RIALTO CHATTER: 'A Large Pepperoni With Extra Esparza And Hathaway On The Side'

A sharp eyed visitor to our BroadwayWorld.com message boards reported that several cast members of the Shakespeare in the Park production of TWELFTH NIGHT, including stars Anne Hathaway and Raul Esparza had a very special surprise in store for the brave souls who waited in line in Central Park to get free tickets to the show's last performance tonight, Sunday July 12th.

According to the message board member who posts as 'WesternSky2', the cast delivered pizza at around 3 am to the eager fans who were waiting in line. The BWW poster happily remarked, "most of the cast - including Raul and Anne - just went down the line giving out pizza. I've been served pizza by Anne Hathaway. Glad that we stuck it out through the rain." Bravo to the talented cast for taking the time to surprise the groups of fans who braved the night rain to secure a spot for the final performance. The feel-good theatrical story was even picked up by Examiner.com's New York entertainment reporter Kevin Fallon who called Hathaway the "Best pizza delivery girl...ever."

TWELFTH NIGHT officially opened on June 25th. The production ends tonight, July 12th at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Bank of America returns as lead sponsor of Shakespeare in the Park 2009. 

TWELFTH NIGHT, one of Shakespeare's most beloved romantic comedies, is a time-honored story of cross-dressing and mistaken identity that follows the romantic adventures of Viola and her identical twin Sebastian, both shipwrecked in the enchanted dukedom of Illyria.

The Shakespeare in the Park production of TWELFTH NIGHT, is directed by Daniel Sullivan and features Anne Hathaway as Viola. Joining Hathaway in the production are OBIE winner Michael Cumpsty (Hamlet at Classic Stage) as Malvolio; three-time Tony Award nominee Raúl Esparza (Speed-the-Plow on Broadway) as Orsino; Hamish Linklater ("The New Adventures of Old Christine") as Sir Andrew Aguecheek; four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (110 in the Shade on Broadway) as Olivia; two-time Tony Award nominee David Pittu (What's That Smell at the Atlantic) as Feste; and Jay O. Sanders (Daniel Sullivan's A Midsummer Night's Dream at Shakespeare in the Park) as Sir Toby Belch. Herb Foster plays Valentine; Kevin Kelly is Sea Captain; Tony nominee Stark Sands plays Sebastian; Baylen Thomas plays Curio; Jon Patrick Walker will play Fabian; and Tony Award winner Julie White plays Maria. TWELFTH NIGHT features original music by symphonic folk-rock band Hem. The ensemble for TWELFTH NIGHT includes Clifton Duncan, David Kenner, Leslie Harrison, Slate Holmgren, Dorien Makhloghi, Ray Rizzo, and Zach Villa.

TWELFTH NIGHT features original music by symphonic folk-rock band Hem, scenic design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by Jane Greenwood, lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski, sound design by Acme Sound Partners, fight direction by Rick Sordelet, and choreography by Mimi Lieber.

The second Shakespeare in the Park production will be Euripides's THE BACCHAE, translated by Nicholas Rudall, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis, and featuring original music by Philip Glass. THE BACCHAE, running August 11-30, will be presented as it was always meant to be seen - in the open air of the city. Akalaitis' visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For additional information about Shakespeare in the Park, visit The Public Theater website at www.publictheater.org.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.