The Broadway transfer of John Leguizamo's solo show, Freak, subtitled "A Semi-Demi-Quasi-Pseudo Autobiography (His Most Dangerous Work Yet)," began previews at the Cort Theatre Jan. 20 and opens Feb. 12.
Freak is scheduled to run only 70 performances, through March 29, with preview tickets set at the special low rates of $10-$35. For tickets call TeleCharge at (212) 239-6200. Although several shows are searching for a Broadway house in this crowded year, there's no word on whether another show will zip into the Cort after Freak to get in under the Tony Award wire for the 1997-98 season.
The Off-Off-Broadway space P.S. 122 had previously workshopped Freak for seven performances (through Aug. 27). An earlier version was workshopped there in April.
Gregory Mosher, who produced a recent workshop of Freak (Sept. 16 Oct. 19) at the Atlantic Theatre Off-Broadway, is joined as producer by Arielle Tepper and Bill Haber. Mosher has praised Leguizamo as one of the few performers who bounce regularly between high-paying film work and live theatre.
Leguizamo dazzled theatre and film audiences with his portrayals of Latin men and women, including Latin men dressed as women, in such works as Spic-O-Rama and Mambo Mouth. In traditional Leguizamo style, Freak, co-created and directed by David Bar Katz, reveals a slew of ethnic characters, including Italians, Irish, Germans, Koreans, Jews, Latinos, and West Coast "white dudes." Film audiences may recognize Leguizamo for his Golden Globe Award nominated performance in Too Wong Foo, With Love, Julie Newmar. He most recently appeared in Romeo and Juliet opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Clare Danes, and in his film The Pest, which he co created with David Bar Katz, who directs Freaks. Leguizamo also appears in the films Spawn and Body Count.
According to Variety, his next project will be a film bio of Mexican bandleader Juan Garcia Esquivel for Fox Searchlight and Leguizamo's own East Side Films. Esquivel's unique "Space Age Bachelor Pad Music" was a musical touchstone of the swingin' '60s and was used most recently in "Ren & Stimpy" cartoons.
