The Rose Leiman Goldemberg work stars Tony Award nominee June Gable (Barbara Minkus previously played the role at the Daryl Roth Theatre II, DR2) and Stuart Zagnit. The new opening night is Feb. 17.
In Picon Pie "Broadway and television star June Gable brings Molly to life in a tour-de-force performance celebrating 80 years of Picon's life, from her unrivaled international success to her private hopes and dreams, from her intense fight for personal and professional survival to her passionate and private life-long partnership with her manager and mentor Jacob 'Yonkel' Kalich (Stuart Zagnit)."
Born in New York City in 1898, the beloved Molly Picon was undeniably the biggest Yiddish star of her day. Known around the world for her colorful performances, Picon began winning prizes for her amateur acts at the age of five. Throughout the 20th Century, she sang and danced her way across continents.
She showed her versatility by playing a wide variety of roles in radio, television, film and theatre, "blending Yiddish culture with American show business Ñ a combination that appealed to audiences beyond the immigrant generation," according to production notes. Her best-known film roles include Frank Sinatra's mother in "Come Blow Your Horn," for which she received an Oscar nomination, and Yente the Matchmaker in "Fiddler on the Roof." Picon also starred in the Broadway hit musical "Milk & Honey" as well as the film "For Pete's Sake" with Barbra Streisand. She performed for the American troops in World War II and then for the surviving Jews of Europe.
Picon Pie is spiced with many of her original Yiddish songs. Actress June Gable recently created the recurring character of Joey's agent, Estelle, on NBC's "Friends," as well as the role of Libby on the HBO series "Dream On." On Broadway, she starred as the Old Lady in Harold Prince's 1973-74 production of Candide (for which she received a Tony Award nomination) and as Googie Gomez in Terrence McNally's The Ritz. Off-Broadway productions include Beggars Opera, Coming Attractions, Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and A Comedy of Errors, for which she received an Obie award.
Playwright Rose Leiman Goldemberg's television credits include "The Burning Bed" for which she received the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Dramatic Adaptation, Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing, American Women in Radio and TV Award, Humanitas Award nomination and was honored by The American Film Institute as part of the permanent collection; "Dark Holiday;" "Stone Pillow," starring Lucille Ball, for which she received a Humanitas Award nomination; "Florence Nightingale," "Born Beautiful," "Land of Hope," "Death at Dinner," "The Pencil Box War," "The Jonas Salk Story" and "Mother and Daughter, The Loving War," for which she received a Writer's Guild nomination and Humanitas Award nomination.
Pamela Hall directs. The producers are Merriewold Enterprises and Edmund Gaynes & Nancy Bianconi. Musical director is Carl Danielsen.
Designers are Matthew Maraffi (set), Heather Layman (lighting), Laura Frecon (costume).
Performances at the Lambs Theater (130 W. 44th Street) will be Tuesday, Thursday through Saturday evenings at 8 PM, and with matinees Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 3 PM. Tickets are $25 during previews Jan. 27-Feb. 16. Tickets for performances after opening will be $55 (plus $1 theatre restoration charge), and are available through Telecharge.com at (212) 239-6200.
