classic 1954 noir film starring Frank Sinatra

LIVE SOURCE THEATRE GROUP
PRESENTS
SUDDENLY

THE WORLD PREMIERE PLAY ADAPTED BY GIANFRANCO SETTECASI
AFTER THE SCREENPLAY BY RICHARD SALE

DIRECTED BY TYLER MERCER

WITH DREW ALLEN, HENRY BERRY, CHRIS DIEMAN, PHOEBE DUNN,
ARIEL ESTRADA, SEAN A. KAUFMAN, JOSEPH J. MENINO AND BRENDAN WALSH

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT — OCTOBER 5-20, 2018
AT HERE (145 6TH AVE, NYC – ENTER ON DOMINICK, ONE BLOCK SOUTH OF SPRING)

OPENS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7TH AT 4 PM
Tickets: http://www.live-source.org/ 

Live Source Theatre Group (Tyler Mercer, Co-Founder & Artistic Director; Chris Dieman, Co-Founder & Artist in Residence), as part of their 7th season, presents the world premiere of SUDDENLY, a new play based on the classic 1954 noir film starring Frank Sinatra, adapted by Gianfranco Settecasi after the screenplay by Richard Sale. Directed by Tyler Mercer, SUDDENLY will play a limited engagement at HERE (145 6th Avenue, NYC – Enter on Dominick, one block south of Spring). Performances begin Friday, October 5th and the engagement runs through Saturday, October 20th, 2018. The Opening is Sunday, October 7th at 4pm.

SUDDENLY is a new play adapted from the 1954 film of the same name, about an attempted presidential assassination that rocks a quiet town in northern California. When the Bensons’ home is placed on lockdown after local law enforcement learns of a potential threat to the president’s passage through the nearby train station, it soon becomes very clear that nothing is as it appears. Set against a post-war backdrop but staged with contemporary urgency, this intense political thriller explores a particularly American culture of violence.

Utilizing Live Source Theatre Group’s signature design-heavy production values, SUDDENLY will blend its stylized 1950s influences in a contemporary production with integrated video/projection design, highlighting the timeliness of this period script as it explores how far we have (and haven’t) come in the national dialogues on guns, the treatment of veterans, PTSD, and the dark side of the American dream.

The cast of SUDDENLY includes Drew Allen, Henry Fin Berry, Chris Dieman, Phoebe Dunn, Ariel Estrada, Sean A. Kaufman, Joseph J. Menino and Brendan Walsh.

SUDDENLY has scenic and video design by Bryce Cutler, costume design by Angela Harner, lighting design by Mary Ellen Stebbins, sound design by Adam Smith, and properties by Brett Warnke. The Production Manager is Emma Ruopp. The Production Stage Manager is Mackenzie Trowbridge. Meghan Rose Murphy is the Associate Producer.

SUDDENLY will play the following performance schedule beginning Friday, October 5th through Saturday, October 20th: Tuesdays at 8:30pm, Wednesdays at 8:30pm, Thursdays at 8:30pm, Fridays at 8:30pm, Saturdays at 8:30pm, and Sundays at 4:00pm, with an additional matinees Saturday October 6th at 4pm and Saturday, October 20th at 4pm.

Tickets for SUDDENLY are priced at $35 and may be purchased now by visiting www.live-source.org/ or by calling 212-352-3101.For special pricing for groups of 10+, contact info@live-source.org, or call 646-598-4803. In-person purchases can be made at HERE (145 6th Avenue) with the Box Office opening 2 hours before curtain.

Live Source Theatre Group was founded in 2011 with the mission to elevate the role of design in the creation, development, and production of new theatrical works. The group uses both classic and original plays to reveal and explore contemporary themes, drawing from a blend of styles, stories, and live sources. With innovative design and technology in constant play with highly stylized performances, Live Source engages audiences through a bold new theatre aesthetic. The company’s inaugural production in 2012, Macbeth, was a multimedia reimagining of Shakespeare’s violent tragedy, invoking midcentury influences from Watergate to On the Waterfront in an exploration of political corruption. This past Fall, Live Source Theatre Group presented the world premiere production of Solstice Party!, a new play by Susan Soon He Stanton (HBO’s Succession), at the A.R.T./NY Theaters, commissioned and developed by Live Source. Critics called it “superb” (The Huffington Post) and “a thrilling and compelling cauchemare” (Stage Buddy). Additional company works include We Are Live, a devised work which blended Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, with Alfred Hitchcock’s Stage Fright; the English-language U.S. premiere of Bohemian Lights, adapted after Ramón Valle-Inclán’s masterwork Luces de Bohemia; and The Incredible Fox Sisters, a world premiere by Jaclyn Backhaus based on the true events following the infamous séances held in 19th Century by the Fox sisters in upstate New York. Live Source Theatre Group’s Board of Directors includes Chris Dieman, Sarah Dunn, Kathryn Giamo, Tyler Mercer and Bobbi Thompson.

