But the larger questions that Josh asks in the play relate to almost everyone. Its interesting because it connects to the father thing. While speaking about his son, he mentioned that his mini-me is "the joy of my life. He admits that the most nervous hes been in his life was when he hung out with Paul McCartney following a performance of Larry Davids Fish in the Dark, in which Topol played Dr. Stiles; after that, the Cute Beatle went from being his third favorite mop top behind John and George to his second. And then when we started up on our feet, we were unmasked, for those who were comfortable with that. Richard Thomas . twi-ny: Its been very strange. Known For The Good Doctor Lincoln Malcolm in the Middle The Blacklist Ghost Whisperer Elementary Manifest Curb Your Enthusiasm Acting 2016 Indignation as Mo Greenberg 2005 Ghost Whisperer ( 1 episode) as James Sutherland 1999 Mickey Blue Eyes as FBI Chef in Truck 1995 Party Girl as Hannah Buff 1994 twi-ny: As a listener, I felt it Shipwreck was one of the audio plays that worked the best during the lockdown. rt: Yeah, I know. twi-ny: So you played Yogi, and then you met him on opening night of the show. rt: I was born a Jew. Even those people understand, given what weve lived with, at least certainly for the last few years. Photo Coverage: Opening Night at Awake and Sing! 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. rt: Right. 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. And then the symptoms were gone. rt: Oh, less upsetting because I know Im not a professional. We thought, Okay, thats an interesting idea for a play. Tony Award-winning actor Jason Alexanderrecentlyassumedthe role of 'Norman Drexel'in Larry David's hit comedy Fish In the Dark, directed by Anna D. Shapiro, at the Cort Theatre (138 West 48th Street). 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. Im like, Okay, sure. Check out the performance highlights below! We would do a weeklong workshop with the first act of the play, then the second act. BWW TV Flashback: THE NORMAL HEART Closes Today on Broadway, STAGE TUBE: THE NORMAL HEART and Today's Gay Youth, STAGE TUBE: THE NORMAL HEART Box Office Triples Since Tony Wins; Broadway Community Shows Support, Outer Critics Circle Awards - 2017 - Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play. Related To Adriana Topol, Jeffrey Topol, Margaret Topol, Amy Topol, Herbert Topol. Since these are your lines and theyre about you, if a joke didnt quite take or something emotional didnt register with the audience, is it more or less upsetting than when youre reciting somebody elses words and something might not go as expected? Im always curious about what my non-Jewish friends who come and see the show think of it. I read it to myself and I thought, this is the best play Ive read in ten years. 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. My father died in 1975; I dont remember whether I jumped ship in 74 or 75. The truth is, most of the play, I play other people. Rich Topol meets Yogi Berra on opening night of Bronx Bombers (photo David Gordon). rt: Right. She made her Broadway debut in Jekyll & Hyde, with other notable Broadway roles including Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Vivienne in Legally . I mean, come on. First of all, I dont like one-person shows, I dont like seeing one-person shows; theyre not interesting to me. We did a workshop right before the pandemic hit in-person. So it was thrilling to be back in a theater on a stage with a live audience, even though they were masked. RICHARD TOPOL. The play was well received, so I didnt have the experience of Oh, that sucked. I remember at the time talking with people and saying, Oh my God, this is the longest period of time between . I did go see Hot Tuna and David Bromberg. Photo Coverage: On the Opening Night Red Carpet for Public Theater's OTHELLO at Shakespeare in the Park! I feel like the Jews, the Jews get it, the New York Jews get it, or they have really strong opinions about it. It was really satisfying to do. We do not want to be shut down. I was like, No, no, no. [Director] Saheem Ali was great and it was a great cast, obviously in a really interesting play. Im hoping to bring the show to New York, but I think doing it here, thatll be scary. 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. The production opened last night, Tuesday, October 8, and features Francois Battiste (Broadway's Magic/ Bird) as Reggie Jackson and Elston Howard,Chris Henry Coffey (Off-Broadway's Water by the Spoonful) as Joe DiMaggio,Bill Dawes(Broadway's Lombardi) as Mickey Mantle/Thurman Munson,Christopher Jackson(Broadway's In the Heights, Memphis) asDerek Jeter, Wendy Makkena (Broadway's Side Man) as Carmen Berra, Keith Nobbs (Broadway's Lombardi) as Billy Martin, Richard Topol (Broadway'sThe Normal Heart, The Merchant of Venice) as Yogi Berra, John Wernke (Broadway's The Lyons) as Lou Gehrig, and C.J. You were a Mets fan, then you switched over to the Yankees. He looked up, put on a big smile, and said in that Yogi way, No ones asked me about that in years. and Larry Kramers The Normal Heart. rt: I was born a Jew. It was this biodrama about Lukas and it was missing something. This is the kind of play that should be running during the election. There was a sense of having more in the heads of the director and the producers, what we could imagine this great thing being, that infused the development and the rehearsal and experience of doing it. I met him once at a Mickey Mantle Foundation