New Off-Broadway Comedy 2 ACROSS, Starring Andrea McArdle, Opens Tonight

The Off-Broadway premiere of Jerry Mayer's new comedy, 2 Across, is currently playing an open-ended engagement at St. Luke's Theatre (308 West 46th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues). The production officially opens tonight, December 9, with Emmy Award nominee Evelyn Rudie ("Eloise") directing a cast that stars Andrea McArdle and Kip Gilman.

Two strangers, a psychologist (Andrea McArdle) and an unemployed ad man (Kip Gilman) find themselves alone on a San Francisco commuter train at 4 a.m., each doing their New York Times crossword puzzles. But before their crosswords are solved, they find that they may have solved the puzzles of their own lives.

Performances for 2 Across will be Wednesday and Saturday evenings at 8pm, and Sunday matinees at 2PM. The show runs 90 minutes without an intermission. Tickets from $39.50 (including a $2.00 Facility Fee.) are available at Telecharge.com or by calling 212/239-6200. For more information, visit www.2acrosstheplay.com.

Andrea McArdle captured the hearts of theatergoers when she originated the title role in Annie, becoming the youngest performer nominated for a Tony Award as Best Lead Actress in a Musical. She received the Theater World and Outer Critics' Circle Awards for her performance and went on to star as Annie on London's West End. Coming full circle, Andrea appeared as "The Star to Be" in the TV production of "Annie." In 2010, Andrea played, yes, Miss Hannigan at the North Carolina Theatre and Musical Theatre West. Andrea starred on Broadway in the Jerry Herman musical Jerry's Girls alongside Carol Channing and Leslie Uggams; in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express, as Margy Frake in State Fair, Fantine in Les Miserables, and Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. She toured nationally as Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Eponine in Les Miserables and in The Vagina Monologues (also, Off-Broadway). Andrea appeared Off-Broadway in the satirical Newsical and regionally in the title roles in Mame and Hello Dolly. Other theatre appearances include starring as Esther, the Judy Garland role, in Meet Me in St Louis; Mrs. Johnstone in Blood Brothers, Penelope Pennywise in Urinetown, Sonia in They're Playing Our Song; Luisa in The Fantasticks; Eva Peron in Evita; Nancy in Oliver; the Narrator in Joseph...Dreamcoat; Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun, Sandy in Grease and as Mama Rose in Gypsy.Andrea continues to tour in the concert event, 4 Girls 4 with Maureen McGovern, Donna McKechnie and Faith Prince. In addition to "Annie," Andrea's film and TV credits include starring as Judy Garland in "Rainbow," "All My Children," "The Leading Ladies Of Broadway" on PBS, and headlining her own PBS special "Andrea McArdle On Broadway."

Kip Gilman was recently acclaimed for his performances as Oscar Madison in the L.A. production of The Odd Couple as well as his starring turn in the long- running hit Aspirins & Elephants. Lead roles in world premieres include Catskill Sonata and Adam Baum and the Jew Movie, both directed by Paul Mazursky as well as American premieres Mutually Assured Destruction, Michael Weller's What the Night Is For and the Mark Taper Forum's production of Stuff Happens by David Hare for which he was nominated for an Ovation Award. Mr. Gilman will be seen starring in the upcoming films Outlaws Don't Get Funerals, Painless, Big Baby, with Nick Nolte in the Taylor Hackford film Parker, and Atlas Shrugged Part 2 with Samantha Mathis. Mr Gilman is familiar to TV audiences as a series regular on "Studio 5B" with Jeffrey Tambor, "Nurses," "Closeup News," "Foot in the Door," "Dorothy," "Trapper John M.D." and "Loves Me, Loves Me Not" with Susan Dey. Most recent guest appearances: "CSI Miami" and "Bones." As a director and writer, Mr. Gilman has collaborated at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, Ivy Sub Station and Highways performing his irreverent one-man musicals Men Women and Assassins and Mister Moody: 82 Minutes With Christ. He is presently in pre-production on the feature film Perfect Match for which he is writer-producer as well as one of its stars. His recent compilations of music, No Miracles and Primitive Man, will be released later this year.

Jerry Mayer, born and educated in St. Louis, Mo., has had an impressive career in television, writing and producing such prized shows as "M*A*S*H," "The Bob Newhart Show," "All in the Family," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The Facts of Life" and five Mitzi Gaynor's TV specials, plus her famous Las Vegas Act. Mr. Mayer thoroughly enjoyed his TV career, but has happily discovered that by far his first love is writing for the theatre. Five of his plays have been published by Samuel French, Inc. His award winning plays and musicals have appeared successfully in New York city four times (Off-Broadway) and in hundreds of theatres all over the US and Canada, as well as in Europe. Most of Mr. Mayer's plays deal with the "ups, downs and sideways" of male/female relationships, for which he humbly thanks the guidance of his lovely "muse/wife."

Evelyn Rudie began her career at age 3 and received an Emmy nomination at 5 for her portrayal of "Eloise" on TV's "Playhouse 90" (the first time a child actress was so honored); she went on to star in more than 70 motion pictures and television shows ("the greatest child tragedienne of our time," London Daily Express), and is the proud recipient of a star in Hollywood's Walk of Fame. "Arguably the most talented and prolific producer-director-lyricist-composer-musician-actress in theatre" (LA Times), with her partner/husband Chris DeCarlo Ms. Rudie has been involved with more than 600 productions, including 400 World, American and West Coast premieres and 50 international tours, including seven of Jerry Mayer's eight plays. Chris and she became Co-Artistic Directors of Santa Monica Playhouse in 1973 (where they met). She has received commendations from the City of Santa Monica, the City and County of Los Angeles, and the California State Senate, for completing 50 years of uninterrupted participation in theatre, film, television and arts education, a record that continues today. As director/playwright, career highlights include Dear Gabby, the Confessions of An Over-Achiever, the longest-running teen dramedy in LA history - 15 years in its initial run; the Shakespeare-inspired Love In Bloom - Critics' Pick of the Year, American Press Network, the East Meets West Three-Continent International Theatre Festival; and Author! Author! - An evening with Sholom Aleichem. She also teaches, directs and lectures worldwide.

Photo Credit: Carol Rosegg