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Event
Ben Rimalower: PATTI ISSUES
Ben Rimalower:
PATTI ISSUES
Written and Performed by Ben Rimalower
Directed by Aaron Mark
"Show-queen heaven. A tight hourlong monologue that pairs a well-honed script with an engagingly spontaneous delivery and a nose for sharp, observational comedy, Mr. Rimalower's funny, tender reminiscence rides an infectious rainbow high."
- David Rooney, New York Times
"Meticulously scripted and executed, with poignant punch lines that deliver laughs, emotion and insight"
- Raven Snook, Time Out New York
"Smart, poignant, and dishy as hell."
- Brandon Voss, The Advocate
"I was moved... He's a very talented man and I'm so proud of him."
- Patti LuPone
"A very fierce comedy. Both viciously funny and gently
poignant, it is a damn fine way to spend an evening."
- broadwayworld.com
AT THE DUPLEX
Thursday, July 11, 2013, 9:30 PM
Thursday, July 18, 2013, 9:30 PM
Thursday, July 25, 2013, 9:30 PM
Thursday, August 1, 2013, 9:30 PM
Thursday, August 8, 2013, 9:30 PM
Thursday, August 15, 2013, 9:30 PM
When Ben Rimalower was eight years old, his father came out of the closet and embarked on a drug-fueled tear that left his family in tatters. Amid the chaos of his young life, Ben found comfortlike so many gay boys before him and afterin musical theater, and specifically in the transportive voice of Broadway star Patti LuPone.
Patti Issues marks Rimalower's debut as a playwright and performer, after serving as the director of numerous Off-Broadway plays, concerts and all-star benefits (and blogging for the Huffington Post). With a mix of comic irreverence, stark candor and show-biz bravado, Patti Issues poignantly explores the challenges facing LGBT parents and children while shining unique light on gay men's time-old obsessions with divas.
"Shockingly honest and honestly shocking,
'Patti Issues' allows you to be a Peeping Tom
without the messy blot of a mug shot on your record"
- Marc Shaiman
"Bring tissues to 'Patti Issues'!
You'll laugh! You'll cry! You'll pay the minimum"
- Scott Wittman
"As artists the most we can hope for from our heroes
is inspiration and maybe evolution. Ben Rimalower's 'Patti Issues'
offers a powerful example of both and this bravura performance
might just make Ben a hero for a new generation of show ponies!"
-Justin Vivian Bond
"An evening of courage, clarity, and unexpected wisdom and insight: into the psychic toll of homophobia, the emotional root of diva-worship, and even the inner life of ambition and art-making."
- Dan Fishback
"Sometimes dark but very funny, reminiscent of such confessional memoirs as Augusten Burroughs's Running with Scissors, Rimalower's very charming affect (which at certain points recalls David Sedaris and at others Seth Rudetsky) draws in the crowd."
- Simply Showbiz
"Patti Issues is more than just 90 minutes of diva worship... a surprisingly cohesive narrative. While the sensibilities many gay men share with their favorite stage divas have been dissected countless times in popular culture, never has such an analysis been so engagingly written and cleverly presented."
- Huffington Post Gay Voices
"Engaging, heartfelt and humorous, with lots of energy and excitement."
- Call Me Adam
"One of the best shows of this nature that I've ever seen, confidently performed, sensitively written and as funny as it gets."
- Boy Culture
The Advocate Seat Filler review:
http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/theater/2012/09/26/seat-filler-new-york-theater-guide-september-2012
Huffington Post Gay Voices review:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/curtis-wong/ben-rimalower-patti-lupone-issues-duplex-new-york_b_1972090.html?
Broadwayworld review:
http://offbroadway.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-Reviews-Ben-Rimalower-Patti-Issues-20121003#sthash.PtiEIB4N.dpbs
A developmental reading of Patti Issues was chronicled in the New York Times feature, "The Impresario Who's Keeping the '80s Spirit Alive Downtown."