This production is a part of SubletSeries@HERE: a curated rental program, which provides artists with subsidized space and equipment, as well as technical support.

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

Drew Allen (John Baron) was recently seen as Tony Wendice in Dial M for Murder (Ocean State Theatre), nominated for best actor in a leading role as Henry VIII in Copse (MITF/Roy Arias Theatre), Dr. David Blau in Red Angel by Eric Bogosian, (Theatre Row), Lord Capulet in Romeo and Juliet (Connelly Theatre), Ben Casey in Shark Play (Samuel French OOBF Finalist/Classic Stage Co.), Martin in On The Rocks (Theatre at St Clement’s), Robert F. Kennedy in The File on J. Edgar (Wild Project Theatre), Giovanni in We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay! (Drilling Co. Theatre), Bernard in Don’t Dress For Dinner (Rosewater Theatre, GA). Recent film roles include JFK in Dick & Jack, which premiered at Cinema Village, and Michael/Jared, twins in The Dumping Fields, official selection for The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival.

Henry Fin Berry (Pidge Benson) was most recently seen in A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant. Favorite roles include Les in Newsies, Small Boy in Billy Elliott, Michael in Peter Pan, Grover Dill in A Christmas Story, and both Zeke and Troy in High School Musical Jr. Henry originated the role of Timmy in the Off Broadway premier of Dance Divas Nutcracker. Henry was a featured vocalist in “The Tony Show” at Carnegie Hall. He is a competitive dancer at Kick Dance Studios (national title winner 2017 and 2018) as well as a member of NYC Tap Crew with Thommie Retter.

Chris Dieman (Bart Wheeler) is an actor, composer, and musician. As a performer, his theater credits include Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale (Newport Music Festival, solo performance), The Smart Set (Cornerstone Playhouse), Dick on Dick (Bowery Poetry Club), The Cherry Orchard (LABA Theater), and workshops with Abrons Arts Center, Guild Hall, and New York Theater Workshop. TV: “Blue Bloods” (CBS) and “Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight” (HBO). He began playing piano at age six and later attended the music school of the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and received a B.F.A. from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He serves as the music associate for legendary composer John Kander (Cabaret, Chicago, The Visit). In roles ranging from music transcriber to assistant musical director, Chris has helped Kander and his new writing partner, Greg Pierce, usher two of their world premieres to the stage – The Landing (Vineyard Theatre) and Kid Victory (Signature Theatre in Washington DC and Vineyard Theatre). Chris’ work as a composer includes his one-man show Peter and the Piano, the full-length musical Prohibited Love, a score for ballet called Done Dancing: Suite For Piano, and several other scores for film and dance. As a musician, he played a seven-country tour across Europe with a 35-piece orchestra in 2005. He has worked alongside Bridget Everett, Marin Mazzie, Malcolm Gets, David Hyde Pierce, Julia Murney, Judy Kaye, orchestrators Larry Hochman and Michael Starobin, and directors Liesl Tommy and Walter Bobbie, among many others. He also served as co-producer on the critically acclaimed LYPSINKA! The Trilogy.

Phoebe Dunn (Ellen Benson). Theatre credits include Pipi in Solstice Party! (LiveSource), Karen in J N K 1965 (Live in Theater), Leah Fox in The Incredible Fox Sisters (The New Ohio Theatre), Eve in The Bad Years (Kerrigan-Lowdermilk). TV: Hulu’s “The Looming Tower” (Margie), Travel Channel’s “Mysteries at the Museum: Swimming the Channel” (Gertrude Ederle). Film: Water On The Moon (Bec), False Negative (Emma). Graduate of The Juilliard School of Drama (Group 42). www.phoebedunn.net

