Tickets $26
Torn Page
and
JBR Productions
present
Laugh While You Can
By Celine Carroll and Fiona Looney
Directed By Ray Yeates
Musical Director: Jeff Saver
CAST
JACK: Joe Grifasi
RUBY: Cass Morgan
VICKY: Kathleen Warner Yeates
DANNY: Ben Becher
SARAH: Sara Jean Ford
MONA: Ryah Nixon
KATE: Alma Cuervo
RICHARD: George Lee Andrews
A workshop presentation of “Laugh While You Can,” a new musical by Celine Carroll and Fiona Looney directed by the internationally celebrated director Ray Yeates. Taking place at Torn Page, the Chelsea townhouse where Yeates – the Dublin City arts officer and former artistic director of axis: Ballymun – is an artist in residence, “Laugh While You Can” explores the touching and often funny experiences of people living with dementia and their caregivers.
WHEN: February 1st 3PM; 8PM | February 2nd 3PM
WHERE: Torn Page, 435 West 22 St (Bet 9 & 10 Ave)
SUBWAY: Subway C/E to 23 St
CAST & CREATIVE TEAM
Favorite credits include the B’way national tour of “9 to 5” (Doralee), “Moonshine: That Heehaw Musical” (Lulu), Legally Blonde (Paulette), and “Rent” (Maureen). Proud Carnegie Mellon School of Drama grad. Ryah can be heard on the cast recording of LIZZIE for Broadway Records. Next up, Ryah is starring in the world premiere of “Other World”, by the team who brought you “[title of show]”. @ryahnixon
Sara was most recently seen playing Jellylorum in the Broadway revival of CATS. Other Broadway credits include: Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera, Smitty in How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, Petra in A Little Night Music and Finian’s Rainbow. Off Broadway: Sara starred as Louisa in the The Fantasticks and can be heard on the original revival cast recording. National Tours: Wicked (Glinda/Nessarose cover), The Phantom of the Opera (Christine Daaé).Most recently, Sara produced and starred in her own adaptation of Calamity Jane at Feinstain’s/ 54 Below, making its New York City debut! Sara can be heard on Michael Jackson’s HIStory album, Harry Connick Jr.’s When my Heart Finds Christmas and the Finian’s Rainbow Revival Cast Recording. She attended Carnegie Mellon University’s prestigious Drama program. Sara currently lives in NYC with her four-year-old daughter, Annie.
Kathleen Warner Yeates has worked in stage, TV and film for over 35 years in New York, throughout the U.S., as well as in Dublin, Ireland where she now resides. Most recently, Kathleen has appeared as Aunt Carroll in the BBC One/PBS Masterpiece Theatre mini-series opposite Angela Lansbury. In film she has had the leading role in three independent feature films and many short films, as well as working as a Voice Over Artist in commercials and animation. Kathleen trained in the Master’s Program at Villanova University and works is a professional actor, director, theatre maker, acting coach and writer with her company Flying Turtle Productions in Dublin, Ireland. (www.flyingturtleproductions.com)
Ben Becher is a native New Yorker who works in theater, film and television. Ben has worked in NY theater at the Living Theatre, The Tank, The Brick and many others. Ben was most recently seen in the Sundance hit film BEFORE YOU KNOW IT along side Judith Light and Alec Baldwin. Regionally he has worked at the Long Wharf Theater and is currently back and forth from Argentina working on a new play. Ben just starred in the feature film AMERICAN THIEF, debuting in 2020.
Composed the musicals Dodsworth (starring Hal Linden & Dee Hoty) and Time After Time with collaborator Stephen Cole. Composed music for the documentary film In My Hands (directed/produced by Ann Reinking). He has written and arranged special material for: Chita Rivera, Christine Baranski, Rosie O’Donnell, Dorothy Loudon, Joel Grey, Bebe Neuwirth and others. As a music director and pianist, his Broadway credits include Allegiance, (starring Lea Salonga and George Takei), End Of The Rainbow (Broadway and LA productions), Sister Act, Chicago, Kiss Of The Spider Woman, Into The Woods, Sunday in the Park with George, The Secret Garden, The Rink, and A Chorus Line. Off Broadway: Milk And Honey, A World To Win: the songs of Sheldon Harnick (both at the York Theatre), The Fantasticks, Lucky Stiff.