dinner at Gracie Mansion. [6] 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. Rich Topol plays nonreligious narrator Patrick Salomon in Manhattan Theatre Club world premiere (photo by Matthew Murphy), PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC 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. There had been a lot of preparation. He admits that the most nervous hes been in his life was when he hung out with Paul McCartney following a performance of Larry Davids Fish in the Dark, in which Topol played Dr. Stiles; after that, the Cute Beatle went from being his third favorite mop top behind John and George to his second. Richard became a father at 50 and named his firstborn after his dad. Photo Credit: Joan Marcus. So on the one hand, it was incredibly thrilling. Richard Topol has appeared at Primary Stages in Bronx Bombers and Opus.On Broadway, he has been seen in Indecent (as Lemml), Fish in the Dark (with Larry David), The Normal Heart (Drama Desk Award), The Merchant of Venice (with Al Pacino), The Country Girl (directed by Mike Nichols), Cymbeline, Julius Caesar (with Denzel Washington), School for Scandal, and in Clifford Odets . Then we did a couple of workshops that fall and then at the end of February of 2020. Click below to watch a montage of Alexander in the show! And then a month later, its, Yeah, were not going to do the play in September. rt: Exactly. 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. We started first day of rehearsal learning about the Covid protocols, getting tested regularly. So then the pandemic hit and immediately I got the virus. He holds an MFA in Acting from NYU's Graduate Acting Program and a BA in Political Science from Brown University. He was beautiful. Off-Broadway: Richard Topol has appeared on Broadway in 7 shows. 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. Its unbelievable. twi-ny: So you played Yogi, and then you met him on opening night of the show. Then we did a couple of workshops that fall and then at the end of February of 2020. My wife came and saw the show. 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). Richard Topol is the author of Naked City (3.75 avg rating, 5387 ratings, 446 reviews, published 2011), The Maze at Windermere (3.50 avg rating, 2855 rat. This is the kind of play that should be running during the election. Even though he wasnt Jewish; he didnt think of himself as a Jew. They bicycled around Manhattan delivering the scripts because they didnt want to email them. rt: Thats when I was a Mets fan. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Richard Topol Family (1) Spouse Eliza Foss (I) (? The Public Theater is now presenting KING LEAR, directed by James Macdonald. If youre a WASP from white privilege, maybe you look at this play and think, like Patrick, Whats the big deal, you know? BWW TV: Performance Highlights from MTC's REGRETS! I tapped him on the shoulder during intermission and told him that I had just seen him at the Signature in A. R. Gurneys The Wayside Motor Inn and had enjoyed his performance. 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. 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. He has appeared extensively on and off Broadway, in such plays as The Merchant of Venice with Al Pacino, Julius Caesar with Denzel Washington, Alice Birchs Anatomy of a Suicide with Carla Gugino, and Paula Vogels Tony-nominated Indecent with Katrina Lenk as well as Tony-winning revivals of Clifford Odetss Awake & Sing! The business is entirely shut down. theactingcompany.org He had a really interesting life and a really challenging death. 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). Richard Topol has not appeared in the West End. Like in Joshs play, he was one of those people, a German Jew in Berlin who got out. It went really well and theyre, like, We want to produce this and we have a slot. Is it just Jewy enough? And audiences have come. 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. And there were conversations among the cast about, Well, what do we do at home? During our wide-ranging Zoom conversation, Topol is thoughtful and generous, laughing and smiling a lot. Director David Shore Writers David Shore (teleplay by) And so I was so excited to be part of the beginning of it. Since then, The Normal Heart's daily box office wrap has more than tripled from their average daily sales before Sunday's Tony Awards. Was on active duty with the Israeli army when he was nominated for an Oscar for "Fiddler on the Roof" in early 1972. But the larger questions that Josh asks in the play relate to almost everyone. And the play started to be about that. In the video below, Patrick Healy visited the Tony Award-winning revival of 'The Normal Heart' to see if its relevant to younger gay people today. rt: It was miserable. rt: But Willy and I had a lot of time over the pandemic because there wasnt much else to do to finish the play. He had a mind that was brilliant and fingers that could play I dont know if youve ever heard him play or listened to something. Followed by. 