Beginning March 7th, Musicals Tonight! will be presenting Kander & Ebb's The Rink at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre. With direction by Thomas Sabella-Mills, the run lasts through March 21st with performances on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 7:30PM, Wednesdays and Fridays at 2PM and 7:30PM, and Sundays at 3PM.
The Rink opened at the Martin Beck Theatre in 1984, where it ran for 204 performances and 29 previews. The book is by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander. The production was directed by A. J. Antoon and choreographed by Graciela Daniele, it starred Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera, the cast also included Jason Alexander and Rob Marshall. Stockard Channing replaced Liza Minnelli later in the run.
In The Rink, Anna (Mary Jo Mecca) is the owner of a dilapidated roller skating rink on the boardwalk of a decaying seaside resort, and has decided to sell it to developers. Complicating her plans is the return of her wayward daughter Angel (Stacie Perlman). Through a series of flash-backs, the two deal with their pasts in their attempt to reconcile and move on with their lives. The Wreckers (Danny Gardner, David Garry, David Brent Howard, Christian Marriner, Brad Nacht, David Shane) who come to demolish the Antonelli Skating Rink also represent former lovers, local punks and neighborhood ladies during the flash-backs. The arrival of Angel's daughter (Paige Simunovich) prompts Anna and Angel to keep the rink open as a symbol of their reconciliation.
Musicals Tonight!, now in its 12th YEAR and honored with an OBIE Award, is a not-for-profit theatre company in New York City primarily dedicated to the revival of "neglected" musicals in a manner affordable to most audience members. Since its inception in 1998, it has revived 48 musicals in staged concert form.
Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at 212-579-4230 or by visiting www.iseats.net.
