Stars of Broadway's THE FRONT PAGE Stop by THEATER TALK Today

This week THEATER TALK welcomes three actors - Robert Morse, Lewis J. Stadlen, and Holland Taylor - from the dynamic 22-person cast of the Broadway revival of The Front Page, currently at the Broadhurst Theatre through January 29.

The fast-moving 1928 American masterwork by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur depicts newspaper reporters dueling for stories in the Press Room of the Criminal Courts Building in Chicago. The panel shares their stories of creating full-fledged characters in this intricately plotted comedy. Directed by Jack O'Brien, the production also features Nathan Lane, John Slattery, John Goodman, Jefferson Mays, Sheri Rene Scott, and many others.

Stadlen has the first line in the play as a reporter named Endicott, and the play is off and running. When co-host Michael Riedel of the New York Post likens the play to a speeding train just leaving the station, Stadlen replies, "If you stop concentrating for a millisecond, the train is already in Harrisburg." When not on stage, Morse sits behind the scenes and listens to the play unfold, as all of the actors must make their time on stage shine by maintaining the show's Velocity and rhythm. In addition the panel shares witty anecdotes from other Theater Productions with two-time Tony-winner Morse looking back at experiences on Broadway in Take Me Along, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Tru.

Co-hosted by Riedel and Susan Haskins, The Front Page episode of THEATER TALK premieres today 12/16 on PBS station Thirteen/WNET at 1:30 AM (Saturday morning) and repeats there on Sunday 12/18 at 11:30 AM; it re-airs on CUNY TV* Saturday, 12/17 at 8:30 PM, Sunday 12/18 at 12:30 PM, and Monday 12/19 at 7:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 7:30 PM; and also airs on WLIW/21 on Monday 12/19 at 5:30 PM and on NYCLife/25 on Thursday 12/29 at 11 PM.

THEATER TALK is jointly produced by the not-for-profits Theater Talk Productions and CUNY TV. The program is taped in the Himan Brown TV and Radio Studios at The City University of New York (CUNY) TV in Manhattan, and is distributed to 100+ participating public television stations nationwide. THEATER TALK is made possible in part by The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, The CUNY TV Foundation, and The Friends of THEATER TALK.

*CUNY TV, the City University of New York television station, is broadcast in the NYC metropolitan area on digital Ch. 25.3 and cablecast in the city's five boroughs on Ch. 75 (Time Warner & Optimum Brooklyn), Ch. 77 (RCN), and Ch. 30 (Verizon FiOS). THEATER TALK episodes are available online anytime at www.cuny.tv and www.theatertalk.org and via iTunes.

Pictured: Robert Morse, Holland Taylor and Lewis J. Stadlen from The Front Page (Image courtesy of Theater Talk Prod./CUNY TV)