Looped
Encyclopedia
Looped is a play
by Matthew Lombardo that had its Broadway run in 2010, after two previous productions in 2008 and 2009, all of them featuring Valerie Harper
.
, Pasadena, California
in 2008 and then played the Cuillo Centre for the Arts, West Palm Beach, Florida
. In Washington, DC the play ran at the Arena Stage
in May through June 2009.
Valerie Harper
starred in all productions.
It began preview performances on Broadway
at the Lyceum Theatre
on February 19, 2010, and opened on March 14, 2010. Directed by Rob Ruggiero, the play starred Valerie Harper in a Tony Award
-nominated performance and featured Brian Hutchison
and Michael Mulheren
. Looped closed on April 11, 2010 after 25 performances and 27 previews. The creative team included sets by Adrian W. Jones, costumes by William Ivey Long
, lighting by Ken Billington
, and direction by Rob Ruggiero.
needed eight hours to redub (or "loop", whose double meaning provides the show's title) one line of dialogue for her last movie, Die! Die! My Darling!. Though Bankhead's outsized personality dominates the play, the sub-story involves her battle of wills with a film editor named Danny Miller, who's had the good fortune to have been selected to work that particular sound editing session.
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
by Matthew Lombardo that had its Broadway run in 2010, after two previous productions in 2008 and 2009, all of them featuring Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper is an American actress, known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on the 1970s television show The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and for her starring roles on the sitcoms Rhoda and Valerie.-Early life and career:Harper was born at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, Rockland County,...
.
Productions
Looped premiered at the Pasadena PlayhousePasadena Playhouse
The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engagements each year.-History:...
, Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
in 2008 and then played the Cuillo Centre for the Arts, West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
. In Washington, DC the play ran at the Arena Stage
Arena Stage
Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest Washington, D.C. Its declared mission"is to produce huge plays of all that is passionate, exuberant, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit. Arena has broad shoulders and a capacity to produce anything from vast epics...
in May through June 2009.
Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper is an American actress, known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on the 1970s television show The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and for her starring roles on the sitcoms Rhoda and Valerie.-Early life and career:Harper was born at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, Rockland County,...
starred in all productions.
It began preview performances on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
at the Lyceum Theatre
Lyceum Theatre
- United Kingdom :* Lyceum Theatre, London, a 2,000-seat West End theatre located in the City of Westminster* Lyceum Theatre , an Edwardian period Grade II listed building and theatre* Lyceum Theatre , a 1068-seat theatre in the City of Sheffield...
on February 19, 2010, and opened on March 14, 2010. Directed by Rob Ruggiero, the play starred Valerie Harper in a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-nominated performance and featured Brian Hutchison
Brian Hutchison
Brian Hutchison is an American actor based in New York City. Most of his professional career has been spent in the theater, but he has also appeared in several major movies and US television series....
and Michael Mulheren
Michael Mulheren
- Theatre :Mulheren's Broadway debut was in 1995 in On the Waterfront, after previously appearing in The Fantastickss off-Broadway run in the 1960s. He also appeared in the 1997 production of Broadway's The Titanic. Other Broadway credits include The Boy from Oz and La Cage aux Folles; his...
. Looped closed on April 11, 2010 after 25 performances and 27 previews. The creative team included sets by Adrian W. Jones, costumes by William Ivey Long
William Ivey Long
William Ivey Long is an American costume designer for stage and film. His most notable work includes The Producers, Hairspray, Nine, Crazy for You, Grey Gardens and Young Frankenstein.-Early life and education:...
, lighting by Ken Billington
Ken Billington
Ken Billington is an American lighting designer. He began his career in New York City working as an assistant to Tharon Musser....
, and direction by Rob Ruggiero.
Plot
Based on a real event, Looped takes place in the summer of 1965, when an inebriated Tallulah BankheadTallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Brockman Bankhead was an award-winning American actress of the stage and screen, talk-show host, and bonne vivante...
needed eight hours to redub (or "loop", whose double meaning provides the show's title) one line of dialogue for her last movie, Die! Die! My Darling!. Though Bankhead's outsized personality dominates the play, the sub-story involves her battle of wills with a film editor named Danny Miller, who's had the good fortune to have been selected to work that particular sound editing session.