The Normal Heart made its World Premiere at The Public Theater in 1985 and premiered on Broadway on April 19, 2011 before opening to rave reviews on April 27, 2011. We did a developmental workshop in June up in Maine. Rich Topol is third guy from the right in cast and crew photo from Prayer for the French Republic opening night (photo 2022 by Daniel Rader). (l-r front row) - Peyton Lusk, Yair Ben-Dor, Ari Brand, Pierre Epstein, Jeff Seymour, Molly Ranson, Betsy Aidem, Francis I mean, I also shot some TV shows over the course of the pandemic, so all of the Zoom stuff felt more like the way an actor like me connects to short-term work. rt: Yes, well, thats what Willy said. I read it to myself and I thought, this is the best play Ive read in ten years. The truth is, most of the play, I play other people. They produced Lanford Wilsons Talleys Folly they cast a married couple who played the two parts. There was a sense of having more in the heads of the director and the producers, what we could imagine this great thing being, that infused the development and the rehearsal and experience of doing it. The Makeover. All materials copyright 2021 by Mark Rifkin / This Week in New York, THE INSIDER'S GUIDE TO THE CITY SINCE 2001, this week in lectures, signings, panel discussions, workshops, and Q&As. He thanked me, saying that he was actually the understudy and that was the only time he had gone on. After a break, In Process returns April 21-25 with Muse, a new play written and directed by Tom Alan Robbins, starring Dakin Matthews as a painter and Helen Cespedes as an aspiring artist and his inspiration, followed May 24 with a virtual adaptation of Nilo Cruzs Pulitzer-winning Anna in the Tropics, directed by Alejandro Rodriguez. So it was thrilling to be back in a theater on a stage with a live audience, even though they were masked. rt: Actually, it sort of timed out pretty well, you know? The world premiere will now play two additional weeks and must close Sunday, March 27 atNew York City Center Stage I. Manhattan Theatre Club has announced that the world premiere ofPrayer for the French Republic, written by Drama Desk Award winnerJoshua Harmonand directed by Tony Award winnerDavid Cromer, will now play through Sunday, March 13, atNew York City Center Stage I (131 West 55thStreet). She made her Broadway debut in Jekyll & Hyde, with other notable Broadway roles including Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Vivienne in Legally . I had symptoms on the ides of March, on the 15th of March, and I was in bed for nineteen days with Covid-19. He holds an MFA in Acting from NYU's Graduate Acting Program and a BA in Political Science from Brown University. It was this biodrama about Lukas and it was missing something. We did the workshop, we did a live reading in front of people. Or Mark Blum, a lovely man who lost his life to it. twi-ny: Okay, for my last question, I have a sort of bone to pick with you. Manhattan Theatre Club Topol was raised in Mamaroneck and lost his father when he was twelve. He holds an MFA in Acting from NYU's Graduate Acting Program and a BA in Political Science from Brown University. Tony Award-winning actor Jason Alexanderrecentlyassumedthe role of 'Norman Drexel'in Larry David's hit comedy Fish In the Dark, directed by Anna D. Shapiro, at the Cort Theatre (138 West 48th Street). Tony Award winner Santino Fontana (Tootsie) will star in the new play The Pianist as Szpilman in a by-invitation only development reading Thursday June 23 in NYC. I met him once at a Mickey Mantle Foundation dinner at Gracie Mansion. But Im also not religious. He had a really interesting life and a really challenging death. I dont subscribe there. The Unbelieving by Marin Gazzaniga (So Close) and directed by Steve Cosson (Whisper House). You were a Mets fan, then you switched over to the Yankees. Although my mother came and saw the show. A few days after Prayer for the French Republic opened at Manhattan Theater Clubs Stage I at City Center, we talked about one-person shows, getting Covid, baseball, and what its like being an actor in lockdown, including a detailed description of mounting a play as a pandemic continues. rt: Right. Photo Flash: Sam Waterston, Kelli O'Hara Michael McKean & More in KING LEAR at the Public! I love acting with other people, and it cant be about me because Im not interesting. So we had a lot of time processing it with Josh and helping him wrangle this epic piece into what you saw. I met him once at a Mickey Mantle Foundation dinner at Gracie Mansion. I felt more exposed than Id ever felt before in my life. Moon, which is about fathers and sons, particularly about how you lost your father when you were very young and eventually found a father figure in Lukas Foss. And then we did a couple of Zoom workshops. rt: No, no, no. twi-ny: During the pandemic, you appeared in several virtual and audio productions: You were in Melisa Anniss Beginnings, Anne Washburns Shipwreck, Craig Lucass More Beautiful and you played a chicken in Jimonn Coles Chickens. Even if you dont recognize his name, youre likely to know his face; he has approximately fifty television and film credits, including portraying lawyer and politician James Speed in Steven Spielbergs Lincoln, a recurring role on The Practice, and multiple parts on several Law & Order iterations. Larry David and Jason Alexander stopped by last night's TONIGHT SHOW to talk to Jimmy about their Broadway play Fish in the Dark. And I thought, Oh, thats perfect. I love Charles. More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Resume