After a record-breaking run of 27 years, including 18 separate editions and more than 9,000 performances, Gerard Alessandrini’s Forbidden Broadway will play its final performance on January 15th, 2009, the 27th anniversary of the show’s debut at Palsson’s Supper Club in 1982. The newest edition, FORBIDDEN BROADWAY GOES TO REHAB, now in previews at the 47Th Street Theatre (304 West 47th Street), opens on Wednesday, September 17th.
Forbidden Broadway creator
Gerard Alessandrini said: “With the changing of the artistic climate on Broadway, I felt the next couple of seasons might be a perfect time to take a break. I’ve just put together a new edition that I feel succinctly encapsulates the last couple of years on Broadway and I thought this would be a positive and fun way to end our 27-year run. However, I do hope we might bring Forbidden Broadway back to New York at some point down the road when there will be plenty of new shows and stars to spoof.”
After January 15th, Forbidden Broadway will continue to tour around the country, as well as perform concert dates with symphony orchestras. Mr. Alessandrini will be working on new projects on the West Coast and in New York.
FORBIDDEN BROADWAY GOES TO REHAB features spoofs of
South Pacific, In the Heights,
Equus,
[title of show], August Osage County,
Gypsy,
Young Frankenstein and Sunday in the Park with George, among others.
Bernadette peters,
Patti LuPone,
Liza Minnelli and
Kristin Chenoweth all come under fire as well.
FORBIDDEN BROADWAY GOES TO REHAB is created and written by
Gerard Alessandrini and directed by Mr. Alessandrini and
Phillip George. Featured in the cast are:
Christina Bianco,
Jared Bradshaw,
Gina Kreiezmar and
Michael West, with
David Caldwell on piano. Costumes are by the late
Alvin Colt, with additional costumes by
David Moyer. Sets are by Megan Halpern and lighting is by
Mark T. Simpson.
Forbidden Broadway has been an unstoppable force in New York theatre since 1982 when
Gerard Alessandrini created the first parody lampooning the Broadway shows and stars of the day. It is a favorite among theatre lovers as well as Broadway stars (
Kathleen Turner,
Raul Esparza,
Christine ebersole,
Patti LuPone, the cast of
Spring Awakening,
Cheyenne Jackson,
Bernadette peters,
Carol Channing,
Stephen Sondheim,
Cameron Mackintosh, and
Hal Prince among others), who often stop by to laugh at themselves. Forbidden Broadway has won numerous awards in its history including the 2008 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical Revue, the 2006 Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, six additional Drama Desk Awards, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, Obie, and
Lucille Lortel Awards. A theatrical institution, FORBIDDEN BROADWAY has received national and international notoriety, racking up over 15,000 performances in more than 200 US cities as well as engagements in London, Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney.
The playing schedule for FORBIDDEN BROADWAY GOES TO REHAB is as follows: Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 7:30 pm, with matinees on Wednesdays at 2:00 pm, Saturdays at 4:00 pm, and Sundays at 3:00 pm. Tickets are $65 Saturday, Sunday and Monday evenings - and $60 all other performances. For tickets call (212) 239-6200. For Group Sales call (212) 840-5564.
