Tim Realbuto, Eileen Tepper and More Set for PLAYGROUND Reading, 8/20

Tim Realbuto, most known as the co-writer and director of the musical Ghostlight (which starred Rachel York and Tony winner Daisy Eagan), will appear in the Equity staged reading of Jessica Ann Carp's new musical Playground. As an actor, Realbuto has been seen in Finian's Rainbow; The Winter's Tale Project (FringeNYC); and as Jackson Phieffer in the Universal Pictures release "The Emperor's Club", opposite Kevin Kline and Jesse Eisenberg. Realbuto will star in Playground alongside "All My Children"'s Eileen Tepper (Les Miserables; Fiddler on the Roof); Helen Hayes Award winner Brian Childers (Danny and Sylvia; Miracle on 34th Street); Anthony Zillmer (All Shook Up; "The Winning Season"); and Jessica Ann Carp, the creator herself (whose acting credits include appearing alongside Drew Barrymore in the major motion picture "Riding In Cars With Boys").

Playground examines the damaged relationship of two lifelong best friends, Patrick Hall "aka Pad" (Realbuto) and Penelope Caplan "aka Pen" (Carp) as they sit in a coffee shop trying to figure out what went wrong with their friendship and exactly why they have drifted so far apart over the years. Characters from their past weave their way into their story combining the present with moments long gone, including their elementary school teacher Mrs. E. (Tepper), who inspired the two misfits to become writers at a very early age, Michael Elmano (Zillmer), the handsome football hero that Pad longs to be, and Michael's judgmental father (Childers). Intertwined amidst a lush, original, and modern score is a story about love, loss, friendship and the unlikely paths that life sometimes chooses for us.

The Playground ensemble features Grammy Award winner Jonathan Arons (Ted); Chris Carfizzi (Seesaw); Caitlin Murphy (Sidekick); Hollie Seidel (Cassie Martin); and Franca Vercelloni (Bully).
Directing the production is Andy Gale. Gale, who is the personal acting coach for five time Tony Award winning actress Audra McDonald (as well as the director of her acclaimed Boston Pops concert filmed for PBS), has also appeared on Broadway in the original companies of Side Show; Jane Eyre; Rags; and The World of Sholem Aleichem. He recently directed the world premiere of the new musical Lost & Found. Serving as Playground's musical director is Michael James Roy, most known for his long time association as resident musical director for Songs At The New World at New World Stages.
The Equity Staged reading will take place at NYC's Ripley-Grier Studios (939 Eighth Avenue) on Monday, August 20th at 5:30 PM with a talkback session featuring the cast and creative team directly following the performance.