Peter Filichia News

For the past few weeks I've been enjoying Gotham's slight theatrical lull that began just before Christmas and seems to have ended with the inauguration. Oh, it's not that nothing has been opening, but the relative scarcity of new Broadway shows and high-profile Off-Broadway productions has given me more time than usual to check out the goings-on Off-Off Broadway. While figuring out what could fit into my schedule, a recent column by my friend and esteemed colleague Peter Filichia, singing enthusiastic praise for The Roundtable Ensemble's Equity showcase of Linda Escalera Baggs' tense and heart-ripping drama, Silent Heroes, sent me scrambling through old emails to see who to contact for press tickets. Alas, as I'm writing these words there are only three performances remaining for this excellent production (Friday at 8, Saturday at 3 and 8), but at the recession-friendly price of only $18, this very well acted and conversation-stimulating 90 minutes is well worth squeezing into your weekend.

roducers Jean Cheever and Tom Polum have announced that Time Life will release the original cast recording of The Toxic Avenger to coincide with the new musical's New York opening night - Monday, April 6th at New World Stages. The CD's will be available at the theatre in advance of the official release date of Tuesday, May 5th. The cast recorded the score on March 9th at Avatar Recording Studios in New York City.

Nominations in 14 categories and 2 special awards are nnounced by the Off-Broadway League for the Lucille Lortel Awards recognizing Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway. This year's ceremony will benefit The Actors Fund.

roducers Jean Cheever and Tom Polum have announced that Time Life will release the original cast recording of The Toxic Avenger to coincide with the new musical's New York opening night - Monday, April 6th at New World Stages. The CD's will be available at the theatre in advance of the official release date of Tuesday, May 5th. The cast recorded the score on March 9th at Avatar Recording Studios in New York City.

This season the Dayton Playhouse has made quite a few improvements to their schedule and pricing. Their popular FlipSide series has been such a success that they?ve incorporated it directly into their MainStage series. This allows them to bring you ftheir general audience shows and two avant-garde shows within the format of their regular season. All shows will be full productions. Musicals will be on stage for three consecutive weekends, while plays will be on stage for two consecutive weekends.

A multiple Daytony award winning performer, producer, and director, Barbara Coriell is a well known Dayton Playhouse alum who auditioned for - but was not cast in - the Playhouse's first production of Streetcar. She brings to us her talent and expertise in a production of Tennessee Williams most famous play, A Streetcar Named Desire. This play was selected by our audience, as were all of the shows this season, to help us celebrate our 50th anniversary. This will also be the first show which will use our new online ticketing system. This ticketing system is part of the success our fundraising campaign has brought to the Dayton Playhouse, enabling us to bring you another 50 years of great entertainment.

Based on the classic 1985 cult film by Lloyd Kaufman, The Toxic Avenger premiered this past fall at The George Street Playhouse, where the show became the biggest grossing musical in the theatre's 34 year history.

A multiple Daytony award winning performer, producer, and director, Barbara Coriell is a well known Dayton Playhouse alum who auditioned for - but was not cast in - the Playhouse's first production of Streetcar. She brings to us her talent and expertise in a production of Tennessee Williams most famous play, A Streetcar Named Desire. This play was selected by our audience, as were all of the shows this season, to help us celebrate our 50th anniversary. This will also be the first show which will use our new online ticketing system. This ticketing system is part of the success our fundraising campaign has brought to the Dayton Playhouse, enabling us to bring you another 50 years of great entertainment.

The Toxic Avenger, based on the cult-film favorite by Lloyd Kaufman and Troma Studios, is fast-tracking the production of its highly anticipated cast recording to be available in time for the show's opening night in New York City (Monday, April 6th). Therefore, the cast took a break from rehearsal to hit the Avatar recording studios and laid down final tracks of the David Bryan/Joe DiPietro score. BroadwayWorld.com sent in our cameras to grab all the 'Toxie' fun!

The Toxic Avenger will begin performances on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, at New World Stages. Opening Night is set for Monday, April 6th. BWW TV's STAGE TUBE brings you the AMC feature on The Toxic Avenger's World Premiere at the George Street Playhouse to get you ready as 'Toxie' prepares to invade New York City!

Jean Cheever and Tom Polum, producers of The Toxic Avenger, announced today that casting is complete for the upcoming new musical about New Jersey's first superhero. Joining the previously announced Nancy Opel are Sara Chase, Nick Cordero, Demond Green and Matt Saldivar. Ms. Opel, Mr. Cordero and Mr. Green all starred in the George Street Playhouse production of the show, while Ms. Chase appeared in the initial workshop production. Tony Award-winner John Rando directs. Featuring book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change) and music by David Bryan (Bon Jovi), The Toxic Avenger will begin performances on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street). Opening Night is set for Monday, April 6th.

