rt: Well, it started actually in August of 2019, when Josh had been commissioned by Manhattan Theater Club to write a play. Its a short question, right? Tuesday Sunday through March 27, $99 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. Im like, Okay, sure. Rich Topol plays nonreligious narrator Patrick Salomon in Manhattan Theatre Club world premiere (photo by Matthew Murphy), PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC Just last night, Manhattan Theatre Club celebrated opening night of the Broadway premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning How I Learned to Drive, at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Richard became a father at 50 and named his firstborn after his dad. And audiences have come. Resides in Tallahassee, FL. Lived In Crawfordville FL, Lakeland FL. Photo Coverage: New Dramatists Honor Roger Berlind at Starry Luncheon, Photo Coverage: Drama Desk Nominee Reception - The Men, Photo Coverage: THE NORMAL HEART on Broadway Curtain Call. And then when we started up on our feet, we were unmasked, for those who were comfortable with that. And thoughtful in allowing them to be really articulate people who have really strong opinions, and those opinions are different. rt: Exactly. This is the kind of play that should be running during the election. And so I was so excited to be part of the beginning of it. The ones who are not Jews often say how the Jews in the play are just a specific example of the larger issue of otherness. And so, kicking and screaming, it became more and more about my relationship to Lukas and then my relationship to fatherhood. Even those people understand, given what weve lived with, at least certainly for the last few years. Im a tree worshiper. But I feel like he shouldnt be a better piano player than I am in this play. rt: I have asked that of my non-Jewish friends. Youre not invested in a team, the whole idea of a team creating a thing and living together and becoming a version of a theater family, or whatever it is. www.youtube.com. Right. And Ive been an actor for over three decades. 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. Rich Topol starred as stage manager Lemml in Indecent (photo by Carol Rosegg). Im not going to risk that. Primary Stages presents the World Premiere of Bronx Bombers, written and directed by Tony Award nominee Eric Simonson (Broadway's Lombardi). 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. 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. Topol was raised in Mamaroneck and lost his father when he was twelve. They produced Lanford Wilsons Talleys Folly they cast a married couple who played the two parts. Richard Topol ("Moshe Sharett") has recently starred in Paula Vogel 's Indecent at the Vineyard Theater and on Broadway, and appeared in HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and Fish In The Dark. I went to a concert where everybody had to be masked and there were some empty seats, but it was pretty much sold out. Posts about Richard Topol written by caroleditosti. During the pandemic, they are looking inside artistic creation with In Process, a series of online presentations written by and starring alumni. rt: He was great, for a seventy-year-old man. I play my father-in-law. And in the scenes where I play myself, most of that writing is me, having written down my versions of stories that Ive experienced. When they said, Will you read Patrick? 212-581-1212 At that time I was reading Charles, actually. By Steve Feeney Share Rich. Ive always had this obsession with searching for a father and he was my father-in-law, so lets do that. Then when my wife told the story to Willy about when she gave birth the opening scene of the play is her giving birth to our daughter and Elizas parents, in black tie, come in from a gala, bursting into the delivery room because they thought she was about to have a baby she was about to have a baby were like, What are you doing here? And so it was the worst it could be without being bad. We have a place upstate that we escaped too, and I got a call two days later from my agents. It went really well and theyre, like, We want to produce this and we have a slot. in MTC's REGRETS. The play was well received, so I didnt have the experience of Oh, that sucked. 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. And again, he didnt give it to anybody else. He was really amazing. My father died in 1975; I dont remember whether I jumped ship in 74 or 75. 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! After a break, In Process returns April 21-25 with Muse, a new play written and directed by Tom Alan Robbins, starring Dakin Matthews as a painter and Helen Cespedes as an aspiring artist and his inspiration, followed May 24 with a virtual adaptation of Nilo Cruzs Pulitzer-winning Anna in the Tropics, directed by Alejandro Rodriguez. Topol was raised in Mamaroneck and lost his father when he was twelve. They want to do a workshop in July and then well go into rehearsal in September and run till Christmas. The Mets had been to the World Series, right? The language is so beautiful. It was this biodrama about Lukas and it was missing something. RICHARD TOPOL. And thoughtful in allowing them to be really articulate people who have really strong opinions, and those opinions are different. Related To Adriana Topol, Jeffrey Topol, Margaret Topol, Amy Topol, Herbert Topol. Even if you dont recognize his name, youre likely to know his face; he has approximately fifty television and film credits, including portraying lawyer and politician James Speed in Steven Spielbergs Lincoln, a recurring role on The Practice, and multiple parts on several Law & Order iterations. Maybe Im fooling myself. Foss' eclectic music underscores Rich's funny and poignant journey to fatherhood. I was doing Anatomy of a Suicide at the Atlantic Theater Company. 