Richmond Triangle Players celebrates the holidays with Charles Busch's holiday fantasy Times Square Angel, opening Friday November 15, 2019, at 8 pm, following two low-priced previews on Friday, November 13 and 14 at 8 pm. The production, sponsored by David Peake, Realtor, will run through December 21.
It's New York, 1948. Irish O'Flanagan is the tough as nails, red-headed headliner of the Club Intime. A lifetime of hard knocks has left her bitter and with a chip on her shoulder the size of Mount Rushmore. In the spirit of fantasies such as "A Christmas Carol", "It's a Wonderful Life" and "The Bishop's Wife", an angel in the form of a sexy vaudeville magician named Albert comes down to show Irish that the path she's been taking is leading her to disaster. Her road to redemption is a campy, hilarious, Runyon-esque take on classic holiday tales.
Playing the central role of Irish O'Flanagan is local drag performer Wette Midler, who has appeared in clubs across Richmond, in her own show "Flooded" at RTP, and in her alter-ego as actor Luke Newsome in productions such as The View UpStairs, It Shoulda Been You, Perfect Arrangement and the recent Rocky Horror Show. Irish's angel Albert is played by Jeffrey Cole (Design for Living, The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, Rocky Horror Show). Playing multiple roles will be Mara Barrett, Jeff Clevenger, Desiree Dabney, Natalie Fehlner, Michael Hawke, Baylee Holloran, Jonel Jones, Carlen Kernish, Nora Ogunleye, and Eddie Webster.
Playwright Charles Busch is the author and star of such plays as The Divine Sister, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, The Tribute Artist and The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, which ran for nearly two years on Broadway and received a Tony nomination for Best Play. Vampire Lesbians was RTP's first big hit in its augural season; Busch's Psycho Beach Party also played a successful run five seasons ago. Busch himself has appeared at RTP in two consecutive years in his solo cabaret act.
RTP's production is directed by Melissa Rayford, with nightclub choreography is by Nicole Morris-Anastasi. Scenic Design is by Mercedes Schaum, Costume Design by Alex Valentin, Lighting Design by Austin Harber, and Sound and Projection Design by Lucian Restivo. Sofia Malin is the Production Stage Manager
Square Angel opens Friday, Nov 15 at 8pm, after low-priced previews on Wednesday and Thursday Nov 13 and 14 at 8 pm. Performances run Thurs-Sat Eves at 8 pm through Dec 21; Sunday matinees at 4 pm on Nov 24, and Dec 1, & 8; and Wednesdays at 8 pm on Dec 4 & 11. Tickets $30-35 ($18 for the previews; $10 for students, always, and discounts for groups of 10 or more).
All performances will take place at Richmond Triangle Players' home at the Robert B. Moss Theatre at 1300 Altamont Avenue, just northwest of the intersection of Arthur Ashe Boulevard and West Broad Street. Reserved seat tickets ($35 for Wednesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday matinees; $40 for Friday and Saturday evening, both early and late shows; $20 for the preview) can be purchased online at RTP's web site at www.rtriangle.org, on RTP's facebook page, or by leaving a message on the RTP Ticket hotline at 804-346-8113. Discounts are available for groups, and student tickets are always just $10.
RTP's Robert B. Moss Theatre is a 4000-square foot performing arts facility accommodating flexible seating arrangements just over 90 patrons. The building features fully ADA-compliant access and comfortable restrooms, as well as a generous bar, and catering capability, and is also available for cabaret performances and private events.
For more information, please contact RTP executive director Philip Crosby at 804-342-7665 or by e-mail at Crosby@rtriangle.org.
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