Wendie Malick, Ray Abruzzo & More Set for Malibu Playhouse's THE GUYS, Beginning Tonight

Malibu Playhouse presents "The Guys," by Anne Nelson, a reading tribute to firefighters, tonight, Sept. 11 at 8 p.m., starring Ray Abruzzo (SOPRANOS, TRANSPARENT) and Wendie Malick (HOT IN CLEVELAND), directed by Dan Lauria. A portion of the proceeds from this benefit for the Playhouse will be donated to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. "The Guys," is the story of an editor and a Fire Chief coming together in the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy to write the eulogies for 8 of the men lost in the rescue.

The Playhouse 2015-2016 season, under Jeremy Skidmore's direction, will include three limited-run critically acclaimed productions: "Wonderful Life!" (An instant holiday classic one-man show based on the film "It's A Wonderful Life"), "Mary's Wedding," and "Pavillion." Other projects include several one-night benefits, a multi-disciplinary new work mini-festival, collaborations with area universities, and Members Only promotional events (i.e. private dinners with Jeremy and casts, private cocktail parties and "meet and greets."). There will also be a film screening of "It's a Wonderful Life," an actual wedding to precede the "Mary's Wedding" show and a high school reunion party unlike any other (since you never know which of Malibu's celebrity local heroes will show up) to get audiences in the right frame of mind for Pavillion. Before Skidmore's programming begins on Thanksgiving weekend, Malibu Playhouse will feature a series of one-night events, which includes "The Guys."
Presented/Produced by: Malibu Playhouse

ABOUT:

WENDIE MALICK
Theatre: Off-B'way: NORTH SHORE FISH, BURLEIGH GRIMES; Los Angeles: QUESTA, ROUND TRIP, SANTALAND DIARIES, VAGINA MONOLOGUES, THE UNDERPANTS
Regional: THE GUYS (Studio Arena), DON'T BLAME ME, I VOTED FOR HELEN GAHAGAN DOUGLAS (Wooly Mammoth), BLITHE SPIRIT, WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF THUNDER (Williamstown).

Film: ADVENTURELAND, FIFTY-NOTHING, CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC, WAITING, RACING STRIPES, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT, ON EDGE, TROJAN WARS, RAISING GENIUS, MR. MIKE'S MONDO VIDEO, A LITTLE SEX, THE GOODS, BUGSY, FUNNY ABOUT LOVE, THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE, ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS (The Squeakqual). TV movies: NORTHSHORE FISH, TAKE MY ADVICE, APOLLO 11, DYNASTY, The Miniseries, HELLO SISTER, GOODBYE LIFE, WILL YOU MERRY ME?, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS.

Television: RUSH HOUR (CBS), HOT IN CLEVELAND (People's Choice Award, SAG nom best ensemble), JUST SHOOT ME (1 Golden Globe, 2 Emmy Nominations), DREAM ON (4 Cable Ace awards), FRASIER, BIG DAY, GOOD COMPANY, CSI, NYPD BLUE, LA LAW, X FILES, SIENFELD. Animated: BOJACK HORSEMAN, JIMMY NEUTRON, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, TV Movies:
NORTHSHORE FISH, TAKE MY ADVICE, APOLLO 11, DYNASTY, The Miniseries,HELLO SISTER, GOODBYE LIFE, WILL YOU MERRY ME?, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

Malick is on the board of The Environmental Media Association, and is a spokesperson for The Humane Society of the United States and Return to Freedom, a wild horse sanctuary and advocacy group.Through their charitable gift fund, "A Drop in the Bucket", she and husband, Richard Erickson, support a medical center in the Congo. They live in the Santa Monica
Mountains with 5 horses, a donkey, 2 dogs and a 13 year old.

RAY ABRUZZO is just back after starring in DINNER WITH THE BOYS written by and also starring Dan Lauria at the Acorn Theater on NY's Theater Row. Ray received rave reviews as LOMBARDI at Florida' s Mosaic Theatre. Theatre: Sterling in the west coast premiere of Theresa Rebeck' s MAURITIUS (Pasadena Playhouse), Louis LaRusso's VESPER'S EVE and STOOPLIFE, Aldo in the world premiere of John Patrick Shanley's ITALIAN AMERICAN RECONCILIATION. Ray performed Robert Dubac's one-man show THE MALE INTELLECT: AN OXYMORON in Chicago and Boston. For 10 years Ray was a part of L.A.' s Playwrights Kitchen Ensemble. In 1977, Ray was a founding member of The Bond Street Theatre Coalition. Television: NYPD BLUE, various LAW & ORDERS, NCIS, HOUSE, CRIMINAL MINDS, BROOKLYN 99, RAY DONOVAN and numerous more. Series regular or recurring L.A. LAW , DYNASTY , NIGHT COURT, DOOGIE. HOWSER MD, THE PRACTICE , BOSTON LEGAL, MAD MEN, most notably as Little Carmine Lupertazzi for four seasons on THE SOPRANOS. Next season, Ray will be seen in the the acclaimed, groundbreaking series, TRANSPARENT. Ray was also head writer and director for Nickelodeon's "Weinerville." A longtime Malibu resident, Ray is a native New Yorker with strong ties to the World Trade Center.

DAN LAURIA is recently coming off a successful NY run of DINNER WITH THE BOYS, a play he wrote and also starred in along with Ray Abruzzo and Richard Zavaglia. Dan has appeared as a guest star in over seventy television episodic programs and more than twenty Movie Of The Week productions. He has a score of film credits which include, STAKEOUT, ANOTHER STAKEOUT, and the commercial blockbuster, INDEPENDENCE DAY and the Frank Miller production of Will Esiner's; THE SPIRIT. Dan was also in the cult comedy: ALIEN TRESPASS. Dan is a very familiar face to the off-off, off and regional theatre scene having performed, written or directed over 50 professional stage productions. In 2010/11 Dan was seen on Broadway as the legendary coach Vince Lombardi in the long running production of LOMBARDI, directed by Mr. Thomas Kail, with the beautiful and talented Judith Light playing Marie Lombardi. Dan returned to Broadway in the 2013 & the 2014 production of the Tony nominated; A CHRISTMAS STORY: The Musical directed by John Rando. Dan has performed THE GUYS by Ann Nelson both in NYC and on the road with his dear friend, the wonderful, Ms Wendie Malick. THE GUYS is a tribute to the brave firemen who lost their lives at the WTC on 9/11 and it's a play that Dan is honored to be a part of. Dan is most recognized as the Dad on the highly acclaimed Emmy winning, ABC television show, THE WONDER YEARS.

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