"One Life to Live" star Brier, a Staten Island native who has appeared on Broadway in Hairspray, stars as the lustful cab driver Hildy in the beloved Leonard Bernstein-Betty Comden-Adolph Green musical. Show time is 8 PM at the St. George Theatre.
Douglas Leland (Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story) directs the production with choreography by Kate Valle and musical direction by José Alejandro Guzmán. The evening also features the 25-piece Staten Island Philharmonic.
Joining Brier onstage are Brian Childers as Gabey, Geoffrey Goldberg as Chip, Colte Julian as Ozzie, Merrill Grant as "Miss Turnstiles" Ivy Smith, Diana Cammarata as anthropology student Claire de Loon, Linda Cantoni as singing teacher Madame Dilly, and Matthew Hyland as Claire de Loon's spurned fiancée, Pitkin W. Bridgework.
Also populating On the Town are Lena Cigleris (Lucy Schmeeler), Liliane Klein (Diana Dream), Zack Wobensmith (Opening Workman), William Demaninow (Miss Turnstiles Announcer/Vocalist), Sarah Wilson (Flossie), Joshua A. Kaufman (Mr. Upperman), as well as ensemble members Molly Dunn, Amber Coartney, Anthony Pizzuto, Stephen Calkins, Kelly Lynn Cosme, Laura Keller, Corey Ranallo, Erica Hartono, Ivory McKay, Anthony Giorgio, Michael Scibilia, Michael Ramey, Lars Valdor Haglund, Kenneth W. Ziegler, Bo Broadwell and Franklyn Warfield.
New York 1's Tara Lynn Wagner and Jason Munt narrate the musical about the adventures of three sailors on 24-hour leave in New York City during World War II. On the Town has music by Leonard Bernstein and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Under the direction of George Abbott and featuring choreography by Jerome Robbins, the valentine to New York made its Broadway debut in 1944. In addition to the well-known 1949 film, On the Town has made two Broadway returns, one in 1971 and 1998. On the Town is also scheduled to kick off the City Center Encores! season this November as part of the city-wide celebration of Bernstein's 90th birthday.
Songs in the production include "New York, New York," "I Feel Like I'm Not Out of Bed Yet," "I Can Cook, Too," "Some Other Time," "Carried Away" and "Lonely Town."
Tickets, priced $25-$40, are available by phoning (718) 273-3250. The St. George Theatre is located at 35 Hyatt Street on Staten Island.