Add to list Photos 17 Known for Lincoln 7.3 James Speed 2012 The ones who are not Jews often say how the Jews in the play are just a specific example of the larger issue of otherness. He was by himself and I went over to him and said, Im going to ask you something that no one probably ever asks you about. I feel like the Jews, the Jews get it, the New York Jews get it, or they have really strong opinions about it. Shipwreck was the closest we got to working on a play because we rehearsed for a couple of weeks and it felt like, Okay, Im going to rehearsal today. Manhattan Theatre Club is presenting the world premiere of Prayer for the French Republic, written by Drama Desk Award winner Joshua Harmon and directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer. Intense. But at that point were like, Okay, were just wearing masks the whole time. The business is entirely shut down. I went to a concert where everybody had to be masked and there were some empty seats, but it was pretty much sold out. And on the other hand, it was incredibly scary because it was the first play that Id ever cowritten with anybody, and it was about my life. During the pandemic, they are looking inside artistic creation with In Process, a series of online presentations written by and starring alumni. Jason Alexander stopped by this week's 'LIVE' and spoke about taking over the lead role for Larry David in Broadway's FISH IN THE DARK. And audiences have come. The play was well received, so I didnt have the experience of Oh, that sucked. rt: Right. No, no, please dont. That theater had stayed open through the pandemic because Maine had so few cases, because of the regulations, and because of their skill at keeping people safe. Check out the performance highlights below! Shipwreck was the closest we got to working on a play because we rehearsed for a couple of weeks and it felt like, Okay, Im going to rehearsal today. The Broadway premiere of Larry Kramer's ground-breaking play The Normal Heart will play the final performance of its limited, 12-week engagement this Sunday, July 10 at 7:00 p.m., as scheduled. richard topol: Oh my God! So on the one hand, it was incredibly thrilling. I mean, come on. Itll be sometime in 2021. I was really glad to do it at Portland Stage, where most of the people who were watching knew nothing about me and I didnt have to feel so exposed. Hes really, really, really kind to all his characters. And Ive been an actor for over three decades. 59E59 Theaters and The Civilians have announced the full cast . We have a full Biography, Photos, Theatre Credits, and more! twi-ny: A lot of people still feel that way. I think a lot of people forget that. twi-ny: A lot of people still feel that way. At least in that experience I can cut myself some slack. twi-ny: You guys were great. rt: It was miserable. The production opened Tuesday, February 1 at New York City Center Stage I (131 West 55th Street). And so initially we decided it would be about Lukas Foss, who was my father-in-law, a really interesting man who had a really interesting life. The limited engagement, which stars Ellen Barkin, Patrick Breen, Mark Harelik, John Benjamin Hickey, Luke MacFarlane, Joe Mantello, Lee Pace, Jim Parsons, Richard Topol and Wayne Alan Wilcox, runs through July 10, 2011. Jason Alexander Returns to Broadway in Larry David's Comedy Play, VIDEO: Jason Alexander Talks FISH IN THE DARK; Performs Magic Act on 'Live', VIDEO: Jason Alexander and Larry David Talk FISH IN THE DARK on 'Tonight', BWW TV: Sneak Peek at Primary Stages' BRONX BOMBERS. The Normal Heart John Golden Theatre Cast List: Joe Mantello John Benjamin Hickey Ellen Barkin Lee Pace Jim Parsons Patrick Breen Luke McFarlane Mark Harelik Richard Topol Wayne Wilcox Production Credits: Joel Grey (Direction) George C. Wolfe (Direction, Richard Topol, Al Pacino and Byron Jennings, Michael Chernus, Didi O'Connell, Daniel Jenkins and Richard Topol, David Beach with Opus' Michael Laurence, Mahira Kakkar, Douglas Rees and Richard Topol, David Beach, Richard Topol, Douglas Rees and Michael Laurence, Douglas Rees, Richard Topol, Mahira Kakkar, Michael Laurence and David Beach, Richard Topol, Mahira Kakkar, and Michael Hollinger, Dougas Rees, Mahira Kakkar, Richard Topol and Michael Hollinger, David Beach, Dougas Rees, Mahira Kakkar, Richard Topol and Michael Hollinger, Terrence J. Nolen, David Beach, Michael Laurence, Michael Hollinger, Douglas Rees, Mahira Kakkar, and Richard Topol, David Beach, Michael Laurence, Mahira Kakkar, Douglas Rees and Richard Topol, Mahira Kakkar, Douglas Rees, Michael Laurence, David Beach, and Richard Topol, Douglas Rees, Michael Laurence, David Beach, and Richard Topol. I love the progression of the piano in the play. Like in Joshs play, he was one of those people, a German Jew in Berlin who got out. So you cant pick a bone with me if it was because my father had just died and my next-door neighbor was a Yankees fan. Is this too Jewy? Where I feel most soulful and spiritual is when Ive climbed a mountain and I feel small in relation to a large, amazing thing. What was the experience like sharing your life, in person, in front of people, back onstage? Here we have been waiting for so long to do it. Youre not invested in a team, the whole idea of a team creating a thing and living together and becoming a version of a theater family, or whatever it is. as Satine, Exclusive: What Goes Into Casting a Broadway Show? Youre not invested in a team, the whole idea of a team creating a thing and living together