I LOVED, I LOST, I MADE SPAGHETTI Opens Tonight at Asolo Rep

Asolo Repertory Theatre's sizzling summer production of I LOVED, I LOST, I MADE SPAGHETTI opens tonight, May 21 at 8pm and will run through Sunday, June 15 in Asolo Rep's Cook Theatre. Starring Antoinette LaVecchia, who originated the role of Giulia at TheaterWorks in Connecticut in 2012, previews for the 2012 Broadwayworld.com winner for Best Original/New Work will be Sunday, May 18 at 8pm and Tuesday, May 20 at 7:30pm. The play will be directed by Rob Ruggiero (Asolo Rep's Show Boat). Asolo Rep's production transfers from a highly successful April 2014 run at George Street Playhouse in New Jersey where it received both critical and public acclaim.

This saucy one-woman comedy is based on Brooklyn writer Giulia Melucci's best-selling memoir of the same name, which was described by Entertainment Weekly as "wry, personable, and at times even snortingly funny." The memoir was adapted for the stage by up-and-coming playwright Jacques Lamarre, who currently serves as the Director of Communications & Programs for The Mark Twain House & Museum.

The play's irresistible recipe features a heaping dose of comedy, a dash of failed romance, and a whole lot of fun. I LOVED, I LOST, I MADE SPAGHETTI gives brand-new meaning to "dinner theater," as Giulia cooks an authentic three-course Italian meal on stage for audience members with upgraded tickets. During each performance, 10 patrons with upgraded tickets will savor antipasto, salad, fresh pasta and wine prepared and served on stage by Giulia. Four additional upgraded ticket-holders will enjoy wine and cheese on stage. In between making pasta from scratch and serving wine to her on-stage guests, Giulia also dishes on the defining men in her life and the food she prepared for them to win their hearts - and their stomachs.

"Audiences love I LOVED, I LOST, I MADE SPAGHETTI, and I am very excited that this unique show will be presented here at Asolo Rep after a very successful run at the George Street Playhouse" said Director Rob Ruggiero. "The charm and humor of Antoinette LaVecchia combined with the amazing skill we witness as she prepares a meal in front of us makes for a mouthwatering theatrical treat. Playwright Jacques Lamarre and I are thrilled to be coming to Sarasota!"

"The real allure of I LOVED, I LOST, I MADE SPAGHETTI is that it gives you the intimate feeling of catching up with a great friend - it is a touching, engaging theatrical experience," said Michael Donald Edwards, Producing Artistic Director of Asolo Rep. "I was drawn to this piece because Giulia is a warm, relatable character who, like so many of us, is looking for love. In this one woman tour de force performance, Antoinette LaVecchia brings that quest for romance entertainingly and vividly alive."

"I feel like I was destined to be in this play," said LaVecchia, who won a Best Actress Award from Broadwayworld.com for her portrayal of Giulia. "In all the plays I've ever done, no play has asked me just to be myself more than this one."

Photo by Lanny Nagler

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