The Unbelieving by Marin Gazzaniga (So Close) and directed by Steve Cosson (Whisper House). Im no Josh Harmon. And then Willys like, Come on, come on. I didnt have it like Danny Burstein; I didnt have to go to the hospital. And so I was so excited to be part of the beginning of it. Francis Benhamou, Jeff Seymour and Yair Ben Dor in Prayer for the French Republic (courtesy of Matthew Murphy). 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. No, not from all perspectives, but certainly from a lot of perspectives within the Jewish community. At least in that experience I can cut myself some slack. And so, kicking and screaming, it became more and more about my relationship to Lukas and then my relationship to fatherhood. richard topol: Oh my God! MTC at New York City Center Stage I Here we have been waiting for so long to do it. It was really satisfying to do. What was that like? 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. He is married to actress Eliza Foss; they have one daughter, and Richard was close with his father-in-law, the late German-American composer, pianist, and conductor Lukas Foss. Foss' eclectic music underscores Rich's funny and poignant journey to fatherhood. I think a lot of people forget that. Rich Topol poses with a hot car on set of EPIX series Godfather of Harlem. During our wide-ranging Zoom conversation, Topol is thoughtful and generous, laughing and smiling a lot. First of all, I dont like one-person shows, I dont like seeing one-person shows; theyre not interesting to me. I think of myself as Jew-ish. If you can listen to him playing on Lenny Bernsteins Age of Anxiety, listen to the piano on that. No, not from all perspectives, but certainly from a lot of perspectives within the Jewish community. Photo Credit: Joan Marcus. And again, he didnt give it to anybody else. They produced a lot of one-person shows. Christmas in Conway. He is married to actress Eliza Foss; they have one daughter, and Richard was close with his father-in-law, the late German-American composer, pianist, and conductor Lukas Foss. You dont develop a through-line, you dont understand the arc of things. He thanked me, saying that he was actually the understudy and that was the only time he had gone on. 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. Because its a great joy to do this play. And she said, You just got an offer from Manhattan Theatre Club for Prayer for the French Republic. Although my mother came and saw the show. Photo Flash: Sam Waterston, Kelli O'Hara Michael McKean & More in KING LEAR at the Public! They hand delivered the scripts to everybodys homes. Ive actually asked that of some of my Jewish friends too. Why am I doing this play? Its a short question, right? Lets take that idea of writing and switch over to Prayer for the French Republic, which is exquisitely written. Rich Topol meets Yogi Berra on opening night of Bronx Bombers (photo David Gordon). They produced a lot of one-person shows. Willy did most of the writing. Then we got into the rehearsal space in December. It was a total strikeout. This is the kind of play that should be running during the election. 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. twi-ny: Jon Stewart would ask, is it too Jewy? And then Josh tested positive right before tech. twi-ny: Which the character Molly agrees with. At least in that experience I can cut myself some slack. BroadwayWorld brings you highlights of the cast in action below! REGRETS stars Alexis Bledel ('Gilmore Girls'), Curt Bouril ('Boardwalk Empire'), Ansel Elgort (Off-Broadway debut), Brian Hutchison(MTC's From Up Here), Tony Award winner Adriane Lenox (MTC's Doubt), Lucas Caleb Rooney (Orphan's Home Cycle), and Richard Topol (The Normal Heart). So you cant pick a bone with me if it was because my father had just died and my next-door neighbor was a Yankees fan. Its interesting because it connects to the father thing. The Acting Company The Public took a lot of care in making it. Richard J Topol, 79. Remember Sunday is a 2013 American romantic drama film directed by Jeff Bleckner, written by Michael Kase and Barry Morrow, and starring Zachary Levi and Alexis Bledel. Did you enjoy working on Zoom? Since then, The Normal Heart's daily box office wrap has more than tripled from their average daily sales before Sunday's Tony Awards. And Im not going to any of that stuff. Get the fuck out of here. Michael Panay 3 episodes, 2018-2019 Is it just Jewy enough? I was in The Chosen a couple of times [Theres a knock at the door and Topol gets up to answer it, then returns.] And Im slightly disappointed myself too, because I knew I was going to do this part for a long time and I knew that these songs were in the piece. Photo Coverage: Opening Night at Awake and Sing! We dont know when but were still committed to doing the play. Were going to put this play up. Bronx Bombers runs through October 19 at Primary Stages at The Duke on 42nd Street. And we were shut down. 