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Friday, January 23, 2009.

The Roundtable Ensemble (Kelly Ann Moore, Artistic Director and Joshua P. Weiss, Managing Director), now in its 10th season, will present the New York premiere of Linda Escalera Baggs' award-winning play 'SILENT HEROES,' inspired by a true story, and directed by Rosemary Andress. 'SILENT HEROES' will be presented at Theatre 54 at Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street, 12th floor (bet. 8th and 9th Aves). Performances will begin on January 8, and the official opening performance was Sunday, January 11 at 3:00 p.m. Performances will run through Saturday, January 24. Set shortly after the end of the Vietnam War, the wives of six Marine Corps aviators have gathered in the night after hearing that one of the base's jet fighters has crashed. The Corps has offered no comfort or information, but the women know that one of their husbands isn't coming home. 'SILENT HEROES' deals with women's rights, race relations, family, war and peace, and the tenuous social structure that enables military wives to cope with the constant fear that their husbands' lives, and their futures, could end suddenly. It won Best Play at FutureFest (Dayton, OH), at the Firehouse Theatre Festival of New American Plays (Richmond, VA), and at the Pittsburgh New Play Festival. TheaterMania's Peter Filichia was one of the judges at FutureFest and wrote this in his column: 'While I was watching Linda Escalera Bagg's Silent Heroes, I thought 'Hmm...this playwright has not only written six fat parts for women but also at least two parts that could very well win Tony Awards for the actresses playing them.' 'SILENT HEROES' was also honored with the Source Literary Prize in Washington, D.C. Linda Escalera Baggs is a Virginia-based playwright whose plays have been produced across the U.S.A. In addition to her award-winning Silent Heroes her full length plays include Harps & Harmonicas and Word War, and her one-acts and short plays include: Parting Words, The August Jinx, Welcome to Florida, Who's Margaret, and Dress Blues. Baggs is the daughter of a Marine colonel.

Tony Award-nominee Nancy Opel will be reunited with her Tony Award-winning Urinetown director, John Rando, when she stars in the new musical, The Toxic Avenger. The casting was announced today by the show's producers, Jean Cheever and Tom Polum. Ms. Opel, who created her role in the show's world premiere at George Street Playhouse (New Brunswick, New Jersey), plays the mayor of a mythical small New Jersey town (not dissimilar to a real-life former mayor of a small Alaska town).

The Roundtable Ensemble (Kelly Ann Moore, Artistic Director and Joshua P. Weiss, Managing Director), now in its 10th season, will present the New York premiere of Linda Escalera Baggs' award-winning play 'SILENT HEROES,' inspired by a true story, and directed by Rosemary Andress. 'SILENT HEROES' will be presented at Theatre 54 at Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street, 12th floor (bet. 8th and 9th Aves). Performances will begin on January 8, and the official opening performance will be Sunday, January 11 at 3:00 p.m. Performances will run through Saturday, January 24.

Soon there'll be another 'Jersey Boy' in town! The Toxic Avenger, a new musical by Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change) & David Bryan (Bon Jovi), with direction by John Rand0 (Urinetown), will begin performances on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street), it was announced today by the show's producers Jean Cheever and Tom Polum. Opening Night is set for Monday, April 6th.

The Roundtable Ensemble (Kelly Ann Moore, Artistic Director and Joshua P. Weiss, Managing Director), now in its 10th season, will present the New York premiere of Linda Escalera Baggs' award-winning play 'SILENT HEROES,' inspired by a true story, and directed by Rosemary Andress. 'SILENT HEROES' will be presented at Theatre 54 at Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street, 12th floor (bet. 8th and 9th Aves). Performances will begin on January 8, and the official opening performance will be Sunday, January 11 at 3:00 p.m. Performances will run through Saturday, January 24.

Here it is - the year end 'holiday roundup' of books, which, by the way, make for a perfect gift...and an affordable one, that will last much longer than flowers, cookies or fruitcake (that no one wants anyway).

The Theatre Museum presents 'The New York Theatre Scene From the Box Office to Backstage,' a panel discussion , Reception and Meet the Author Book signing At the Times Square Information Center on 7th Ave between 46th & 47th Streets in Manhattan.

The Drama Desk and Obie Award-wining Mint Theater Company kicks off their 2008-2009 season with the American Premiere of J. B. Priestley's The Glass Cage, and announced that performances will continue through November 8th.