American Theatre Wing To Interview Priscilla Lopez This Weekend

The American Theatre Wing and XM Satellite Radio proudly present an interview with Tony-winning actress Priscilla Lopez, on their weekly theatrical interview show, "Downstage Center," on XM's On Broadway (XM Channel 28).

Lopez will appear as the special guest on Friday, June 13 at 6 p.m. The show will repeat on Saturday, June 14 at noon, Sunday, June 15 at 7 p.m., and Wednesday, June 18 at midnight (all times eastern; transmission is simultaneous across the country).  The program becomes available as streaming audio and podcast from www.americantheatrewing.org and iTunes beginning Monday evening, June 16.

Tony-winner Priscilla Lopez talks about what drew her to the new musical In The Heights and talks about her patience and faith that by the time it reached Broadway, she'd have her own song in the show.  She also talks about her early training, including additional details about her high school years that didn't make it into the song "Nothing" in A Chorus Line; both her attempted and actual Broadway debuts in Breakfast at Tiffany's and Henry Sweet Henry; her recollections of the workshop sessions that ultimately became A Chorus Line; how she came to channel Harpo Marx for the musical A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine; and how she came to make her Broadway dramatic debut in Nilo Cruz's Anna in the Tropics, some 35 years after her musical debut.

Priscilla Lopez is currently appearing on Broadway's In The Heights. She won a Tony Award for best-featured actress in Hollywood/Ukraine portraying Harpo Marx and also received a Tony Nomination and Obie Award for A Chorus Line where she introduced What I Did For Love. The Drama Desk nominated her for Class Mothers 68, a one-woman six-character play by Eric Weinberger. Ms. Lopez is also a recipient of the Rita Moreno Hola Award and the Raul Julia Award.  Other Broadway credits include: Anna in the Tropics, The Sisters Rosensweig, Nine, Lysistrata, Pippin, Company, Her First Roman, Henry Sweet Henry, and Breakfast at Tiffany's. Off-Broadway, she played in: In The Heights, Beauty of the Father, The Oldest Profession, newyorkers, The Passion of Frida Khalo, Antigone in New York, Other People's Money, Extremities, Key Exchange, Buck, Non Pasquale, What's a Nice Country… and Your Own Thing. Regional credits include: Vanities, Westwood Playhouse LA, Irma La Douce, Chandler Pavilion LA, and Death and the Maiden, Santa Fe Stages.

The American Theatre Wing is best known as the creator of the Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards®, which it presents annually with The Broadway League.  The Wing's other activities, dedicated to recognizing excellence and supporting education in theatre, include "Working in the Theatre," now in its 29th year of telecasts on CUNY TV in New York and on other national cable outlets; "Downstage Center," an hour-long weekly interview program on XM Satellite Radio; "Guides to Careers in the Theatre," a video series developed for schools and libraries; a grants and scholarship program to New York City schools and not-for-profit theatre companies, which has awarded more than $2.5 million since its inception; the Theatre Intern Group, a career development program for young professionals; and SpringboardNYC, a two-week college-to-career boot camp for young performers moving to NYC.  Visitors to www.americantheatrewing.org can view or download an archive of "Working in the Theatre" and the career guides and listen to "Downstage Center", all as free, on-demand streaming audio and podcast. Sondra Gilman is Chairman of the Board of the American Theatre Wing; Doug Leeds is President of the Board and Howard Sherman is Executive Director.

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Photo Credit Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.