Colin, Gillette, Harada, Testa, Washington Join LOVE LOSS

Producer Daryl Roth announced today that Margaret Colin ("Gossip Girl"), Anita Gillette ("30 Rock"), Ann Harada (Avenue Q), Mary Testa (Eat Pray Love; Xanadu), and Pauletta Washington ("The Parkers") will join upcoming NYC casts of Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron's Love, Loss, and What I Wore, which has just entered its second smash year at The Westside Theatre (407 West 43 Street). Colin and Harada complete the November cast (November 3 - December 5), which also includes the previously announced Tichina Arnold ("Everybody Hates Chris"), Alicia Goranson ("Roseanne") and Maria Tucci (Mary Stuart).

Testa joins the December cast (December 8 - January 9) alongside Kate Flannery ("The Office"), Loretta Swit ("MASH"), and returning cast member Didi Conn (Grease), with an additional cast member to be announced. Gillette and Washington join returning cast member Judy Gold (25 Questions for a Jewish Mother) for the January cast (January 12 - February 13, 2011). As previously announced, Sabrina Le Beauf ("The Cosby Show") will join the show as part of the February cast (February 16 - March 19). Additional cast announcements are forthcoming.
The current cast, through October 31, features Erin Dilly (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), Barbara Feldon ("Get Smart"), Tovah Feldshuh (Irena's Vow) Aisha de Haas (Caroline, Or Change) and Ashley Austin Morris (Die Mommie Die).

Loss, and What I Wore opened in October 2009 and has been playing to sold-out houses at The Westside Theatre (407 W 43rd Street), where it's broken all box office records and just celebrated its one-year anniversary. Directed by Karen Carpenter, this collection of stories is based on the best-selling book by Ilene Beckerman, as well as on the recollections of the Ephrons' friends. Like the popular book, Love, Loss, and What I Wore uses clothing and accessories and the memories they trigger to tell funny and often poignant stories that all women can relate to.

The production, which was honored with a 2010 Drama Desk Award and a Broadway.com Audience Award, is performed by a rotating cast of five all-star actors, who perform in five-week cycles. Members of the rotating cast have included Samantha Bee, Kristin Chenoweth, Tyne Daly, Fran Drescher, Janeane Garofalo, Melissa Joan Hart, Carol Kane, Stacy London, Jane Lynch, Natasha Lyonne, Rosie O'Donnell, Rhea Perlman, Caroline Rhea, Doris Roberts, Tracee Ellis Ross, Sherri Shepherd, Brooke Shields, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Cobie Smulders, Rita Wilson and many more.

The performance schedule for Love, Loss, and What I Wore is as follows: Tuesday at 7 p.m., Wednesday and Saturday at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets ($79.00) are available via Telecharge.com (212-239-6200) and in-person at The Westside Theatre Box Office (407 West 43rd Street). Same-day general rush tickets ($25.00, cash only) are available at The Westside Theatre box office, beginning at noon. (Limited to two rush tickets per person. Seats are based on availability; some are limited view.)

A portion of the production's proceeds benefit Dress for Success, a charity that provides work clothing and job support for low-income women. Audience members are invited to donate their gently-used purses and other accessories in the theatre lobby. In addition to its triumphant run at The Westside Theatre in NYC, Love, Loss, and What I Wore is also currently playing at Los Angeles' Geffen Playhouse and in Toronto at the Panasonic Theatre.

Bios

Margaret Colin can currently be seen playing "Eleanor Waldorf" on the hit television series, "Gossip Girl." Feature Films include Unfaithful, First Daughter, Blue Car, The Devil's Own, Independence Day, True Believer, Three Men and A Baby, The Missing Person. TV Series leads: "Now and Again," "Chicago Hope," "Foley Square," "Sibs," "The Wright Verdicts." Theatre: Old Acquaintance (Roundabout), Jackie (Theatre World Award), Defiance (Drama Desk Nomination), Aristocrats (Drama Desk Nomination), Shakespeare in the Park (Public).

Anita Gillette, who currently plays Tina Fey's mom on "30 Rock," is a Broadway veteran with fourteen Broadway shows to her credit, including Chapter Two, for which she won a Tony nomination, Cabaret, Mr. President, They're Playing Our Song, Showboat, etc., and innumerable Off Broadway and Regional credits including Guare's Rich & Famous, The Seagull, Skin Of Our Teeth, Travesties, The Importance Of Being Earnest, The Great Waltz (recorded by RCA), and Sweet Bird Of Youth. She had major roles in the films Moonstruck, Shall We Dance, The Guru, Bob Roberts, She's the One, The Great New Wonderful. She was a series regular on "Quincy" and has a recurring role on "Law & Order SVU." Audiences know her from her many game shows such as "Pyramid," "Password," "Matchgame," etc., and from being Johnny Carson's foil on "50 Tonight Shows."

Ann Harada originated the role of Christmas Eve in the Broadway and London productions of Avenue Q. Other Broadway: 9 to 5, Les Miserables revival, Seussical and M. Butterfly. Off Broadway: The Kid (New Group), Falsettoland (National Asian American Theatre Co.), The Moment When (Playwrights Horizons). Film: Feel, Homework, Happiness, Hudson River Blues. Recent TV: "Lipstick Jungle" (as Victory Ford's mother), "The Electric Company," "Cashmere Mafia," "Johnny & The Sprites," "Rescue Me."

Mary Testa. Broadway: Guys and Dolls, Xanadu (Drama Desk nomination), Chicago, 42nd Street (Tony nomination), Marie Christine, On the Town (Tony nomination), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Rink, Marilyn, Barnum. Off-Broadway: Regrets Only, See What I Wanna See (Drama Desk & Drama League nominations), First Lady Suite (Drama Desk nomination), String of Pearls (Drama Desk nomination), The Vagina Monologues, From Above (Obie), and many more. Film: Eat, Pray, Love, The Bounty Hunter, others. Television: "White Collar," "Life on Mars," "Sex and the City," "Whoopi" and more.

Pauletta Washington is an actor, singer, philanthropist, mother of four children and wife of Denzel Washington. Washington trained at Julliard, North Texas University, UNCSA, has performed on Broadway and worked with prominent producers and songwriters. Her passion is the Brain Trust group, raising funds for Dr. Keith Black at Cedars-Sinai. Among her many awards and recognitions, she has been honored by Women In Film, California Governor's Conference for Women, Crystal Stairs and Helping Hand "Mother of the Year".

www.LoveLossOnStage.com

Photo Credit: BWW-Staff

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