'Fake News' Will Take the Stage in THE BIG BROADCAST ON EAST 53RD Off-Broadway

Playlinda Productions presents the World Premiere of Dick Brukenfeld's antic new comedy THE BIG BROADCAST ON EAST 53rd at The TBG Theatre, 312 West 36th Street, NYC. Charles Maryan will direct. Previews begin Feb 3 with the press opening on Thursday, Feb 9th.

The off-the-wall comedy explores how 'fake news' impacts a marriage. Fed up with her husband's unconventional ways, a sophisticated New Yorker 'finds' his obituary in the Times and plans his funeral. This challenges our hero to prove he is alive and kicking. This highly-theatrical and timely romp explores what happens when we are ruled by our need for love and approval.

Playwright Dick Brukenfeld also wrote Blind Angels, about a news reporter who finds that his Yale room-mate is planning a terrorist attack in N.Y.C., which Theater for the New City premiered in 2014. His Extenuating Circumstances, America-China, the first incident was done at Perry Street Theatre. WHDH-TV Boston premiered his one-act farce Big Game and his screenplay "Domino" was optioned by David Dretzin. A former theatre critic for the Village Voice, he directed several comedies in the downtown theater, including The Underpants at Perry Street and The Snob in a production at Circle Rep.

Director Charles Maryan's off-Broadway credits include the premiere of Ira Levin's Cantorial, New York 1937, Mercy Street, First Week in Bogota, The Last Girl Singer, The Aunts, The World of Wallowich, Algonquin Sampler, a Literary Revue and the 50th Anniversary production of In White America at the New Federal Theater which won the Audelco Award for Best Revival. He directed Murray Schisgal's The Typist and the Tiger on London's West End, plus a multitude of plays and contemporary operas across America.

Maryan calls The Big Broadcast "an absurd comedy for the 21st Century. Casting it, we needed to find that special breed of actor who can make the play's absurd situations real without reaching for laughs. Which is why we chose John Patrick Hayden and Lisa Birnbaum as our two leads and Alexis Broncovic, for the featured role of Ruth."

In 2014 John Hayden and Alexis Broncovic honed their comic skills starring in the Guthrie Theater's production of Born Yesterday. Hayden did the William Holden role and Broncovic played the part Judy Holliday made famous. This fall, Lisa Birnbaum was praised for her work in Jane Austin's Sense and Sensibility at Washington DC's Folger Theater. It followed her well received performance in the off-Broadway rock musical F#%king up Everything.

In addition to starring in the Guthrie's Born Yesterday, John Hayden appeared on Broadway in Tartufe and off-Broadway in The Fly at Lincoln Center. He received rave reviews as Biff in the Denver Center's production of Death of a Salesman. Like John Hayden, to whom she's engaged in real life, Alexis Broncovic has appeared in several TV series, notably The Affair, Younger, Rainbow Ruthie, Royal Pains, and Blue Bloods.

For Chuck Maryan casting The Big Broadcast's three remaining roles meant continuing to look for actors who can make the play's absurd situations real without pushing for laughs. He chose Joanna Rhinehart and Bill Tatum, two actors featured in his award winning revival of In White America. And he found Chris Thorn who has "just the right vibe for Mungo, who isn't exactly devastated by the news of his brother's death." (More on the actors can be found at thebigbroadcasttheplay.com).

Music Supervisor Charles Gross has written music for films, television and theatre. He created the music for Richard III (with Al Pacino) , King Lear(New York Shakespeare Festival), The Blacks, The Great White Hope and various scores for Arena Stage in Washington. Among his film scores are Robert Frost, A Lover's Quarrel With The World (which won an Academy Award for the Best Feature Documentary), The Group, Country, Air America, The Great White Hope and Burt Lancaster's Valdez is Coming. He has written music for more than 50 TV movies and mini-series, receiving an Emmy for his score to Rodeo Red and the Runaway. For television, he wrote the music for The Dain Curse, Teacher, Teacher (another Emmy Award winning show), as well as scores for the series Call To Glory, N.Y.P.D., and Nurse. His other scores include the notable Burning Bed (starring Farah Fawcett).

The set has been designed by Atkin Pace (Asst. Set designer for Leap of Faith, Young Frankenstein, The Producers, The Lion King), with lighting by Jamie Roderick (The Woodsman/New World Stages, PBS's Theater Close Up, A Dog Story, That Bachelorette Show, My Big Gay Italian MidLife Crisis) and costume design by Maria Ozmen.

The performance schedule for THE BIG BROADCAST ON EAST 53RD is Thursday, Friday and Saturdays at 8 PM with Saturday matinees at 3 PM on Feb 4 and 25 and Sunday matinees at 3 PM on February 5, 12 and 19. The TBG Theatre is located at 312 West 36th Street, west of 8th Avenue, 3rd floor, NYC.

Regular seats are $18 with Student/Senior tix at $15 available via Smarttix.com or (212) 868-4444. (Previews on Friday, Feb 3 and Sat mat, Feb 4 are $10.) The Box Office opens 30 minutes prior to curtain for cash sales only. The limited engagement runs through February 25th, 2017. For more info visit www.thebigbroadcasttheplay.com.

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