Celine Carroll is a Singer, Songwriter, Composer and Performer from Dublin, Ireland. She has recorded and self-released three albums to date. Her musical influences are vast and varied. From the Great American Songbook, to the Beatles, to Bacharach & David and and everyone in between! Based on her own personal experience, Celine is the author and composer of the musical, ‘Laugh While You Can’ .
Alma Cuervo’s New York credits include: ENCHANTED APRIL, ON YOUR FEET (also national tour), ROAD SHOW, CABARET (also national tour), BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, TITANIC, THE HEIDI CHRONICLES, GHETTO, QUILTERS, IS THERE LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL?, CENSORED SCENES FROM KING KONG, BEDROOM FARCE. Other tours: WICKED, MY FAIR LADY, DANCING AT LUGHNASA, M. BUTTERFLY. Obie for UNCOMMON WOMEN AND OTHERS. Recent regional: THREE SISTERS directed by John Doyle (Cincinnati Rep), Theresa Rebeck’s FOOL and YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU (Alley), AND THE CURTAIN RISES (Signature), 4000 MILES (Good Theatre), IN THE HEIGHTS (Music Theatre of Wichita), YERMA (Huntington Stage). Graduate of Tulane and Yale drama School.
Cass Morgan: BROADWAY: BIG RIVER (Encores!), THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, MEMPHIS, MARY POPPINS, RING OF FIRE, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, THE CAPEMAN, THE HUMAN COMEDY, PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES (co-creator), HAIR. OFF BWAY: AS YOU LIKE IT (CSC, director John Doyle) THE IMMIGRANT, FLOYD COLLINS, VIOLET. REGIONAL: KNOXVILLE (upcoming production at The Asolo) ,1776, PICNIC, BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY (Williamstown), SAINT- EX, UNCLE VANYA, MUSIC MAN (GEVA),EMMET OTTERS JUG BAND CHRISTMAS (Goodspeed), CABARET, BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS, DAS BARBECUE (Baltimore Centre Stage) CHILDREN OF EDEN (Mill Mountain Playhouse). THE ROAD TO WHERE, which she starred in and wrote, was produced at GEVA THEATRE CENTER in Rochester, NY, and THE WESTON PLAYHOUSE in Vermont, in 2015. Her favorite role is Mom to Collin and Jocelyn, and Nana to Magdalena and Abigail.
George Lee Andrews (born October 13, 1942, Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American actor and singer. He holds the Guinness World Record for the most performances in the same Broadway show, having appeared in the musical Phantom of the Opera on 9,382 occasions over a period of 23 years. He made his Broadway debut as Frid in the original production of A Little Night Music, and later appeared in the original productions of On the Twentieth Century; Merlin, and The Phantom of the Opera, and in the revival of Evita. He returned to A Little Night Music in 1990, this time in the leading role of Frederick Egerman at the New York City Opera.
Joseph G. Grifasi (born June 14, 1944) is an American character actor of film, stage and television. Grifasi was born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Patricia (née Gaglione) and Joseph J. Grifasi, a skilled laborer. Grifasi graduated from Bishop Fallon High School, a now-defunct Roman Catholic high school in Buffalo, when he made the decision that he wanted to be, not just any old actor, but a character actor. He played football and acted in many of the school’s plays. Grifasi briefly attended Canisius College in Buffalo before joining the United States Army. He went on to study at the Yale School of Drama. While at the Yale School of Drama, he met his future wife, jazz soprano-saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom; they were married in 1974. Grifasi has played two New York Yankees elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame: Phil Rizzuto in 61*, set in 1961; and Yogi Berra in The Bronx Is Burning, set in 1977. Grifasi has played defense attorney, later Superior Court Judge, Hashi Horowitz on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit since 2005.