and becoming a version of a theater family, or whatever it is. But then I went to a hockey game and sixteen thousand people are screaming, no masks, lots of eating and drinking. Willy and I had been talking about this play for a number of years. rt: Right. We did a developmental workshop in June up in Maine. But Im also not religious. Were like, You know what, its not worth it. Even those people understand, given what weve lived with, at least certainly for the last few years. Theyre like, To be honest, Charles should be, if not actually North African, at least more Sephardic, more Middle Eastern. I think of myself as spiritual and, not to be too woo-woo, I believe in the earth. He thanked me, saying that he was actually the understudy and that was the only time he had gone on. We thought, Okay, thats an interesting idea for a play. The Public took a lot of care in making it. That seemed like a good starting-off point, discussing my becoming a father and my seeing the best potential father to me to help me learn how to be a father. So Ill tell you. And he told me about how much fun it was doing that. And Josh had done some incredible things. Father of Omer and actress Ady Topol and Anat Topol. Some of us have children and partners, but there was a real commitment to being safe so that we could get it up on our feet. It was a total strikeout. He came in with his finished draft and we did a reading of it, prepandemic and in-person. And there were conversations among the cast about, Well, what do we do at home? Thats the exterminator, not exterminating Jews but exterminating bugs that Nazis would think are like Jews. Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Indecent . And I thought, Oh, thats perfect. And then the symptoms were gone. The Lucky Starbegan previews on April 26, 2022 in Theater A and opened May 5 for a run through June 12, 2022. And so the guy lost his physical abilities and his mental abilities. That was Buddy Harrelson, Wayne Garrett, Tommie Agee, Jerry Grote. KING LEAR will run through Sunday, November 20 in The Public's Newman Theater and opened last night, November 8. Since these are your lines and theyre about you, if a joke didnt quite take or something emotional didnt register with the audience, is it more or less upsetting than when youre reciting somebody elses words and something might not go as expected? During our wide-ranging Zoom conversation, Topol is thoughtful and generous, laughing and smiling . And then because the pandemic happened, we both had the time to really work on it. They bicycled around Manhattan delivering the scripts because they didnt want to email them. So on the one hand, it was incredibly thrilling. Godfather of Harlem tells the "true story of infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson, who in the early 1960s returned from ten years in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled a shambles. Are you Jewish, or is it just a coincidence that you play a lot of Jews? People who know me and my life saw it. Even though he wasnt Jewish; he didnt think of himself as a Jew. Im a tree worshiper. There had been a lot of preparation. Rich Topol poses with a hot car on set of EPIX series Godfather of Harlem. He had a mind that was brilliant and fingers that could play I dont know if youve ever heard him play or listened to something. I play my father-in-law. Benhamou, Kenneth Tigar, Richard Topol, Nancy Robinette By Steve Feeney Share Rich. This is the kind of play that should be running during the election. twi-ny: Yes they had, with Yogi Berra as manager. . And then when we started up on our feet, we were unmasked, for those who were comfortable with that. twi-ny: I felt that that Josh really attacked the numerous angles of how to look at anti-Semitism and Israel and American Jewry. What was the experience like sharing your life, in person, in front of people, back onstage? Rocketreach finds email, phone & social media for 450M+ professionals. Its unbelievable. I mean, I enjoyed working as opposed to not working. And we spent enough time with it to dig in the way you do in a play. And audiences have come. He was beautiful. One of his best friends - Rehavam ("Ghandi") Ze'evi, a minister in the Israeli government, was murdered in 2001 by a Palestinian terrorist. BroadwayWorld brings you performance highlights below! It doesnt have any songs . And so the ones that I was willing to share were the ones that couldnt be avoided and, I guess, were the most important. So then the pandemic hit and immediately I got the virus. Check out Richard Topol's Bio Now I mean, come on. rt: There was a computer open and his computerized voice would come through. You dont develop a through-line, you dont understand the arc of things. And so actually the last few days of rehearsal and through tech, he watched the play like this. We do not want to shut this play down. We did a workshop right before the pandemic hit in-person. Rich Topol poses with a hot car on set of EPIX series Godfather of Harlem. theactingcompany.org Broadway: Lemml in Indecent (Outer Critics Circle Award Nomination), Larry David's Fish in the Dark, The Merchant of Venice with Al Pacino, Tony-winning revivals Awake & Sing! First of all, I dont like one-person shows, I dont like seeing one-person shows; theyre not interesting to me. For the last six and a half weeks, we have been safe and weve been able to do it. It is a really challenging piece of theater and really satisfying to act in. April 21, 2013. 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