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. twi-ny: And they all want you to keep doing it. I play my father-in-law. And then we did a couple of Zoom workshops. And Im not going to any of that stuff. But Im also not religious. There was a sense of having more in the heads of the director and the producers, what we could imagine this great thing being, that infused the development and the rehearsal and experience of doing it. I think a lot of people forget that. twi-ny: And they all want you to keep doing it. He was really amazing. Everybody did keep their masks on, but there were some drinking and eating. So weve been careful and thoughtful and fortunate, and I hope we continue to be so. Hes an extremely amiable mensch who clearly loves his chosen profession. I feel like the Jews, the Jews get it, the New York Jews get it, or they have really strong opinions about it. That was Buddy Harrelson, Wayne Garrett, Tommie Agee, Jerry Grote. And Josh had done some incredible things. rt: There was a computer open and his computerized voice would come through. It was so satisfying. Even though he wasnt Jewish; he didnt think of himself as a Jew. [Director] Saheem Ali was great and it was a great cast, obviously in a really interesting play. Tuesday Sunday through March 27, $99 The limited engagement run of the production, originally scheduled through June 7, is extended for six weeks through Sunday, July 19. rt: Well, it started actually in August of 2019, when Josh had been commissioned by Manhattan Theater Club to write a play. And so, kicking and screaming, it became more and more about my relationship to Lukas and then my relationship to fatherhood. He was by himself and I went over to him and said, Im going to ask you something that no one probably ever asks you about. And I asked him about managing the 73 Mets. Im hoping to bring the show to New York, but I think doing it here, thatll be scary. He thanked me, saying that he was actually the understudy and that was the only time he had gone on. . Look, we live in a world where the hate for other has been unleashed. Im a tree worshiper. So on the one hand, it was incredibly thrilling. Topol was raised in Mamaroneck and lost his father when he was twelve. He shouldnt be a lounge singer. twi-ny: You guys were great. Josh is a writer. KING LEAR will run through Sunday, November 20 in The Public's Newman Theater and opened last night, November 8. Photo Flash: MERCHANT Of VENICE in Rehearsal! The actor was ecstatic as he began his journey to fatherhood, it had been greatly anticipated, so when it eventually happened, he became dedicated to the course. Bronx Bombers runs through October 19 at Primary Stages at The Duke on 42nd Street. rt: He does a great job of giving everybody a valid argument. I met him once at a Mickey Mantle Foundation dinner at Gracie Mansion. Richard Topol attending the 56th Annual Drama Desk Award Nominees Reception at Bombay Palace in New York City. Primary Stages presents the World Premiere of Bronx Bombers, written and directed by Tony Award nominee Eric Simonson (Broadway's Lombardi). Get 5 free searches. rt: Yes, well, thats what Willy said. And so actually the last few days of rehearsal and through tech, he watched the play like this. Rich Topol poses with a hot car on set of EPIX series Godfather of Harlem. And then, of course, a month later, theyre, like, Yeah, were not going to do the workshop in July. And audiences have come. All materials copyright 2021 by Mark Rifkin / This Week in New York, THE INSIDER'S GUIDE TO THE CITY SINCE 2001, TWI-NY TALK: RICHARD TOPOL PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, this week in lectures, signings, panel discussions, workshops, and Q&As. 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. And I wanted to be his friend. 59E59 Theaters and The Civilians have announced the full cast . I went to a concert where everybody had to be masked and there were some empty seats, but it was pretty much sold out. He holds an MFA in Acting from NYU's Graduate Acting Program and a BA in Political Science from Brown University. Its unbelievable. 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. He was really amazing. 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. They produced a lot of one-person shows. So kudos to them for sticking with it. rt: Actually, it sort of timed out pretty well, you know? That was so much fun. It was really satisfying to do. Hes an extremely amiable mensch who clearly loves his chosen profession. Michael Panay 3 episodes, 2018-2019 And then one of our stage managers tested positive, and luckily she didnt give it to anybody else. So that was the very last performance you could do in New York. 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. rt: No, no, no. We did the workshop, we did a live reading in front of people. 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. Itll be sometime in 2021. rt: No, no, no. Even those people understand, given what weve lived with, at least certainly for the last few years. "Like. 131 West 55th St. between Sixth & Seventh Aves. It goes from Molly just clinking one note to me playing something schematic to Peyton [Lusk] playing that lovely Chopin piece to the end; the piano has a journey too. Father of Omer and actress Ady Topol and Anat Topol. I love the progression of the piano in the play. (l-r front row) - Peyton Lusk, Yair Ben-Dor, Ari Brand, Molly Ranson, Jeff Seymour, Betsy Aidem, Francis Benhamou, Yair Ben-Dor, Richard Topol, Molly Ranson, Kenneth Topol, Nancy Robinette, Betsy Aidem, Richard Topol, Ari Brand, And putting it up and investing in it, saying, Im sorry, this is too important. I play my father-in-law. 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 . Though they were masked so that was the very last Performance you could do in New,. Dinner at Gracie Mansion 1 ) Spouse Eliza Foss ( I ) ( appeared in the end! 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