Carole Shelley Is Tony Vellela's Guest At Drama Book Shop

The 'Character Studies Talks With...' Series Welcomes Broadway Star Carole Shelley as Tony Vellela's Guest on Thursday, February 19, 5:00 p.m., at The Drama Book Shop.

Ms. Shelley will be the featured Character Studies Talks With... guest on Thursday, February 19, starting at 5:00 p.m., at The Drama Book Shop's (www.dramabookshop.com) Arthur Seelen Theatre, 250 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018, (212) 944-0595. The interview will be followed by an audience question-and-answer session and a book signing. Ms. Shelly will sign books from a selection of the Broadway productions she has starred in.

Ticket to the event are $15 and can be purchased by telephone at (212) 944-0595 or at the door.

The new series, Character Studies Talks With..., provides a live audience with the opportunity to hear some of the theatre's greatest artists discuss their careers in conversation with Mr. Vellela.

Broadway veteran Carole Shelley is currently starring in Billy Elliot at the Imperial Theatre. Her acclaimed career includes a Tony Award winning performance in The Elephant Man and Tony Award-nominated roles in Stepping Out, and Absurd Person Singular. Ms. Shelley's riotous performance as one of the Pigeon Sisters in the original cast of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple, was the only one to be repeated in the film version. Her other Broadway credits include Wicked, Cabaret, Show Boat, The Miser, The Norman Conquests, Hay Fever and Loot. She has appeared in dozens of shows in London, regional theatre productions, national tours and film/television productions.

The next event in the Character Studies Talks With... series, with guest to be announced, will be held at The Drama Book Shop on Tuesday, March 31.

Tony Vellela, the veteran theatre correspondent for "The Christian Science Monitor," writes and produces "Character Studies" (www.characterstudies.net), the PBS series about theatre. His work has also appeared in "Parade," "Theatre Week," "USA Today," "Dramatics," "Rolling Stone," and other publications. Vellela is a frequent contributor to the Drama Book Shop's blog (dramabookshop.blogspot.com).

About The Drama Book Shop. Many bookstores have coffee shops, but how many have theatres in their basements--or two resident theatre companies: The Striking Viking Story Pirates (www.storypirates.org) and Back House Productions (www.backhouseproductions.org)? Founded in 1917, by The Drama League (on a card-table in the lobby of the ANTA Thatre!), The Drama Book Shop and its renowned staff of experts has become a vital resource for books and other materials relating to theatre, film and the performing arts. After more than 90 years, the shop is one of the oldest specialty bookstores in the country and one of the most famous in the world. It is owned and operated by Rozanne Seelen and Allen Lee Hubby.

The Drama Book Shop is located at 250 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018. Telephone: (212) 944-0595. Website: www.dramabookshop.com. E-mail: info@dramabookshop.com. Blog: dramabookshop.blogspot.com, facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1278180910