Due to the extension of Sarah Jones' Bridge & Tunnel at the Helen Hayes Theatre, Jay Johnson: The Two and Only!, which was to start at the Hayes March 21, has been postponed.
Best known for playing Chuck and Bob on the classic television comedy "Soap," Jay Johnson said in a statement, "I can't speak for all the puppets in my show, but I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't looking forward to my spring Broadway debut, but we are all very excited to be playing The Hayes immediately after Sarah Jones' successful run there."
The well-reviewed play about Johnson's career and the ancient art of ventriloquism was to have opened April 3.
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The intimate play that mixes the actor-ventriloquist's personal story with the history of ventriloquism was seen in an Off-Broadway engagement at the Atlantic Theater Company's Chelsea home in 2004. The moving, funny, theatrical solo show (with puppets and voice-throwing as part of he experience) had some theatregoers in tears as Johnson told the story of his relationship with his mentor, a vaudeville veteran. "In his 30-year career, Jay Johnson has converted generations of ventriloquist-avoiding Americans with his charm, anarchy and innovative wit," according to production notes. "In Jay Johnson: The Two and Only! he deconstructs and demonstrates his lifelong obsession."
Johnson is recognized as one of America's foremost ventriloquists, and his new stage memoir seeks to return "the ancient craft to its rightful place as an art form. In the show, he takes us on a multi-dimensional journey that combines his skills with a parade of characters that range from a subversive monkey to a withering tennis ball."
The show is directed and co-created by Murphy Cross and Paul Kreppel.
Jay Johnson: The Two and Only! is produced by Roger Alan Gindi, Stewart F. Lane & Bonnie Comley, Dan Whitten, Herbert Goldsmith Productions, and WetRock Entertainment.
The creative team for Jay Johnson: The Two and Only! is Beowulf Boritt (scenery), Clifton Taylor (lighting), David Gotwald (sound) and Michael Andreas (original music).
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The Two and Only! is currently running at Brentwood Theatre in Los Angeles, to Feb. 19.
