APPLAUSE's Penny Fuller Set for Q&A at Spiral Theater Studio, 7/25

By: Jun. 23, 2014
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In Celebrating Penny Fuller's stellar career, she will be sharing the stage with Richard Skipper recounting a 50+ year career in theater, television, film and in cabaret. She will be telling these stories to Richard Skipper of "Richard Skipper Celebrates!" who interviews celebrities by blog and in a live setting such as the Spiral Theater Studio to get the essence of the artist's complete body of work.

Hailing from Durham, North Carolina, Penny Fuller attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, majoring in Theater. Miss Fuller made her Broadway debut in "The Moon Besieged", (1962), then performed in three productions of Shakespeare-in-the-Park. She later appeared as a replacement in the original productions of 'Barefoot in the Park", (1963), and "Cabaret", (1966).

Miss Fuller first came to attention in show business circles as the scheming Eve Harrington in the Broadway production of "Applause", the 1970 musical version of Joseph L Mankiewicz's classic 1950 feature "All About Eve". More than holding her own against Lauren Bacall's Margo Channing, Fuller won strong reviews, earned a Tony nomination as Best Featured Actress in a Musical and reprised the role in the 1973 CBS TV adaptation.

Miss Fuller has extensive theatrical credits, including Richard Rodgers' 1976 musical about Henry VIII, "Rex", in which she appeared opposite Nicol Williamson and Glenn Close. She has continued to work in musicals, however, including the original production of William Finns "A New Brain", and a 1999 revival of Rodgers' "Do I Hear a Waltz?" at New Jersey's George Street Playhouse. Recent years have found Miss Fuller back on Broadway, in the original productions of Wendy Wasserstein's "An American Daughter", (1997) and Neil Simon's "The Dinner Party, (2000), for which she was nominated for the Tony award. Off-Broadway appearances have included "Three Viewings", (1995) and Nicky Silver's unsettling "Beautiful Child". Her latest Broadway appearance was in Horton Foote's "Dividing the Estate" in 2009.

The petite redhead with the expressive eyes went on to establish herself as a fine character actress on the small screen. (Her big screen credits are limited to a small role in 1976's "All the President's Men" and 1993's "The Beverly Hillbillies".) She made her TV-movie debut alongside Lois Nettleton and Jessica Walter as one of the "Women in Chains" (ABC, 1972), which also marked Ida Lupino's telefilm debut. As the English actress Madge Kendal who befriends the deformed title character (played by Philip Anglim) in "The Elephant Man" (NBC, 1982), Miss Fuller earned her first Emmy Award. She won praise for her bitchy sister-in-law to Tommy Lee Jones' Brick and Jessica Lange's Maggie in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (Showtime, 1984; PBS, 1985). Miss Fuller has also had recurring roles on "China Beach" (ABC, 1989-90) as the mother of Dana Delany's McMurphy, and "Mad About You" (NBC, 1994-95), as the mother of Jamie Buchman (Helen Hunt). For her guest appearance on the second season premiere of the NBC medical drama "ER" (1996), Miss Fuller earned a third Emmy nomination.

Miss Fuller has currently kept a busy schedule, with theatrical roles. She is currently appearing with the Berkshire Theater Group in Pittsfield, MA as Madame Armfelt in Stephen Sondheim's "A Little Night Music"

Penny Fuller is also a known for her cabaret work, at 54 Below, The Metropolitan Room and other show rooms in New York City, often teaming with her dear friend, Anita Gillette. Playbill aptly describes the two joyous ladies in "Sin Twisters" a play on words for "Twin Sisters", truly passing as twins! Coming up together in theater in the 1960s, Anita and Penny often competed for roles...and what fun they had (and still do!)

On Friday, July 25th at 7:30PM, Penny Fuller and Richard Skipper will sit down at the Spiral Theater Studio to discuss Penny's career and the wonderful journey it has taken her to this point in her life. A Q&A with the audience and "meet and greet" follows.

Richard Skipper Celebrates! No stranger to the greats in the entertainment world, Mr. Skipper under the banner of Richard Skipper Celebrates! has rubbed elbows, chatted up and interviewed theater, film, television and cabaret greats for the past two decades running. Known for his hands-on approach, look no further than Richard Skipper Celebrates! Richard has conducted over 700 interviews celebrating people in the arts. In January of 2014, Richard brought cast members together from the original cast of Hello, Dolly, and the companies led by Miss Carol Channing for a two-day special event in New York.

A raconteur in the fashion of Jack Paar, David Frost and Dick Cavett, Richard Skipper has conducted on-stage interviews with Julie Budd, Carol Channing, Eileen Fulton, Jackie Joseph, Sondra Lee, Tommy Tune, Ron Young, Peggy Pope, Anita Gillette and many more luminaries.

The Spiral Theater Studio is located at 242 W. 36th Street, New York, NY, 10036. The evening with Penny Fuller will begin with a Wine and Cheese mixer at 7:00 PM, and interview of Miss Fuller at 7:30 PM promptly. A "meet and greet" will follow. Part of the proceeds from the evening will go to benefit the Spiral Theater Studio: Please see their Mission Statement. Seating is Limited. An RSVP is highly recommended. Call 845-365-0720.

The ticket price to attend the Penny Fuller interview on Weds. July 25th at the Spiral Theater is $30, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit the Spiral Theater.



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