Wheelbarrow Closers is a 1976 play written by Louis La Russo II. The show opened at the Bijou Theatre

Bijou Theatre

Two Broadway theatres have been named the Bijou Theatre.The first was converted into a theatre in 1878 and rebuilt in 1883. It was often called the Bijou Opera House and was located at 1239 Broadway. It was also sometimes called The Brighton Theatre. It became a popular venue for operettas in...

 on October 11, 1976 and closed on October 16, 1976 after 8 performances.

Original Production

The show was directed by Paul Sorvino

Paul Sorvino

Paul Anthony Sorvino is an American actor. He often portrays authority figures on both sides of the law, and is possibly best known for his roles as Paulie Cicero, a portrayal of Paul Vario in the film Goodfellas and Sgt. Phil Cerreta on the police procedural and legal drama television series Law...

, scenery Charles Carmello Jr., supervised 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....

, costumes Jan Wallace, supervised Carol Luiken, lighting Leon Di Leone, associate producers Michael Bash, Howard Wesson, and Irving Warhaftig, production stage manager Gary Stein, and press by Max Eisen, Barbara Glenn, Irene Gandy, and Judy Jacksina.

The cast starred Norah Foster (Millie Grant), Ray Serra (John Mogan), Harvey Seigel (Larry Freede), Frances Helm (Beatrice Grant), James Allan Bartz (Chet Grant), Danny Aiello

Danny Aiello

Daniel Louis "Danny" Aiello, Jr. is an American actor who has appeared in numerous motion pictures, including Once Upon a Time in America, Ruby, The Godfather: Part II, Hudson Hawk, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Moonstruck, Léon, Two Days in the Valley, and Dinner Rush...

 (Chester Grant), and Tom Degidon (Wilfred Dee).

Adaptions

It was adapted into the 1990 film The CloserIMDB, starring Danny Aiello

Danny Aiello

Daniel Louis "Danny" Aiello, Jr. is an American actor who has appeared in numerous motion pictures, including Once Upon a Time in America, Ruby, The Godfather: Part II, Hudson Hawk, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Moonstruck, Léon, Two Days in the Valley, and Dinner Rush...

, Michael Paré

Michael Paré

- Early life :Paré was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Joan, a homemaker, and Francis Paré, who owned print shops. He had six sisters and three brothers. Paré's father was of French-Canadian ancestry and his mother of Irish ancestry....

, and Justine Bateman

Justine Bateman

Justine Tanya Bateman is an American actress, writer, and producer. She is best known for her regular role as Mallory Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties...

.

External links

• http://www.hobokenmuseum.org/chapbooks/09-LaRussochapbk.pdf - Memoir by Louis La Russo II
• http://broadwayworld.com/shows/?showid=323328 - Wheelbarrow Closers at Broadwayworld.com