THEATRE TALK Welcomes Lisa Lampanelli, Jack Viertel, and THE RIDE this Week

It's a THEATER TALK triple header - three stories in one show - with Lisa Lampanelli talking about her new Off-Broadway play, Stuffed; Jujamcyn Theatres Sr. VP Jack Viertel sharing insights from his new book, The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built; and a fast-paced NY journey with the creator and performers of New York's interactive sightseeing tour, The Ride.

Lampanelli's comedy presents four women's perspectives on weight obsession - ("Let's unmask this whole struggle," she tells co-hosts Michael Riedel of the New York Post and Susan Haskins.) Viertel's book outlines the similarities and "biorhythms" of what musicals require to be successful. And THE RIDE takes its passengers for a sightseeing adventure through midtown Manhattan, providing a one-of-a-kind experience with actors, musicians and a great deal of cutting edge technology.

This week's episode of THEATER TALK premieres Friday, Oct. 28 (2016) on PBS station Thirteen/WNET at 1:30 AM (Saturday morning) and repeats there on Sunday 10/30 at 11:30 AM; it reairs on CUNY TV* Saturday 10/29 at 8:30 PM, Sunday 10/30 at 12:30 PM, and Monday 10/31 at 7:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 7:30 PM; and also airs on WLIW/21 on Monday 10/31 at 5:30 PM and on WNYE/25 on Monday 10/31 at 3:30 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.