'The Piano Lesson' to Star Andrews & Calloway at Hayworth

The Hayworth Theater will present August Wilson's The Piano Lesson, directed by the award winning Claude Purdy, opening November 2.  Earning Wilson his second Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critic's Circle Award for Best New Play, The Piano Lesson is produced by Stagewalkers in associations with A 444 Production and stars Russell Andrews and Vanessa Bell Calloway.  Preview performances are October 26 and November 1.  There will be a special gala reception performance Saturday evening, November 3.

"At the center of The Piano Lesson, Wilson's haunting and dramatic story, stands an ornately carved upright piano, the Charles family's hard-won possession that has been gathering dust in the parlor of Bernice Charles' Pittsburgh home.  Boy Willie, Bernice's exuberant brother bursts back into her life, with plans to sell the piano and fulfill his dream of buying the Mississippi land that his family had worked as slaves.  Bernice clings to the piano as a reminder of their family legacy," explains press notes.

Russell Andrews has numerous television credits including appearances on "CSI: Miami," "Boston Legal," "Numb3rs," "The Nine" and "Medium," to name a few.  His Stagewalkers Productions presented a recent production of August Wilson's Jitney which has been nominated for numerous 2007 Ovation awards, including Best Play, Best Director and Best Ensemble.  Stagewalkers also produced the critically acclaimed production of August Wilsons' Ma Raineys Black Bottom.  

Vanessa Bell Calloway is an accomplished actress of stage and screen.  Among her numerous film credits, she played opposite Laurence Fishburne in Dreamworks' Biker Boyz, with Sylvester Stallone in Daylight and was Denzel Washington's wife in Crimson Tide. She garnered critical acclaim as Ikette Jackie in What's Love Got To Do With It and is still remembered as Eddie Murphy's almost bride in Coming To America.  Her role as Jonnie Mae in the NBC mini-series The Temptations earned her a fifth NAACP Image Award nomination.  Currently she is starring in her own film A Private Affair a BET/Arabasque Production.

The Piano Lesson runs from Oct. 26 through December 9.  Previews for The Piano Lesson are Oct. 26, 27 & 28 and November 1.  Performances are Thurs – Sat at 8 p.m. Sat & Sun. matinees at 3 p.m. No Performances Nov. 22 & 23.

The Hayworth Theatre is located at 2509 Wilshire Blvd. two blocks east of Rampart near downtown Los Angeles. Tel. 213.389.9860  

Tickets for evening performances $32, matinees, $25. Saturday, Nov 3 Gala Reception Performance, $45. For Reservations : please visit www.TheHayworth.com or www.brownpapertickets.com, Tel 800.838.3006

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