Ariel Estrada (Benny Conklin). Off-Broadway: A Persistent Memory (MBL Productions, Jessi D. Hill, dir.); Double Falsehood (Letter of Marque, Andrew Borthwick-Leslie, dir.); Far East, Lincoln Center Theater (Daniel Sullivan, dir.); Shogun Macbeth, Cambodia Agonistes (Pan Asian Repertory Theatre). Selected Off-Off/Regional: Tartuffe (NYITA Nominee), Phoenix Theatre Ensemble; Made in China, Wakka Wakka (NYT Critics Pick); All We Have Left, Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, Jim Henson Foundation Puppetry Residency; The Imbible (FringeNYC Encore Award); Disoriented, Theater C; Honor, Prospect Theater Company; Miss Saigon, Merry-Go-Round Playhouse; 90 North, Kennedy Center, ASCAP/In the Works Program; Two Gentlemen of Verona, Twelfth Night (Colorado Shakespeare Festival). TV/Film: Title VII, Future Folk, Don’t Let Me Drown; “Occupy White House Sprites,” “Tell Me A Story,” “Blue Bloods,” “The Americans,” “One Life to Live,” “Another World.” Awards: 2018 Rising Leader of Color, Theatre Communications Group. www.arielestrada.com

Sean A. Kaufman (Jud Kelly/Dan Carney) was recently seen in Noël Coward’s Fallen Angels, and soon will be seen in the independent short film, Maturing Youth, a dramedy produced by R&F Entertainment that will be hitting the indie film festival scene over the course of the next year. He also just finished Assistant Directing a different independent film, Joaquin & Luke. Favorite stage credits of his include Twelve Angry Men at Northern Stage, Les Misérables and others at The New London Barn Playhouse, and The Liar at Dartmouth College. He received his acting training from the two-year program at The Maggie Flanigan Studio and is a proud Dartmouth ’13. www.SeanAKaufman.com

Joseph J. Menino (Peter “Pop” Benson). New York: Phoenix Theatre Ensemble: Murrow (one-person show as Edward R. Murrow); The Gambler, Don Juan in Hell, Electra, Agamemnon Home, Art, Iphigenia at Aulis, Hapgood, No Exit, Enemy of the People, The Lifeblood, Antigone, Wolfpit; Jean Cocteau Repertory (nine seasons) including Othello, What the Butler Saw, Travesties, The Importance of Being Earnest; Willow Theatricals: Boys of a Certain Age; Shakespeare Forum: Merchant of Venice; Axis Theater Co.: Woyzeck; New York Classical Theater: Comedy of Errors, Triumph of Love, Twelfth Night; Case Goodmen Productions: Frankie and Johnnie in the Clair de Lune. Regional: Greenbrier Valley Theatre: Enemy of the People; Gretna Theatre: Broadway Bound; ACANSA Arts Festival: Murrow; Arkansas Repertory: Macbeth, Death of A Salesman, Henry V, All My Sons, All the King’s Men, Rough Crossing, Grapes of Wrath. Television: “American Genius: Hearst v. Pulitzer” (NatGeo), “Secret Lives of Stepford Wives” (Investigation Discovery). Film: Forbidden Cuba (2015) directed by Art Jones, Forgetting Sandy Glass (2016), The Sublet (2010).

Brendan Walsh (Sheriff Tod Shaw) A U.S.M.C. veteran, Brendan returned home to pursue his love for theatre. He is a graduate of Columbia University and is an Esper Studio alumni. Brendan continues his studying at HB Studio with Trudy Steibl and Austin Pendleton. He has performed regionally and nationally. Recent works include: Macduff, Macbeth; Vincent Van Gogh, Eulogy for Vincent; Eugene, The Au Pair Man; Claudius, Hamlet. He can be as Moke in the upcoming season of “The Punisher.”

# # #

PRESS RELEASE: THE OTHER JOSH COHEN TO OPEN OFF-BROADWAY THIS FALL AT WESTSIDE THEATRE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Vivacity Media Group, 212-812-1483
Leslie Papa, Leslie@VivacityNY.com
Whitney Holden Gore, Whitney@VivacityNY.com
Ailsa Hoke, Ailsa@VivacityNY.com

SIX-TIME DRAMA DESK AND LORTEL AWARD-NOMINATED MUSICAL
THE OTHER JOSH COHEN
TO OPEN OFF-BROADWAY THIS FALL AT WESTSIDE THEATRE

WRITTEN BY & STARRING DRAMA DESK AWARD NOMINEES
DAVID ROSSMER AND STEVE ROSEN

DIRECTED BY TONY AWARD NOMINEE
HUNTER FOSTER

FOUR-MONTH LIMITED ENGAGEMENT
BEGINS PERFORMANCES FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018

Exclusive Pre-Sale for Audience Rewards Members Starts August 17
General Tickets On Sale August 24

“SUPERB AND SWEETLY FUNNY, WITH AN INFECTIOUS SCORE.

