But even though theyre being Covid careful, they have diminished audiences because there are a lot of people who feel, Im not going to see a play. The Normal Heart made its World Premiere at The Public Theater in 1985 and premiered on Broadway on April 19, 2011 before opening to rave reviews on April 27, 2011. Rich Topol meets Yogi Berra on opening night of Bronx Bombers (photo David Gordon). My wife came and saw the show. And thats when [director David] Cromer came on board. And then a month later, its, Yeah, were not going to do the play in September. Then when my wife told the story to Willy about when she gave birth the opening scene of the play is her giving birth to our daughter and Elizas parents, in black tie, come in from a gala, bursting into the delivery room because they thought she was about to have a baby she was about to have a baby were like, What are you doing here? rt: It was miserable. rt: Exactly. And then when we started up on our feet, we were unmasked, for those who were comfortable with that. rt: Actually, it sort of timed out pretty well, you know? I love Charles. rt: He does a great job of giving everybody a valid argument. Im like, Okay, sure. twi-ny: Throughout your career, and especially more recently, youve played a lot of Jews: Sam Feinschreiber in Awake & Sing, Fritz Haber in Genius: Einstein, Lemml in Indecent, and now Patrick, who is a nonreligious Jew. I didnt have it like Danny Burstein; I didnt have to go to the hospital. 212-581-1212 So on the one hand, it was incredibly thrilling. Theyre like, To be honest, Charles should be, if not actually North African, at least more Sephardic, more Middle Eastern. I dont subscribe there. And then one of our stage managers tested positive, and luckily she didnt give it to anybody else. Rich Topol poses with a hot car on set of EPIX series Godfather of Harlem. But Im also not religious. March 23 May 19, free (donations accepted) Manhattan Theatre Club is presenting the world premiere of Prayer for the French Republic, written by Drama Desk Award winner Joshua Harmon and directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer. And I asked him about managing the 73 Mets. Im just some guy . Im like, Why is my agent calling me? Manhattan Theatre Clubhas announced a final extension forPrayer for the French Republic, written by Drama Desk Award winnerJoshua Harmonand directed by Tony Award winnerDavid Cromer. rt: Right. That seemed like a good starting-off point, discussing my becoming a father and my seeing the best potential father to me to help me learn how to be a father. Photos: Go Inside Opening Night of THE UNBELIEVING at 59E59 Theaters, Review: THE UNBELIEVING at 59E59 Theaters- Compelling Play Presents A Meaningful Discussion of Religious Faith, David Aaron Baker, Nina Hellman, Richard Topol & More to Star in THE UNBELIEVING at 59E59 Theaters, Photos: Inside Opening Night of THE LUCKY STAR, Photos: On the Opening Night Red Carpet for HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE, Photos: Inside Opening Night of PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, Photos: First Look at PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC at MTC Stage I, Photo Coverage: Inside Opening Night of Atlantic Theatre Company's ANATOMY OF A SUICIDE, Photo Flash: Jason Babinsky, Carla Gugino and More in Atlantic Theater Company's ANATOMY OF A SUICIDE, Photo Flash: Get a First Look at Rehearsal Photos for ANATOMY OF A SUICIDE Starring Carla Gugino, Celeste Arias and More, Photo Flash: INDECENT Opens At Center Theatre Group, Photo Flash: First Look At INDECENT At The Ahmanson Theatre, Photo Flash: Cynthia Nixon, Victoria Clark, and More Celebrate Opening Night of Strindbergs in Rep, Photo Coverage: Public Theater Celebrates Opening Night of FIRE IN DREAMLAND. A grown-up Reuven (Richard Topol) acts as narrator on occasion, giving the play a reflective glow reminiscent of ''Conversations With My Father,'' Herb Gardner's 1992 Broadway success. Irish Repertory Theatre has announced the return of special audio event, Bikeman by Thomas F. Flynn, directed by Joseph Discher, produced by Robert Cuccioli, and featuring Robert Cuccioli, Stephen Eng, April Ortiz & Richard Topol. Rich Topol poses with a hot car on set of EPIX series Godfather of Harlem. People who know me and my life saw it. About seven years ago, I was sitting in the audience at a play when I recognized the man in front of me, actor Richard Topol. And I thought, Oh, thats perfect. Richard has appeared on Broadway numerous times, most recently nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award as Lemml in the Tony Award winning production of Indecent, with Larry David in Fish in the Dark, with Al Pacino . I remember at the time talking with people and saying, Oh my God, this is the longest period of time between . And then Anita gave us a shot. Father of Omer and actress Ady Topol and Anat Topol. At least in that experience I can cut myself some slack. I mean, come on. He is currently starring in Joshua Harmons Prayer for the French Republic, a scintillating three-hour exploration of anti-Semitism that travels between 1944 and 2016; Topol plays Patrick Salomon, a nonreligious Jew who has decided not to go into the family piano business. Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Indecent . And for those of us whod been with it for two years, were like, Oh my God, were finally getting to do it. He doesnt take over the family business. And so actually the last few days of rehearsal and through tech, he watched the play like this. And thoughtful in allowing them to be really articulate people who have really strong opinions, and those opinions are different. We would do a weeklong workshop with the first act of the play, then the second act. The Civilians, NYCs highly acclaimed downtown theatre company, is currently presenting The Unbelieving at 59E59 Theaters through November 20th. And Ive been an actor for over three decades. Manhattan Theatre Club And again, he didnt give it to anybody else. I play my father-in-law. Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere of REGRETS, the new play by Matt Charman, directed by Carolyn Cantor will open tonight, Tuesday, March 27 at MTC at New York City Center - Stage I (131 West 55th Street). twi-ny: Its been very strange. Are you Jewish, or is it just a coincidence that you play a lot of Jews? All materials copyright 2021 by Mark Rifkin / This Week in New York, THE INSIDER'S GUIDE TO THE CITY SINCE 2001, this week in lectures, signings, panel discussions, workshops, and Q&As. Ive also actually played a lot of Jewish narrators who step into the play. I think of myself as spiritual and, not to be too woo-woo, I believe in the earth. And then another few months later we did the third. Photo Coverage: Inside Opening Night of Lincoln Center Theater's ADMISSIONS, Photo Flash: Billy Crudup, Phillipa Soo, Steven Pasquale, Sutton Foster and More Celebrate HARRY CLARKE Opening Off-Broadway, Photo Coverage: On the Red Carpet for Opening Night of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. And without, I think, insulting anyone and without becoming didactic and preachy. Intense. rt: Exactly, the third guy from the left. And so what to do about that? Was on active duty with the Israeli army when he was nominated for an Oscar for "Fiddler on the Roof" in early 1972. And then because the pandemic happened, we both had the time to really work on it. twi-ny: So you played Yogi, and then you met him on opening night of the show. Like in Joshs play, he was one of those people, a German Jew in Berlin who got out. I love the progression of the piano in the play. We did a developmental workshop in June up in Maine. rt: There was a computer open and his computerized voice would come through. It was the first production of the first play that Ive ever cowritten. We did a workshop right before the pandemic hit in-person. I sing well, and maybe Im justifying, but I feel like I play and sing just well enough but not too well for who he is. Since then weve bumped into each other a few other times at the theater and discussed various shows wed seen. He was even more thankful when I told him that I had included him in my review. Photo Coverage: Kelli O'Hara, Sam Waterston & More Open KING LEAR at the Public! Richard Topol is an actor. Theater review: Richard Topol explores his roles as father and son at Portland Stage The Broadway actor's one-man show, 'Searching for Mr. Moon,' is autobiographical. And I think thats one of the greatest things about the play, because it leaves the audience getting to consider those ideas that youve mentioned from a lot of perspectives. Moon, which is about fathers and sons, particularly about how you lost your father when you were very young and eventually found a father figure in Lukas Foss. He was really amazing. MTC at New York City Center Stage I The limited engagement run of the production, originally scheduled through June 7, is extended for six weeks through Sunday, July 19. During our wide-ranging Zoom conversation, Topol is thoughtful and generous, laughing and smiling a lot. BWW TV: FISH IN THE DARK Montage! And I survived. twi-ny: I felt that that Josh really attacked the numerous angles of how to look at anti-Semitism and Israel and American Jewry. Rich Topol is third guy from the right in cast and crew photo from Prayer for the French Republic opening night (photo 2022 by Daniel Rader). Richard became a father at 50 and named his firstborn after his dad. Director David Shore Writers David Shore (teleplay by) BWW TV: Performance Highlights from MTC's REGRETS! rt: Right. At least in that experience I can cut myself some slack. He had Parkinsons disease. That theater had stayed open through the pandemic because Maine had so few cases, because of the regulations, and because of their skill at keeping people safe. Or Mark Blum, a lovely man who lost his life to it. So on the one hand, it was incredibly thrilling. Larry David and Jason Alexander stopped by last night's TONIGHT SHOW to talk to Jimmy about their Broadway play Fish in the Dark. And I asked him about managing the 73 Mets. And so I was so excited to be part of the beginning of it. One of his best friends - Rehavam ("Ghandi") Ze'evi, a minister in the Israeli government, was murdered in 2001 by a Palestinian terrorist. rt: I was born a Jew. He covered everything. And thoughtful in allowing them to be really articulate people who have really strong opinions, and those opinions are different. They want to do a workshop in July and then well go into rehearsal in September and run till Christmas. We did the workshop, we did a live reading in front of people. No, no, please dont. We did the kind of work that you do in a play before you get up on your feet. I dont think Im as extreme as Patrick; Patrick is a Jew who doesnt know anything about his Judaism and is happy to not know anything about his Judaism and is somebody who thinks of organized religion as what he says in the play, which is bullshit.. First of all, I dont like one-person shows, I dont like seeing one-person shows; theyre not interesting to me. But because its about one of the hardest things and most personal struggles that Ive experienced for the last forty-six years of my life, since my father died, it was scary to share, but it felt worth