Written by Bob Spiotto and Robert Viagas, I'm the Greatest Star will be presented July 10-26 at the Monroe Lecture Center Theater.
The cast will feature Brianne Boyd, Erica N. Giglio, Erin Gorey, Michael Allen Gray, Steve Grossman, Jeremy Hudson, Chakira Iliana, Sheryl Kane, Rhonda S. Kahane, Kenneth Kopolovicz, Scott Postel, Bruce Rebold, Carrie Salmon and Paul Wurtz, with a special appearance by director and co-author Spiotto.
I'm The Greatest Star pays tribute to performers such as Kristin Chenoweth, Sutton Foster, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Nathan Lane, Christine Ebersole, Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Angela Lansbury, Jerry Orbach, Julie Andrews, Chita Rivera, Richard Kiley, Robert Preston, Barbara Cook, Gwen Verdon, John Raitt, Zero Mostel, Carol Channing, Mary Martin, Ethel Merman, Fred and Adele Astaire, Al Jolson, Fanny Brice and George M. Cohan.
The production features such songs as “The King of Broadway” (Nathan Lane); “My Man” (Fanny Brice), “Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend” (Carol Channing), “Give My Regards to Broadway” (George M. Cohan), “My Favorite Things” (Mary Martin), “Makin' Whoopee” (Eddie Cantor), “Your Daddy's Son” (Audra McDonald), “Seventy-Six Trombones” (Robert Preston), “Popular” (Kristin Chenowith), “The Impossible Dream” (Richard Kiley/Brian Stokes Mitchell), “I Could Have Danced All Night” (Julie Andrews), “All That Jazz” (Gwen Verdon), “Tchaikovsky” (Danny Kaye), “Mame” (Angela Lansbury) and “I'm The Greatest Star!”, to name a few.
I'm The Greatest Star! features choreography by Chery Manniello and musical direction by John Farrell. The show is based on the forthcoming book of the same title by Playbill Radio host Robert Viagas. This musical celebration is conceived and directed by Bob Spiotto, based on Viagas' book of the same name, which is due out this summer from Applause Books. Founder of the news service for Playbill.com and an alumnus of the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop, Viagas is author, co-author or editor of a dozen theatre books including "On the Line: The Creation of A Chorus Line," "The Amazing Story of The Fantasticks," "The Alchemy of Theatre," "The Back Stage Guide to Broadway," "At This Theatre" and the annual "Playbill Broadway Yearbook" series. He was seen in the award-winning documentary film School Play.
Currently producer of special events for the Hofstra Cultural Center and the executive producer for Hofstra Entertainment, the prolific Spiotto has been involved in hundreds of events and/or productions/presentations since 1990. Hofstra directing credits include the New York premiere of Rachel and Julio starring Lainie Kazan and Robert Davi, Showtune, The Remembered (world premiere), Agnes of God (starring Talia Shire and Susan Sullivan), Lo Bianco’s La Guardia (world premiere starring Tony Lo Bianco) and last summer's 1776, in which Spiotto starred as John Adams.
Show times are 8 PM on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 PM on Sundays. Tickets are $25 adult/$23 senior citizens (over 65) and $15 matriculated non-Hofstra student with ID. Tickets for members of the Hofstra community are $10 each (two-ticket maximum) upon presentation of a current HofstraCard.
For tickets and more information call the Hofstra Box Office at (516) 463-6644, Monday through Friday, 11 AM-3:45 PM or visit www.hofstra.edu/HofstraEntertainment.
