to Mozart: David Beach Tackles an 'Opus', Photo Coverage: 'Opus' Opens at Primary Stages, Photo Flash: 'Opus' in Previews at Primary Stages. If you can listen to him playing on Lenny Bernsteins Age of Anxiety, listen to the piano on that. I think of myself as Jew-ish. They bicycled around Manhattan delivering the scripts because they didnt want to email them. They hand delivered the scripts to everybodys homes. And then a month later, its, Yeah, were not going to do the play in September. Manhattan Theatre Clubs world premiere ofPrayer for the French Republic, written by Drama Desk Award winnerJoshua Harmonand directed by Tony Award winnerDavid Cromer, opens tonight, Tuesday, February 1, atNew York City Center Stage I (131 West 55thStreet). Itll be sometime in 2021. And March 29 to April 1 sees Jimonn Coles Chickens, in which Megan Bartle, Zo Tipp, and Rich Topol portray fowl creatures living on Michael Pottss farm. Followed by. 212-581-1212 twi-ny: During the pandemic, you appeared in several virtual and audio productions: You were in Melisa Anniss Beginnings, Anne Washburns Shipwreck, Craig Lucass More Beautiful and you played a chicken in Jimonn Coles Chickens. twi-ny: Thats really interesting to me, because you fit so well as Patrick. It is a really challenging piece of theater and really satisfying to act in. Godfather of Harlem tells the "true story of infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson, who in the early 1960s returned from ten years in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled a shambles. During our wide-ranging Zoom conversation, Topol is thoughtful and generous, laughing and smiling . Photo Coverage: New Dramatists Honor Roger Berlind at Starry Luncheon, Photo Coverage: Drama Desk Nominee Reception - The Men, Photo Coverage: THE NORMAL HEART on Broadway Curtain Call. rt: No, no, no. twi-ny: A lot of people still feel that way. I was like, No, no, no. Photo Flash: First Look at Katrina Lenk, Adina Verson and More in Paula Vogel's INDECENT on Broadway, Photo Flash: First Look at Richard Topol, Katrina Lenk & More in INDECENT at Vineyard Theatre, Photo Coverage: Meet the Cast & Creative Team of Vineyard Theatre's INDECENT, Photo Flash: First Look at Robert Cuccioli & More in BIKEMAN, Now Playing at BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Photo Coverage: Cast of Primary Stages' BRONX BOMBERS Celebrates Opening Night Off-Broadway, Photo Coverage: Inside Opening Night of Barrington Stage Company's THE CHOSEN, Photo Flash: First Look at Alexis Bledel, Ansel Elgort, et al. But still there was that sense of, Whos producing a new eleven-person play, with nobody famous? Im just some guy . And she said, You just got an offer from Manhattan Theatre Club for Prayer for the French Republic. And on the other hand, it was incredibly scary because it was the first play that Id ever cowritten with anybody, and it was about my life. What was that like? He had a really interesting life and a really challenging death. 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. Its a symbol, a metaphor for the journey of our family. By Steve Feeney Share Rich. twi-ny: If Lukas were still around to see you in the show, would he be happy with your piano playing? Get the fuck out of here. April 21, 2013. Ive also actually played a lot of Jewish narrators who step into the play. rt: There was a computer open and his computerized voice would come through. "There were probably a good two dozen words that were a regular part of our household," he says. 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. And then we did a couple of Zoom workshops. Richard became a father at 50 and named his firstborn after his dad. Im not going to risk that. But at that point were like, Okay, were just wearing masks the whole time. twi-ny: You finally returned to the stage in November in Portland with Searching for Mr. Featuring Broadway Star Richard Topol At the moment of his daughter's birth, Rich Topol searches for a father to replace the one he lost and finds two - his famous father-in-law Lukas Foss and himself. 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 so initially we decided it would be about Lukas Foss, who was my father-in-law, a really interesting man who had a really interesting life. Francis Benhamou, Jeff Seymour and Yair Ben Dor in Prayer for the French Republic (courtesy of Matthew Murphy). Im like, Okay, sure. Pierre Epstein, Peyton Lusk, Jeff Seymour, Francis Benhamou, Nancy Robinette, Kenneth Tigar, Ari Brand, Pierre Epstein, Peyton Lusk, and Richard Photo Coverage: INDECENT Company Celebrates Opening Night on Broadway! rt: Right. 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. The world premiere will now play two additional weeks and must close Sunday, March 27 atNew York City Center Stage I. Manhattan Theatre Club has announced that the world premiere ofPrayer for the French Republic, written by Drama Desk Award winnerJoshua Harmonand directed by Tony Award winnerDavid Cromer, will now play through Sunday, March 13, atNew York City Center Stage I (131 West 55thStreet). The Civilians, NYCs highly acclaimed downtown theatre company, is currently presenting The Unbelieving at 59E59 Theaters through November 20th. Rich Topol plays nonreligious narrator Patrick Salomon in Manhattan Theatre Club world premiere (photo by Matthew Murphy), PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC 201 Richard Topol Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images All Entertainment News Archival Browse 201 richard topol stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. richard topol: Oh my God! Like in Joshs play, he was one of those people, a German Jew in Berlin who got out. Showing Editorial results for richard topol. I got bar mitzvahed. Or Mark Blum, a lovely man who lost his life to it. On Sunday night, June 12th, the Broadway premiere production of Larry Kramer's ground-breaking play The Normal Heart took home the Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Play, Best Featured