sharing. I think because they had intended originally to produce it live, they had invested in it as fully and fulsomely as you do for a whole theater piece. What was the rehearsal process like? From March 23 to 26, you can stream Luis Quinteros Hip Hop Therapy, a preview of a concept album in which Nick Bottom from A Midsummer Nights Dream is a therapist for out-of-work actors. If youre a WASP from white privilege, maybe you look at this play and think, like Patrick, Whats the big deal, you know? And in the scenes where I play myself, most of that writing is me, having written down my versions of stories that Ive experienced. Richard Topol, Kelli O'Hara, and Sam Waterston in King Lear, directed by James Macdonald, running at The Public Theater through November 20. Even those people understand, given what weve lived with, at least certainly for the last few years. It felt to me that it was really important that this play be put up during the election. The Unbelieving by Marin Gazzaniga (So Close) and directed by Steve Cosson (Whisper House). He doesnt take over the family business. I got bar mitzvahed. Youre not invested in a team, the whole idea of a team creating a thing and living together and becoming a version of a theater family, or whatever it is. rt: I think he would be disappointed. Shipwreck was the closest to that. We did the kind of work that you do in a play before you get up on your feet. play by Clifford Odets (Belasco Theatre, New York City, New York, USA). I was really glad to do it at Portland Stage, where most of the people who were watching knew nothing about me and I didnt have to feel so exposed. richard topol: Oh my God! At that time I was reading Charles, actually. What was the experience like sharing your life, in person, in front of people, back onstage? Rocketreach finds email, phone & social media for 450M+ professionals. I love acting with other people, and it cant be about me because Im not interesting. Ive also actually played a lot of Jewish narrators who step into the play. So that was the very last performance you could do in New York. The Unbelieving is now officially open, and will run through November 20, 2022. And so, kicking and screaming, it became more and more about my relationship to Lukas and then my relationship to fatherhood. We did that reading and I think it confirmed for Manhattan Theatre Club and for Josh that he had latched on to something incredible. Willy and I had been talking about this play for a number of years. Now, of course, Im totally madly in love with Patrick and I wouldnt have it any other way. Sanford Bensinger 3 episodes, 2017-2019 Michael Aronov . Home My Books So that was the very last performance you could do in New York. Rich Topol plays nonreligious narrator Patrick Salomon in Manhattan Theatre Club world premiere (photo by Matthew Murphy), PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC He holds an MFA in Acting from NYU's Graduate Acting Program and a BA in Political Science from Brown University. We thought, Okay, thats an interesting idea for a play. They produced Lanford Wilsons Talleys Folly they cast a married couple who played the two parts. And then, of course, a month later, theyre, like, Yeah, were not going to do the workshop in July. Thats the way I connect to religion. rt: Right. This is the kind of play that should be running during the election. But Im also not religious. twi-ny: Thats really interesting to me, because you fit so well as Patrick. rt: Thank you. That was so much fun. Ive always had this obsession with searching for a father and he was my father-in-law, so lets do that. Photo Flash: THE NORMAL HEART Production Shots! Im like, Why is my agent calling me? It was a really great time. Yeah, I love that play. I play my mother, I play my wife, I play my mother-in-law. www.youtube.com. Foss' eclectic music underscores Rich's funny and poignant journey to fatherhood. During the pandemic, they are looking inside artistic creation with In Process, a series of online presentations written by and starring alumni. And the play started to be about that. We would do a weeklong workshop with the first act of the play, then the second act. David Aaron Baker, Nina Hellman, Richard Topol & More to Star in THE UNBELIEVING at 59E59 Theaters by Chloe Rabinowitz - Sep 12, 2022. It was really satisfying to do. So Ill tell you. And he told me about how much fun it was doing that. And then we did a couple of Zoom workshops. twi-ny: As a listener, I felt it Shipwreck was one of the audio plays that worked the best during the lockdown. What was the rehearsal process like? rt: No, no, no. So kudos to them for sticking with it. Im a tree hugger. Hes really, really, really kind to all his characters. We did a developmental workshop in June up in Maine. twi-ny: You guys were great. We do not want to shut this play down. And then when we started up on our feet, we were unmasked, for those who were comfortable with that. Im a tree worshiper. Frances Benhamou, Kenneth Tigar, Richard Topol, Nancy Robinette, Joshua Harmon He escaped the Nazis. (l-r front row) - Peyton Lusk, Yair Ben-Dor, Ari Brand, Pierre Epstein, Jeff Seymour, Molly Ranson, Betsy Aidem, Francis rt: I have asked that of my non-Jewish friends. Ive always had this obsession with searching for a father and he was my father-in-law, so lets do that. twi-ny: Jon Stewart would ask, is it too Jewy? Just last night, Manhattan Theatre Club celebrated opening night of the Broadway premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning How I Learned to Drive, at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. 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