Carrie Fisher To Present One Woman Show, 'Wishful Drinking' At Hartford

The Ladies of Summer continue to captivate audiences at Hartford Stage with the arrival of Carrie Fisher and her one-woman show Wishful Drinking, a hilariously captivating look at her Tinseltown hangover, staged by renowned director Tony Taccone.  The limited engagement begins performances at the Tony Award-winning theatre August 6 and runs through August 17.

Carrie Fisher is the life of the party in Wishful Drinking.  Onstage, she recounts a true and intoxicating story with the same strong, wry wit that she poured into bestsellers like Postcards from the Edge.  Born to celebrity parents, Fisher lands among the stars when she's picked to play a princess in a little movie called Star Wars. But it isn't all sweetness and light sabers.  As a single mom, she also battles addiction, depression, mental institutions, and that awful hyperspace hairdo.  It's an incredible tale - from having Elizabeth Taylor as a stepmother, to wedding (and shedding) Paul Simon; from having the father of her baby leave her for a man to waking up one morning and finding a friend dead beside her in bed.  Audiences from coast to coast have been flocking to Wishful Drinking for an outrageous chance to get "Carried away."

Making her debut at Hartford Stage, Carrie Fisher uses an extraordinary life and career as the background for her compelling performance.  Fisher has been a force in the film industry since her feature film debut opposite Warren Beatty in the 1975 hit Shampoo.  The daughter of Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, she became a cultural icon when she played Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy.  Fisher's other film credits include The Blues Brothers, Garbo Talks, When Harry Met Sally, and Wonderland.  As a best-selling author, Fisher has produced Postcards from the Edge, which garnered a spot on the New York Times' bestseller list, and followed with three more bestsellers: Delusions of Grandma, Surrender the Pink, and The Best Awful.  Her writing has produced screenplays for films and television, and has been published in Details, Harper's Bazaar, and The New York Times. On television, Fisher has made appearances on Laverne and Shirley, Sex and the City, and recently 30 Rock and Weeds.

Tony Taccone is the artistic director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre in California, where he has staged more than 35 shows, including the world premieres of The Convict's Return, Culture Clash in AmeriCCa, The First 100 Years, Geni(us), Ravenshead, Taking Over, Virgin Molly,  and Zorro in Hell.  He commissioned Tony Kushner's legendary Angels in America, co-directed its world premiere at the Mark Taper Forum, and has collaborated with Kushner on six projects.  Taccone recently made his Broadway debut with Bridge & Tunnel, which was universally lauded by critics and won a Tony Award for its star, Sarah Jones.  Regional credits include Actors Theatre of Louisville, Arizona Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and San Francisco's Eureka Theatre, where he served six years as artistic director before working at Berkeley Rep.

Alexander V. Nichols (scenic design/lighting design/projections) has created scenery, costumes, lights, and projections for dance and theatre companies across America, including 16 shows at Berkeley Rep.  His credits also include American Conservatory Theater, the Alley Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theater, Arena Stage, Baltimore Center Stage, and many others.

Tickets for Wishful Drinking are $26 to $55. Discounts are available for groups of ten or more by calling 860-520-7244.  All discount programs are subject to availability and cannot be combined with other discount offers.  Hartford Stage has wheelchair accessible seating, assistive listening devices and other amenities. For more information, call the Hartford Stage box office at 860-527-5151. Hartford Stage is located at 50 Church Street in downtown Hartford with parking located in the MAT Garage, directly adjacent to the theatre.  The theatre is easilly accessible from I-84 and I-91.

Key Dates and Information

    *  Tickets for Wishful Drinking are on sale now and can be purchased by called 860-527-5151 or by visiting hartfordstage.org.
    * Press opening for Wishful Drinking will be held Wednesday, August 6 at 7:30 p.m.
    * The production runs through August 17.  Evening performances are weeknights (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday) at 7:30 p.m. and weekends (Friday and Saturday) at 8:00 p.m.  Matinee performances are Saturdays and Sunday at 2:00 p.m.  There is no evening performance on Sunday, August 17.  For a more specific schedule of performances, call the Hartford Stage box office at 860-527-5151 or visit hartfordstage.org.

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