The impressively talented David Rossmer and Steve Rosen exhibit effortless comedic chemistry…and crackling delivery. Brisk and satisfying,

‘The Other Josh Cohen’ is endearing and consistently funny.

I’d advise you to buy tickets now, but I hope you’ve figured that out already.”

DOWNLOAD PHOTOS: https://bit.ly/2MveeZV

(New York, NY – AUGUST 16, 2018) Producers Suzanne Gilad & Larry Rogowsky are pleased to announce that the critically-acclaimed musical comedy THE OTHER JOSH COHEN will open Off-Broadway at the Westside Theatre (407 West 43rd Street) this fall. The musical – nominated for six Drama Desk Awards and the Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical – features Book, Music and Lyrics by David Rossmer and Steve Rosen, who will co-star in the title roles, under the direction of Tony Award nominee Hunter Foster. Previews begin Friday, October 26, 2018, with an official opening night of November 12, for a limited engagement of seventeen weeks through February 24, 2019.

>Presale tickets are available exclusively to Audience Rewards® members beginning tomorrow, Friday August 17 at 10:00AM EST. Visitwww.AudienceRewards.com to purchase or sign up for free membership. General tickets will go on sale for the musical on Friday, August 24 at 10:00AM EST through Telecharge.com.

Josh Cohen just can’t get a break. He’s single, broke and to top it all off, his apartment’s been robbed of everything but a Neil Diamond CD. Soon, though, his luck takes a turn when a mysterious envelope arrives that changes his life forever. The Other Josh Cohenis a hilarious romantic comedy that was declared a “Critic’s Pick!” by The New York Times, praising it as “Superb and sweetly funny, with an infectious score! …The Other Josh Cohen is that precious rarity: an original musical with a life-affirming message and songs worth remembering.” Backstage Magazine raved,“Ingenious and Uproariously Witty! The Other Josh Cohen is a hilarious and smart new musical. Imagine Seinfeld-meets-Rodgers & Hart.”

Originally developed at New York Musical Festival, THE OTHER JOSH COHEN premiered in 2012 at the SoHo Playhouse, presented by Amas Musical Theatre, starring Rossmer and Rosen. In February 2014, the musical played a sold-out engagement at Paper Mill Playhouse as part of the theater’s 75th Anniversary Season, which was followed by a limited engagement in Rochester, NY, in January 2018 at Geva Theatre Center. Geva serves as associate producer for this Off-Broadway production at Westside Theatre.

David Rossmer and Steve Rosen met as teens at French Woods Summer camp in the Catskill Mountains. In addition to writing and performingTHE OTHER JOSH COHEN, Rossmer and Rosen co-created the hit comedy variety show Don’t Quit Your Night Job, which began at Joe’s Pub before moving to a successful run Off-Broadway. For Don’t Quit, Rosen and Rossmer wrote special material for the likes of Sting, Sutton Foster, James Corden, Julianna Margulies, Andrea Martin and David Hyde Pierce, to name a few. Their work has been performed at Joe’s Pub, Ars Nova and at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (to benefit The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation).

The design team for THE OTHER JOSH COHEN includes Scenic Designer Carolyn Mraz (Beardo, {my lingerie play}), Tony Award-winning Lighting Designer Jeff Croiter (Peter and the Starcatcher), Sound Designer Bart Fasbender (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) and Costume Designer Nikki Moody (Rocky Horror Show, Guys and Dolls at Bucks County). Casting is by Tara Rubin Casting (Kaitlin Shaw, CSA). General Management is by Brierpatch.

Additional cast for THE OTHER JOSH COHEN will be announced at a later date.

TICKETS & PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

The regular playing schedule for THE OTHER JOSH COHEN is Tuesdays at 7:00pm and Wednesdays–Saturdays at 8:00pm, with 2:00PM matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and 3:00PM matiness on Sundays. Tickets are $59–$110, and will be available for purchase by Audience Rewards members beginning tomorrow, August 17 at 10:00AM (www.audiencerewards.com). Tickets will be available to the general public on Friday, August 24 at 10:00AM through Telecharge (212-239-6200 or www.Telecharge.com)

