Reading of THE WRATH OF CONNIE to Be Held at The Friars Club

There will be a special industry reading of THE WRATH OF CONNIE by Jon Marans and directed by Brian Hargrove to be presented by the Friar's Club and Chris Massimine. This special Friars and invitational presentation will be on Wednesday, January 30th at 8:00 p.m. at the Friar's Club, 57 East 55th Street (between Madison and Park Avenues) in the Milton Berle Room.

THE WRATH OF CONNIE is a dark comedy taking place in 1991, which revolves around beloved TV icon, Connie Frederick, who had a huge, hit television variety show in the '60s and '70s, but not much success since then. So the network hires a bunch of edgy, twenty--something writers to try and make Connie just as edgy and outrageous/offensive as they are. Connie clearly draws the line of comedy in a very different place than they do, and she draws the line between what is appropriate behavior between men and women in a very different place as well. Connie soon realizes that her views need to shift if she hopes to fit into this modern world.

The play takes place in 1991 at the exact time of the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Jon Marans has written the new book for Lerner & Loewe's musical Paint Your Wagon (at the St Louis MUNY July 2019), and he is the playwright for the award-winning The Temperamentals, and the Pulitzer Prize Finalist Old Wicked Songs.

Brian Hargrove is the creator/director/producer of the television show "Titus"; Executive Producer "Wanda at Large"; and the Book Writer/ Lyricist of Broadway Musical - "It Shoulda Been You".

The cast for the special industry reading includes: Julie Halston - playing Connie (Tootsie, the musical, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, The Divine Sister, Bitsy Von Muffling from "Sex and the City"); Judy Gold (stand-up specials on HBO, Comedy Central; Theater The Judy Show - My Life as a Sitcom, 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother); Michael McGrath (Tootsie, the musical, Spamalot, Nice Work If You Can Get It. The Honeymooners, the musical, playing Ralph Kramden); Kenneth Tigar (Barney Miller, House of Cards, The Man in the High Castle, Larry David's Broadway hit Fish in the Dark); Edmund Donovan (Orange is the New Black, Lewiston / Clarkston); Noah Robbins (Brighton Beach Memoirs, Lewiston / Clarkston); Hannah Cabell (The Father, Madam Secretary, The Good Fight); Jason Veasey (The Lion King, American Gangster); Gianmarco Soresi (Less Than 50%, The Last O.G., Blue Bloods); and Jason Scoop (Comedy Time TV, Stand Up 360 Comedy).