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/08/theater/08dax.html
Broadway.com covered the September 6th performance of PATTI ISSUES
when Patti LuPone herself was in the audience:
http://www.broadway.com/buzz/163884/exclusive-photos-of-patti-lupone-at-ben-rimalowers-new-show-patti-issues/
And here's Playbill's coverage of the performance attended by Leslie
Kritzer and Perez Hilton:
http://www.playbill.com/multimedia/gallery/4370/Leslie-Kritzer-and-Perez-Hilton-Visit-Patti-Issues-at-The-Duplex
Here are some interviews about the show:
http://www.gay.net/gay-away/2012/09/20/qa-quickie-showman-ben-rimalower-patti-lupones-biggest-fan
http://www.callmeadam.com/interviews/2012/9/24/ben-rimalower-patti-issues.html
http://www.edgenewyork.com/?137020
http://www.nextmagazine.com/content/ben-rimalower
http://www.nextmagazine.com/content/fab-five-ben-rimalower-picks-his-top-five-patti-lupone-youtube-clips-all-time
Ben Rimalower: Patti Issues, directed by Aaron Mark (Random Unrelated Projects, Commentary), is performed at The Duplex (61 Christopher Street, at Seventh Avenue) on Sunday, October 28th at 4:00 PM and Thursday, November 1st at 9:30 PM PLUS SPECIAL ADDED PERFORMANCES Wednesday, November 7th at 9:30 PM, Saturday, November 17th at 4PM, Wednesday, November 28th at 9:30 PM, Thursday, December 6th at 9:30 PM, Wednesday, December 12th at 9:30 PM, Friday, December 21st at 9:30 PM, Saturday, December 22nd at 9:30 PM, Friday, December 28th at 9:30 PM and Saturday, December 29th at 9:30 PM.
TICKETS: $20 online (http://pattiissues.brownpapertickets.com) or $25 at door.
Plus two-drink minimum, per person.
Premium V.I.P. guaranteed best table seating $45. (2-drink minimum still applies).
BEN RIMALOWER directed and produced the Off-Broadway plays Joy (Actors Playhouse, Out Magazine: "Top Ten Theatre") and The Fabulous Life of a Size Zero (Daryl Roth/DR2 Theatre). He also directed Justin Sayre Is Alive And Well Writing (Ars Nova), Project Lohan (La MaMa E.T.C.), Snoopy! starring Sutton Foster (Symphony Space), And/or (Hot Festival), Sodom the Musical (Kraine Theatre) and the all-star Night Of A Thousand Judys (Playwrights Horizons) as well as staged readings for Second Stage, The York, Dixon Place and Ensemble Studio Theatre. He conceived and directed Leslie Kritzer is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches (Time Out New York Award) and subsequently produced Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records' long-awaited recording, Patti LuPone at Les Mouches (Billboard "Heatseekers" Chart), digitally restored from archival tapes of LuPone's legendary 1980 performances. In venues such as Joe's Pub, San Francisco's Plush Room and Los Angeles' Upright Cabaret, Ben has earned the title the "Midas of Cabaret" (The Advocate) helming a slew of solo shows for artists including Alec Mapa, Cole Escola, Our Lady J, Natalie Joy Johnson, Lindsey Alley, Molly Pope, Wendy Ho, John Hill, Scott Nevins, Kate Pazakis and Lance Horne in addition to producing and hosting the Laurie Beechman Theatre's recurring variety show, Saturday Night Underground. Ben writes a blog for The Huffington Post and "The New Old Gay" for akawilliam.com. Assistant Director credits include Lonny Price's productions of A Class Act (Manhattan Theatre Club, Broadway and Tokyo) and A Little Night Music (starring Patti LuPone, George Hearn and Zoe Caldwell) as well as the Emmy-winning Sweeney Todd. Ben studied Theatre Arts at U.C. Berkeley where he was the founding Artistic Director of BareStage (now celebrating its 16th anniversary). Follow @benrimalower on Twitter.
AARON MARK is the writer/director of three independent feature films, Random Unrelated Projects (Best Experimental Feature, NYIFF), Zbornik Developing, and most recently, Commentary. His play Failed Suicide Attempts was presented by The Blank Theatre in Hollywood as part of their Living Room Series and seven of his other plays have received readings in New York in the last four years. He directed Hedwig and the Angry Inch twice at New World Stages for BC/EFA, Space Oddity/Ziggy Stardust at the Producer's Club, and will soon premiere a series of his new plays at Barboncino in Crown Heights. He is twenty-five years old and does not have aaronmark.com because it belongs to a German gay porn star with the same name. aaronmark.net.
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LocationThe Duplex Cabaret Theater (View)
61 Christopher Street (at Seventh Avenue)
New York, NY 10014
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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