DAVID ROSSMER (Book, Music & Lyrics/Narrator Josh) co-wrote Rated P, which began Off-Broadway, was developed for TV by Kelly Ripa’s Milojo Productions, and bought by ABC Studios. With Dan Lipton, Rossmer is currently writing the Broadway show Monopoly for Hasbro, in collaboration with 3-time Tony Award nominee Rick Elice (Jersey Boys). Rossmer and Lipton’s original comedy The Blonde Streak is being produced by Grove Entertainment, and their futuristic parable The Perfect Mate was just commissioned by Pittsburgh CLO. They wrote “They Don’t Let You in the Opera (If You’re a Country Star)” featured on Kelli O’Hara’s Always album, and performed by the Tony winner in concerts across the country, including Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Rossmer was recently announced as part of the inaugural class of Audible playwrights, commissioned by Amazon. As a performer, he has appeared on Broadway in: Titanic, Fiddler on the Roof, Peter and the Starcatcher(originated role of Teddy) and Thenardier in Les Miserables. On television he has appeared on SVU, Vinyl, Blue Bloods, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Good Fight.

STEVE ROSEN (Book, Music & Lyrics/Josh Cohen) is currently co-adapting the Universal film The Secret of My Success for the stage. This Broadway-bound musical just completed a successful workshop in NYC starring Christian Slater. Rosen also wrote (with Gordon Greenberg) a unique comic take on A Christmas Carol entitled Ebenezer Scrooge’s Big (Your Town here) Christmas Show. A smash hit this past holiday season at Bucks County Playhouse, the show is slated for an annual return there, as well as other theaters across the country. Steve was also recently commissioned to create an evening of original material for the prestigious Washington University of St. Louis Law School’s 150th anniversary celebration. As a performer, Rosen originated principal roles in the Broadway productions of Monty Python’s Spamalot, The Farnsworth Invention, and played Benny Southstreet in the Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls. For his acting work Off-Broadway, he has beennominated for Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Awards. On television he has appeared on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Nurse Jackie, Masters of Sex and is currently playing recurring roles on NBC’s Law and Order: SVU and Fox’s The Resident.

HUNTER FOSTER (Director) An Artistic Associate at the Bucks County Playhouse where he has directed: 42nd Street, Clue, Guys and Dolls,Company, Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Buddy Holly Story (2016 & 2017), National Pastime, The Rocky Horror Show (2013, 2014, 2016 & 2017),Summer of ’42, Million Dollar Quartet and It’s a Wonderful Life. He most recently directed the world premier of two new musicals, One Hit Wonder, for the University of Michigan, and A Connecticut Christmas Carol for Goodspeed Musicals. Other directing credits include: The Other Josh Cohen (Geva Theatre), Our Town (Theatre Aspen), Cabaret, My Fair Lady, The Foreigner (Cape Playhouse) Grease (North Carolina Theatre), Spamalot (Casa Manana), and has directed productions of the Million Dollar Quartet for The Paper Mill Playhouse, Cincinnati Playhouse, Geva Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse, Gateway Playhouse, St. Louis Rep, Center Rep, Maine St., The Fulton Theatre and the Westchester Broadway Theatre. As a book writer he has written the books to musicals, Jasper in Deadland, Summer of ’42, The Circus in Winter, Clyde and Bonnie: A Folktale, The Hollow and The Big Boom.

AUDIENCE REWARDS® is the Official Rewards Program of Broadway & the Arts™. It’s a standing ovation for ticket buyers across the nation. Earn valuable ShowPoints every time you buy tickets to participating theatrical productions, live entertainment, and more. Save money by redeeming ShowPoints for free tickets to the events you love or, even better, securing unique experiences and merchandise exclusively curated for Audience Rewards® members.

www.theotherjoshcohen.com
@otherjoshcohen
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Ailsa Hoke
Vivacity Media Group
1650 Broadway, Suite 609, New York, NY 10019
212-812-1483

Comedy Can’t Be Taught ~ A review of Renée Taylor’s “My Life on a Diet”

Comedy Can’t Be Taught!
A review of Renée Taylor’s

“My Life on a Diet”
July 19, 2018
Theatre at S. Clement’s

If ever there was proof that comedy can’t be taught, Renée Taylor is that living proof.

After a lifetime consisting (so far) of 22 plays, 4 films, 9 TV movies and TV series, 3 Broadway shows, an Off-Broadway show, Oscar noms, Emmy and countless other awards, and a 52 year marriage to the man of her dreams, actor/director Joseph Bologna, Renée Taylor is still at it – and still trying out new diets!

In “My Life in a Diet”, co-written and originally directed by her late husband, Ms. Taylor, at a spry 85 years young, delivers a hysterical 90+ minute monologue about her life which sparkles and shines almost as much as the dress she wears. 

