Steven Stanley Joins Group Rep Cast In THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER
Longtime theatre journalist and reviewer, steps in the role of Professor Metz for this weekend only, December 27, 28 and 29, in the Group Rep's well received production of Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's beloved farce THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, directed by Bruce Kimmel and produced by Doug Haverty. The play runs through January 12, 2020 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood, California.
The comedy classic takes place a few weeks before Christmas in small town USA, after a famously outlandish NYC radio personality is invited to dine at the house of the well-to-do local factory owner. When this sharp-tongued celebrity slips on a patch of ice outside the front door and injures his hip confining him to the house for a month, he drives his hosts mad by insulting them, monopolizing their world, wreaking havoc with romantic antics and receiving a constant stream of bizarre guests, including performers, scientists, penguins and even paroled convicts. As Christmas Day approaches, mayhem ensues and fate delivers a comeuppance.
THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER debuted on October 16, 1939, at the Music Box Theatre in New York City, where it ran until 1941, closing after 739 performances. The play later enjoyed a number of New York and London revivals. In addition to versions of the play on both radio and TV, most notable was the adaptation for the 1942 feature film, scripted by Philip G. Epstein and Julius J. Epstein and directed by William Keighley. The film featured Monty Woolley, Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, Billie Burke, Jimmy Durante, Mary Wickes and Richard Travis.
Steven Stanley is overjoyed to be returning to the stage for the first time since 2007, when he began reviewing Southern California theater for his popular website StageSceneLA.com. (Over 3000 reviews so far and counting, not to mention StageSceneLA's annually awarded Scenies.) In his pre-reviewer days, Steven appeared in six productions at the Whittier Center Theatre, two at Sierra Madre Playhouse, and one at the Lillian Theatre, in addition to creating lead roles in three World Premieres, 197 Steps (Actors Group Theatre), Dead Strangers (Gardner Stages), and The Naked Truth (Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre). He is more than delighted to add Professor Adolph Metz to his list of foreign-accented eccentrics, most notably Siegurd Jungquist in Night Of January 16th, Walter Pangbourne in Move Over Mrs. Markham, and Doctor Bessner in Murder On The Nile, and his all-time favorite role, Mr. Kolenkhov in You Can't Take It With You.
About show times and tickets: Now through January 12, 2020. Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm. Sunday matinees at 2 pm. Tickets: $25. Seniors 65+/Students with ID: $20. Groups of 10 or more: $15. Tickets/information: www.thegrouprep.com or (818) 763-5990. Lonny Chapman Theatre - Main Stage, 10900 Burbank Boulevard, North Hollywood 91601.
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