Original Cast of Side Man Reunites for Benefit Reading of Leight Play Nov. 10
By Andrew Gans
10 Nov 2008
The original cast of Warren Leight's Tony Award-winning Best Play Side Man — including Tony winner Frank Wood and Emmy winner Edie Falco — reunite Nov. 10 for a one-night-only reading of the jazz-themed work to benefit Opening Act, the nonprofit organization that provides free after-school theatre programming to New York City's public high schools.
Tony winner Michael Mayer, who directed the Off-Broadway and subsequent Broadway productions of Side Man, directs the benefit performance, which is being held in Manhattan at New World Stages. Show time is 7 PM.
The evening boasts the talents of original Side Man stars Wood and Falco as well as Kevin Geer, Michael Mastro, Robert Sella (as narrator-son Clifford), Joseph Lyle Taylor and Angelica Torn.
A traditional memory play, Side Man concerns the rise and fall of jazz musicians, as seen through the eyes of one such player's son, Clifford. Now an adult, the struggling artist recounts the lives of his parents — Gene, a distant, gifted trumpet player and Theresa, a high-strung Italian Catholic woman nicknamed "Crazy Terry."
The Tony-winning Side Man ended its lengthy Broadway run Oct. 31, 1999. Leight's drama played 23 previews and 409 performances at the John Golden Theatre. The drama began its New York life at Off-Broadway's CSC March 3, 1998, running 7 previews and 35 regular performances before its move to the Roundabout's now-defunct mainstage Stage Right space for 27 previews and 93 regular performances before its move to the Golden.
Opening Act brings free theatre programming to New York City schools that wouldn't otherwise have a stage of their own. Through theatre, Opening Act students "gain confidence, pride, and the knowledge they can succeed at anything in life. Opening Act's mission is to see that every New York City public school student has access to an artistic space where they can develop commitment, community and leadership through their artistic achievement."
New World Stages is located at 340 West 50th Street in Manhattan.
Tickets for the benefit are priced $1,000 (includes Side Man script autographed by the original cast, program recognition, premium seating, and post-show toast with some of the actors), $250 (program recognition, premium seating, and post-show toast with some of the actors) and $100 (general admission ticket for reading).
For discount tickets, priced $60, visit www.broadwayoffers.com and enter code SMGEN10 (choose the $100-seat section in the drop-down menu to get the $60 tickets).
For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.openingactnewyork.org.
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The original cast of Side Man.
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