Danny Pintauro, the onetime child star of TV's "Who's the Boss," winds up his New York theatre debut July 30 in The Velocity of Gary (Not His Real Name), a solo-actor drama about a young street hustler.
Director Mark Cannistraro said to handle a last-minute surge of business a midnight July 30 show has been added in addition to the 10 PM July 30 show. They had hoped to extend the play, but Pintauro isn’t immediately available. He's been cast in Paul Vogel's comic tragedy about sex, sexuality, erotica and pornography, Hot 'n' Throbbing, at Arena Stage in Washington DC, Sept. 3-Oct. 17.
Velocity, which began previews July 8 and opened July 14 at the Duplex in Greenwich Village, might have a future life at a larger venue in New York, reports Cannistraro, but nothing is set. The director told Playbill On-Line: "We’re looking into the possibility of taking the production to another city and are looking for venues in Chicago and Los Angeles."
The production at the tiny Duplex had several sellout evenings following the July 14 opening.
Final performances are 10 PM July 29-30. The Duplex Cabaret Theatre, 61 Christopher Street, in Greenwich Village. Tickets are $15 with a two drink minimum. For reservations, call (212) 414-5234. *
Originally written and performed by playwright, James Still, Velocity takes naive Gary (and his leopard-print underwear) on a tour of seamy Manhattan and into a circle of drug dealers, drag queens, porn stars -- and a dog named Rodney.
Pintauro, who was Jonathan Bower on "Who's the Boss" for eight years, recently graduated from Stanford University with a theatre degree.
A Columbia/Tri-Star film version, "The Velocity of Gary," starring Salma Hayek and Vincent D'Onofrio was released in New York during the run of the staging.
Designers are Michael Dion (set), Thomas Honeck (lighting) and David Kaley (costumes).
Playwright Still is a playwright-in-residence at Indiana Repertory Theatre in Indianapolis. Other works include And Then They Came for Me (George Street Playhouse and Indiana Rep) and an adaptation of John Gardner's novella, In the Suicide Mountains. (Mark Taper Forum). He also wrote the screenplay for Velocity of Gary..
-- By Kenneth Jones
