WOMAN ON A LEDGE Starring Rita Costanzi to be Presented at Theater For The New City

World-acclaimed harpist Rita Costanzi is returning to the New York stage in the world premiere of Woman on a Ledge, based on Costanzi's memoir and adapted by Hershey Felder. The production will be directed by Lissa Moira. The show will bow at Theater for the New City, 155 First Avenue, New York, NY.

Has a classical harpist-male or female-ever acted solo in a full-length, autobiographical dramatic play before?

Internationally renowned harpist, Rita Costanzi, brings her fascinating life story to the stage in Woman on a Ledge, a highly personal drama exploring the vulnerabilities experienced by a female musician torn between the needs of herself as an artist vs. those of her role as wife and mother.

Woman on a Ledge tells the tale of a sensitive artist's journey of self-discovery and liberation cruelly interrupted by old-world-Italian-Catholic patriarchal ideas of female place and obligation. The show delves into the most universal themes of life, love, art, devotion, conflict and loss- all told through spoken word and the sublime strains of her heart and soul, her harp.

The show boasts musical excerpts by Debussy, Puccini, Paganini, Bach, Gounod, Liszt, Albinoni as well as traditional Irish and Scottish folk songs--among other music-- performed on the harp by Costanzi.

Performances will run November 7-24, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 3pm.

Tickets are $18, Students/Seniors $15, and are now on sale, visit: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35441/production/1216026

Lighting and sound design by Marsh Shugart. Scenic Design by Lytza Colon. Social media will be managed by John David West. Stage Manager is Rachel Drummer..

Woman on a Ledge will run approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.

Website: https://www.ritacostanzi.com/

Rita Costanzi

is an internationally-recognized, award-winning classical harp soloist, teacher, actor and writer. Formerly Principal Harp of the Vancouver Symphony and CBC Radio Orchestra, she relocated to New York City in 2007 and worked with Hal Prince's associate, Arthur Masella, on a one-woman show with harp that was presented in New York, Canada, Australia and Brazil. She has taught and performed at music festivals in North and South America and Europe. Winner of the Hershey Felder Presents Arts Prize (2020) for her covid documentary, her latest CD, Amoroso, (2023) streamed two million times in its inaugural year. www.ritacostanzi.com

Hershey Felder (Author) is a pianist, actor, producer, playwright and director. He is known to audiences for his "composer plays," Chopin, Debussy, Tchaikovsky, Gershwin, Bernstein, Berlin, Beethoven, and Rachmaninoff. He has directed and produced plays in the United States and the United Kingdom focusing on great music and musicians. In 2020, Hershey Felder established Live from Florence, an Arts Broadcasting Company that broadcasts high quality musical programming throughout the world, directly from his studios in Florence, Italy.

Lissa Moira (Director) [AEA, SAG/AFTRA] is an award-winning, frequently-produced playwright, screenwriter, director, actor, poet and collage artist. Her play, Before God Was Invented was nominated for the Susan Brownwell-Smith award. Career Highlights: co-writer of the screenplay Dead Canaries and co-writer/director of The Best Sex of the XX Century Sale. Lissa was the director, book writer, and lyricist for the smash hit dadaist, surrealist, Noir-mystery, musical comedy Who Murdered Love? She co-wrote/directed Marilyn in Purgatory, which ran Off Broadway for 14 months. Next up Lissa directs the WWII political thriller, Cafe Resistance by Roberto Monticello opening April of 2025 at TNC.

Photo credit: David Behzadpour

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