Best known for her role as Sylvia Fine, Fran Drescher’s food obsessed mother in “The Nanny”, Ms. Taylor started her acting career at age 15 in a Purim Pageant at Madison Square Garden and earned her Actor’s Equity card at age 19 for her appearance in “The Rehearsal” on Broadway. A Wikipedia or IMdB search will tell you all the details of her amazing credits, what I will tell you is this show is a goldmine of stories, Hollywood secrets and a personal journey that is a master class in comedy and story-telling that should not be missed.

Her on stage biography is liberally sprinkled with anecdotes about Hollywood legends such as Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, Cary Grant, Barbra Streisand, and her mother, Frieda, the ultimate stage mom.

Ms. Taylor also shares the myriad of fad and celebrity diets she has tried over the years. As she says, “I used to think that if I ate like star, I just might live like one!”

Ms. Taylor is living proof that you’re either born with it or not. Go see a living comedy legend  for a delightful evening of laughs and tears. There is nothing like it on or off Broadway right now.

Elli with Renée Taylor @ “My Life on a Diet” 07.19.18

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MY LIFE ON A DIET is presented by Mr. Schlossberg in association with Morris S. Levy, Rodger Hess, Harold Newman, Jim Fantaci, Andrew Tobias, andRonald Glazer/Sabrina Hutt.

MY LIFE ON A DIET has set design by Harry Feiner, lighting design by Stefanie Risk and sound design by Jay Risk.

MY LIFE ON A DIET will be performed Off-Broadway at Theatre at St. Clement’s (423 West 46 Street, btw. Ninth & Tenth Aves). The limited engagement runs Thursday, July 12ththrough Sunday, August 19th. UPDATE: Now extended thru Sunday, September 2nd. The performance schedule is as follows: Wednesdays at 2pm, Thursdays at 7pm, Fridays at 7 pm, Saturdays at 2 pm and 7pm, and Sundays at 3pm.

Tickets to MY LIFE ON A DIET — priced at $65 ($75 premium seating) — are now available online at MyLifeOnADietPlay.com or by calling Telecharge at (212) 239-6200.

Follow Renée Taylor online:
Facebook:         https://www.facebook.com/Ren%C3%A9e-Taylor-394298697354583/
Twitter:            https://twitter.com/ReneeTaylor1613
Instagram:       https://www.instagram.com/official_renee_taylor/?hl=en

REVIEW: Sam Morrison HELLO, DADDY! ~ July 11th 2018 ~ Pilgrim House in Provincetown, MA

Sam Morrison : HELLO, DADDY!

🌈💄💋One Man’s Journey To Cure Heterosexuality 👅🍭🌈

July 11th 2018
Pilgrim House, Provincetown, MA

23 year old Sam Morrison finally figured out in college that he likes older men and has done what any budding young comedian would do with that revelation – turned it into comedy.

More like a One-man/Cabaret show than a Stand-Up routine, Sam Morrison’s humor, “built off a decade of journal entries”, is raw (often raunchy), unashamed, and quite funny.

Weaving a tale about a chance encounter while waiting for a girlfriend in a coffee shop near his college, Sam tells us his tale in bits and pieces, interlacing stories of his coming out, his fantasies about his Hebrew School teacher, dating girls, and his views on conversion therapy camp, and he does all this with props to boot!

Mr. Morrison’s brand of storytelling is quite advanced, easy to relate to, and very well thought out, demonstrating a proclivity toward future endeavors. He is definitely a rising star to keep your eyes on. I would love to see this developed further into a full long running show.

Check out Sam’s website for some youtube videos and a list of upcoming shows.

CONTENT ADVISORY:
For mature audiences and contains explicit sexual language and references.

Sam Morrison is a New York City-based comedian who has been featured on Comic Seen, Stellar Underground, he tours colleges, theatres, and comedy clubs nationally. He has been featured on SiriusXM Radio, Travel Channel, Amazon Prime, Laffin’ Matterz TV, and was recently named one of Mogul’s Comics to Watch in 2018. You’ve seen him on Laffin’ Matterz TV and just about every gay bar in town. You can catch him regularly at Broadway Comedy Club, Old Man Hustle, and Catch a Rising Star. He’s performed all over the world at the Ugandan National Theatre, Kampala International Festival, Fingerlakes Comedy Festival, and TrumpCon. Sam’s first one man show Sublime Faggotry debuted to sold out audiences in Ithaca, NY. He is an Alumnus of Cornell University and Production Assistant for the Travel Channel.

https://www.facebook.com/comediansammorrison/
www.samuelmorrison.com