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: We were wearing masks around the table. I didnt have it like Danny Burstein; I didnt have to go to the hospital. The language is so beautiful. Topol was raised in Mamaroneck and lost his father when he was twelve. Its unbelievable. And without, I think, insulting anyone and without becoming didactic and preachy. Photo Flash: THE NORMAL HEART Production Shots! Willy was like, I want to write a one-man show for you. I think that most of the major religions are about feeling good to be small under the umbrella of something thats bigger than our oneness, that connects us all. If youre a WASP from white privilege, maybe you look at this play and think, like Patrick, Whats the big deal, you know? I had seen a number of shows when I came back from Maine, and some had nobody in the audience and some were jam packed. Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Indecent . This is your first one-man show, which you wrote with Willy Holtzman, a two-time Pulitzer nominee. But the larger questions that Josh asks in the play relate to almost everyone. I met him once at a Mickey Mantle Foundation dinner at Gracie Mansion. Thats the exterminator, not exterminating Jews but exterminating bugs that Nazis would think are like Jews. Check out Richard Topol's Bio Now Im no Josh Harmon. And so I was like, Okay, fine. We did that reading and I think it confirmed for Manhattan Theatre Club and for Josh that he had latched on to something incredible. The Civilians, NYCs highly acclaimed downtown theatre company, is currently presenting The Unbelieving at 59E59 Theaters through November 20th. What was the experience like sharing your life, in person, in front of people, back onstage? You were a Mets fan, then you switched over to the Yankees. twi-ny: Yes they had, with Yogi Berra as manager. I mean, I also shot some TV shows over the course of the pandemic, so all of the Zoom stuff felt more like the way an actor like me connects to short-term work. And then the testing protocols, were getting tested every day, and you cant come into the room until youve tested negative, and, knock wood, thats been it. And thats when [director David] Cromer came on board. First of all, I dont like one-person shows, I dont like seeing one-person shows; theyre not interesting to me. Everybody did keep their masks on, but there were some drinking and eating. rt: The short answer is it was great. 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. So this was the middle of December now, right before Christmas, and shows were going down left and right. Itll be sometime in 2021. 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. . We have a full Biography, Photos, Theatre Credits, and more! twi-ny: You guys were great. Photo Coverage: THE MERCHANT OF VENICE After Party. Tuesday Sunday through March 27, $99 I know I was a Mets fan in 73, and then we moved, and my next-door neighbor was a Yankees fan. rt: No, no, no. And the first two drafts of it were about that. And audiences have come. rt: Yeah, I know. He looked up, put on a big smile, and said in that Yogi way, No ones asked me about that in years. But were still on track for the fall. Get the fuck out of here. The Makeover. They want to do a workshop in July and then well go into rehearsal in September and run till Christmas. [6] And then a month later, its, Yeah, were not going to do the play in September. Where I feel most soulful and spiritual is when Ive climbed a mountain and I feel small in relation to a large, amazing thing. theactingcompany.org The business is entirely shut down. Here we have been waiting for so long to do it. BWW TV: Check Out Kelli O'Hara and More in KING LEAR - Performance Highlights! So this was the middle of December now, right before Christmas, and shows were going down left and right. He is married to actress Eliza Foss; they have one daughter, and Richard was close with his father-in-law, the late German-American composer, pianist, and conductor Lukas Foss. 212-581-1212 I think of myself as Jew-ish. 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. And so the guy lost his physical abilities and his mental abilities. 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). But his true love is theater, which he also teaches. During our wide-ranging Zoom conversation, Topol is thoughtful and generous, laughing and smiling . So we had a lot of time processing it with Josh and helping him wrangle this epic piece into what you saw. [Director] Saheem Ali was great and it was a great cast, obviously in a really interesting play. 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. The Public took a lot of care in making it. His father, Jacob Topol, was Russian and in the early 1930s immigrated to Mandatory Palestine, where he worked as a plasterer; [4] [5] he also served in the Haganah paramilitary organization. Manhattan Theatre Club Is this too Jewy? twi-ny: So you played Yogi, and then you met him on opening night of the show. So Ill tell you. And he told me about how much fun it was doing that. And I survived. Willy was like, I want to write a one-man show for you. I was in The Chosen a couple of times [Theres a knock at the door and Topol gets up to answer it, then returns.] Understand the arc of things for Josh that he had gone on Mickey Mantle Foundation dinner at Gracie Mansion came. Which he also teaches of it were about that 59E59 Theaters through November 20th life in... Poses with a hot car on set of EPIX series Godfather of Harlem love. Mickey Mantle Foundation dinner at Gracie Mansion opening night of the show the,... 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