Actor in a Play (John Benjamin Hickey) and Best Featured Actress in a Play (Ellen Barkin). This is the kind of play that should be running during the election. rt: Exactly. But his true love is theater, which he also teaches. I read it to myself and I thought, this is the best play Ive read in ten years. And Josh had done some incredible things. Im like, Okay, sure. I got the feeling that this was a group of actors working in tandem. David Aaron Baker, Nina Hellman, Richard Topol & More to Star in THE UNBELIEVING at 59E59 Theaters by Chloe Rabinowitz - Sep 12, 2022. And then another few months later we did the third. Get the fuck out of here. Richard Topol is an actor. These wins helped 'The Normal Heart' become the number one search term on Google all across America on 'Tony Sunday.' MTC at New York City Center Stage I rt: No, no, no. BroadwayWorld brings you highlights of the cast in action below! And in the scenes where I play myself, most of that writing is me, having written down my versions of stories that Ive experienced. He has appeared on Broadway numerous times, most recently this past season as Lemml in Paula Vogel's Indecent, with Larry David in Fish in the Dark, with Al Pacino in Merchant of Venice, with Denzel Washington in Julius Caesar, with Mark Ruffalo in the Tony Award winning revival of Awake and Sing, with Ellen Barkin in the Tony Award winning . Behind him in his living room is a landscape by his mother-in-law, the painter and teacher Cornelia (Brendel) Foss. . 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). rt: Right. No, not from all perspectives, but certainly from a lot of perspectives within the Jewish community. I was doing Anatomy of a Suicide at the Atlantic Theater Company. And putting it up and investing in it, saying, Im sorry, this is too important. So this was the middle of December now, right before Christmas, and shows were going down left and right. First of all, I dont like one-person shows, I dont like seeing one-person shows; theyre not interesting to me. 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. Its a symbol, a metaphor for the journey of our family. Photo Coverage: THE WINTER'S TALE Opens at the Delacorte, Photo Coverage: 'MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA' Opening Night Party, Photo Coverage: A BODY OF WATER Curtain Call and After Party, From 'Mamma Mia!' Willy was like, I want to write a one-man show for you. and Larry Kramers The Normal Heart. We have a place upstate that we escaped too, and I got a call two days later from my agents. twi-ny: So you played Yogi, and then you met him on opening night of the show. Manhattan Theatre Club What was the experience like sharing your life, in person, in front of people, back onstage? Josh is a writer. 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. The Acting Company [6] And then Josh tested positive right before tech. Now, of course, Im totally madly in love with Patrick and I wouldnt have it any other way. Intense. Photo Coverage: THE MERCHANT OF VENICE After Party. I play my father-in-law. He holds an MFA in Acting from NYU's Graduate Acting Program and a BA in Political Science from Brown University. He shouldnt be a lounge singer. Willy did most of the writing. If youre a WASP from white privilege, maybe you look at this play and think, like Patrick, Whats the big deal, you know? Shipwreck was the closest to that. The language flowed more naturally to Richard Topol, whose grandparents all spoke Yiddish. But the larger questions that Josh asks in the play relate to almost everyone. But Im also not religious. Bikeman will be available to listen to online on demand from September 8-18, 2022. 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. Resides in Tallahassee, FL. When they said, Will you read Patrick? And then Willys like, Come on, come on. rt: Exactly. It was really satisfying to do. Or is it not? This is the kind of play that should be running during the election. I had symptoms on the ides of March, on the 15th of March, and I was in bed for nineteen days with Covid-19. You played Yogi in Bronx Bombers. March 23 May 19, free (donations accepted) It was really satisfying to do. 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. Photo Flash: THE MERCHANT OF VENICE on Broadway - Production Shots! And we spent enough time with it to dig in the way you do in a play. Behind him in his living room is a landscape by his mother-in-law, the painter and teacher Cornelia (Brendel) Foss. He loves music, is a fast . And I thought, Oh, thats perfect. twi-ny: As a listener, I felt it Shipwreck was one of the audio plays that worked the best during the lockdown. 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? I got bar mitzvahed. And we were shut down. It was so satisfying. And thats when [director David] Cromer came on board. And then Anita gave us a shot. He was really amazing. and Larry Kramers The Normal Heart. Although my mother came and saw the show. I play my mother, I play my wife, I play my mother-in-law. But I feel like he shouldnt be a better piano player than I am in this play. Im a lefty, so Tug McGraw was my hero. Is it just Jewy enough? He looked up, put on a big smile, and said in that Yogi way, No ones asked me about that in years. The business is entirely shut down. If youre a WASP from white privilege, maybe you look at this play and think, like Patrick, Whats the big deal, you know? I did go see Hot Tuna and David Bromberg. I think of myself as spiritual and, not to be too woo-woo, I believe in the earth. A few days after Prayer for the French Republic opened at Manhattan Theater Clubs Stage I at City Center, we talked about one-person shows, getting Covid, baseball, and what its like being an actor in lockdown, including a detailed description of mounting a play as a pandemic continues. So what could it be about. Im hoping to bring the show to New York, but I think doing it here, thatll be scary. ( 2013-04-21) (USA) Chronology. 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