Photo Flash: SIDEWAYS THE EXPERIENCE Heads Into Rehearsal

Alexander "Sandy" Marshall / Close Quarter Productions (Network) and the award-winning Peccadillo Theater Company proudly present SIDEWAYS THE EXPERIENCE, the New York premiere of Rex Pickett's stage adaptation of his acclaimed novel, the inspiration for the Academy Award-winning film of the same name, paired with an immersive premium wine and gourmet food event curated and presented by leading online wine retailer Wine Access and celebrity caterer Mary Giuliani.

Directed by The Peccadillo's OBIE-Award winning artistic director Dan Wackerman, SIDEWAYS THE EXPERIENCE will be offered in a strictly-limited engagement, presented from Thursday, February 20 through Sunday, April 12, 2020 at Theatre at St. Clement's (423 West 46th Street, btw. Ninth & Tenth Aves).

In Sideways, struggling writer and wine enthusiast Miles takes his engaged friend, Jack, on a trip to wine country for one last bonding adventure as single-guys. SIDEWAYS THE EXPERIENCE creates an immersive, on stage, pre-show wine tasting event like ones discovered along the Santa Ynez wine trail, as depicted in the novel and film. Gourmet food and premium wine will be served as part of an exclusive first act of this unique theatrical experience.

Vanessa Conlin, Head of Wine for Wine Access, says, "We are honored to participate in this innovative theatrical event. For 15 years, Wine Access has been devoted to connecting people with the world's most inspiring wines through unique storytelling, and SIDEWAYS THE EXPERIENCE provides a fantastic way to further our mission."

Mary Giuliani, of the eponymously named Mary Giuliani Catering & Events, has been dazzling the biggest and brightest names in Showbiz for over 15 years with her whimsical, sophisticated and often playful attention to detail. She adds, "I graduated Georgetown University with a degree in English/Theater. I even pursued an acting career for a short time before I traded in One Dream for another and left the stage for the party ... applying a very Zen 'If you can't join 'em, serve 'em!' attitude to my work. I always strive to bring a splash of theatrics to both the food and events that I create. SIDEWAYS THE EXPERIENCE is the perfect collaboration for me. I am so excited to be working on something this deliciously theatrical, a stellar performance with food and wine as bright as the stars."

Rex Pickett's novel Sideways was published in June 2004. Acclaimed for its humorous and thought-provoking examination of men, women, and human relationships, as well as its surprising details about wine, a film adaptation was released later that year. One of the best reviewed films of 2004, it earned an incredible rating of 96 percent on the review site Rotten Tomatoes, and was nominated for Best Picture at the 2005 Academy Awards. The film won an Oscar for Jim Taylor and Alexander Payne's adapted screenplay. Sideways went on to become one of the rare films whose influence outgrows its own industry and causes cultural change, as it was directly responsible for a huge increase in wine awareness and sales in both the U.S. and the U.K., a phenomenon that became known known as the "Sideways Effect."

The cast of SIDEWAYS THE EXPERIENCE features Gil Brady (Shear Madness) as Jack, Kimberly Doreen Burns (Irish Rep's Finian's Rainbow) as Maya, Allison Briner Dardenne (Bright Star) as Phyllis, Stephen Elrod (Shakespeare Theatre Co.) as Brad, Jenny Latimer (Les Misérables National Tour) as Victoria, Brian Ray Norris (SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical) as Miles, Jenny Strassburg (Mint Theatre Company's Echoes of the War) as Terra, and Oliver Wadsworth (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang National Tour) as the Tasting Room Manager.

SIDEWAYS THE EXPERIENCE has scenic design by David Arsenault, costumes by Nicole Wee, lighting design by Jimmy Lawlor, and sound design by Quentin Chiappetta. The Production Manager is Drew Francis. Casting by Stephanie Klapper Casting, CSA. The General Manager is LDK Productions. Lisa Dozier King is the Executive Producer.

SIDEWAYS THE EXPERIENCE will be presented at Theatre at St. Clement's (423 West 46th Street, btw. Ninth & Tenth Aves) from Thursday, February 20 through Sunday, April 12, 2020. The performance schedule is Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8PM.

Tickets to SIDEWAYS THE EXPERIENCE are priced at $175.00 (the play and the pre-show, "Tasting Room" food and wine event, as well as a special offer from Wine Access for $50 off purchases of $150 and more), $75.00 (the play and two glasses of wine), and $55.00 (play-only).

For more information and to purchase tickets, call OvationTix at 866-811- 4111 or visit sidewaystheexperience.com.

All photos by RUSS ROWLAND.

 

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