Jose Llana, who portrays Ta opposite Lea Salonga's Mei-Li, and Jodi Long, Flower Drum's Madame Liang, will sit down for a chat with host Seth Rudetsky at the weekly Chatterbox festivities. The live talkfest, which includes interviews and performances from Broadway stars, is held at 6 PM at the New York cabaret Don't Tell Mama. There is a $10 donation and a two-drink minimum. The donation goes directly to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the nation's leading industry-based, not-for-profit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organization.
Jose Llana created the role of Ta in the production of Flower Drum Song at the Mark Taper Forum. On Broadway he was seen in Rent, Streetcorner Symphony and The King and I, and his Off-Broadway credits include On the Town and Saturn Returns. Llana has appeared in regional productions of Martin Guerre, Ballad of Little Jo, Candide, Myths and Hymns, Spring's Awakening and Kafka's Songs, and his screen credits include the HBO series "Sex and the City."
Jodi Long made her Broadway debut at the age of seven in Nowhere to Go But Up, and her other Main Stem credits include Loose Ends, The Bacchae and Getting Away With Murder. She also appeared in the tour of Flower Drum Song, which starred her father, Larry Leung. Off-Broadway, Long has been seen in Old Money, Red, The Wash, Golden Child, Family Devotions and The Tooth of Crime, and regional audiences have seen the actress in Midsummer Night's Dream, Bus Stop and 1,000 Airplanes on the Roof. Her screen credits include "Cafe Americain," "All American Girl," "Sex and the City," "Patty Hearst," "Sour Sweet," "Striking Distance" and "The Hot Chick." Long is currently developing a show at the New York Theatre Workshop, Surfing DNA, which explores her ethnic and showbiz background.
Creator and host of Seth's Broadway Chatterbox, Seth Rudetsky, has served as a pit pianist and/or conductor for such Broadway shows as 42nd Street, The Full Monty, The Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia! and The Producers. He also conceived the idea for the recent all-star Funny Girl concert to benefit the Actors Fund of America as well as last season's Dreamgirls anniversary concert. Rudetsky was a member of the comedy writing team for "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" for two years, and his awards include the Duplex's Stars of Tomorrow, the Backstage Bistro and the Funniest Gay Male in New York. He is also the author and star of the one-man show Rhapsody in Seth, which was just nominated for a GLAAD Media Award in the Outstanding New York Theatre: Off Off Broadway category.
Don't Tell Mama is located in New York City on West 46th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. Call (212) 757-0788 for reservations.