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. And then because the pandemic happened, we both had the time to really work on it. . And so what to do about that? I was like, No, no, no. Were already verklempt about it. rt: Exactly, the third guy from the left. Rich Topol poses with a hot car on set of EPIX series Godfather of Harlem. to Mozart: David Beach Tackles an 'Opus', Photo Coverage: 'Opus' Opens at Primary Stages, Photo Flash: 'Opus' in Previews at Primary Stages. And I survived. Look, we live in a world where the hate for other has been unleashed. Thats the way I connect to religion. I feel like the Jews, the Jews get it, the New York Jews get it, or they have really strong opinions about it. It doesnt have any songs . At least in that experience I can cut myself some slack. He doesnt take over the family business. While speaking about his son, he mentioned that his mini-me is "the joy of my life. At that time I was reading Charles, actually. 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. Rich Topol is third guy from the right in cast and crew photo from Prayer for the French Republic opening night (photo 2022 by Daniel Rader). The production opened Tuesday, February 1 at New York City Center Stage I (131 West 55th Street). We did that reading and I think it confirmed for Manhattan Theatre Club and for Josh that he had latched on to something incredible. 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. But his true love is theater, which he also teaches. They bicycled around Manhattan delivering the scripts because they didnt want to email them. He had Parkinsons disease. The Unbelieving begins previews October 20, 2022, in Theater B and opens October 27 for a run through November 20, 2022. Im always curious about what my non-Jewish friends who come and see the show think of it. I love Charles. Im like, Okay, sure. I dont think Im as extreme as Patrick; Patrick is a Jew who doesnt know anything about his Judaism and is happy to not know anything about his Judaism and is somebody who thinks of organized religion as what he says in the play, which is bullshit.. But at that point were like, Okay, were just wearing masks the whole time. Click below to watch a montage of Alexander in the show! And then because the pandemic happened, we both had the time to really work on it. Behind him in his living room is a landscape by his mother-in-law, the painter and teacher Cornelia (Brendel) Foss. at New York City Center, Joanna 'JoJo' Levesque Will Join MOULIN ROUGE! 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. So that was the very last performance you could do in New York. Preceded by. Rich Topol debuted his intimate one-person show at Portland Stage in November (photo by No Umbrella Media LLC). Bikeman will be available to listen to online on demand from September 8-18, 2022. 131 West 55th St. between Sixth & Seventh Aves. Richard Topol is an actor. Thats the way I connect to religion. Here we have been waiting for so long to do it. 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. Frances Benhamou, Kenneth Tigar, Richard Topol, Nancy Robinette, Joshua Harmon And the first two drafts of it were about that. Shipwreck was the closest we got to working on a play because we rehearsed for a couple of weeks and it felt like, Okay, Im going to rehearsal today. And then Willys like, Come on, come on. 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. Photo Coverage: On the Red Carpet for Vineyard Theatre's Spring Gala! If youre a WASP from white privilege, maybe you look at this play and think, like Patrick, Whats the big deal, you know? But still there was that sense of, Whos producing a new eleven-person play, with nobody famous? rt: He was really sweet and really happy to be there and to be seeing this play with his wife, Carmen, having this stuff brought to life. Ive been to some plays where Im sitting right next to total strangers and everybody has their mask on, and this was the same. Its interesting because it connects to the father thing. twi-ny: Its been very strange. I know I was a Mets fan in 73, and then we moved, and my next-door neighbor was a Yankees fan. And so I was like, Okay, fine. Lets do what we can. 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. I read it to myself and I thought, this is the best play Ive read in ten years. BroadwayWorld was on hang for the big night and you can check out photos from the star-studded red carpet arrivals. No, no, please dont. 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. [6] rt: Right. He looked up, put on a big smile, and said in that Yogi way, No ones asked me about that in years. rt: Yes, well, thats what Willy said. I did go see Hot Tuna and David Bromberg. Originally from Larchmont, NY, he now lives in New York City with his wife, actress, Richard Topol as Fritz Haber in Genius: Einstein, Episode 7, Richard Topol as Fritz Haber on Genius: Einstein episode 1. So kudos to them for sticking with it. 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. "Like. Why am I doing this play? I dont subscribe there. Are you Jewish, or is it just a coincidence that you play a lot of Jews? rt: I was born a Jew. Its interesting because it connects to the father thing. 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. rt: Exactly. Im a tree hugger. Now, of course, Im totally madly in love with Patrick and I wouldnt have it any other way. Im hoping to bring the show to New York, but I think doing it here, thatll be scary. And Im not going to any of that stuff. I met him once at a Mickey Mantle Foundation dinner at Gracie Mansion. rt: Right. rt: He does a great job of giving everybody a valid argument. Wayne Alan Wilcox, Richard Topol, Jim Parsons, Ellen Barkin, Joe Mantello attending the Broadway Opening Night Performance for 'The Normal Heart' in New York City. 59E59 Theaters and The Civilians have announced the full cast & creative team for The Unbelieving is now officially open, and will run through November 20, 2022. rt: Actually, it sort of timed out pretty well, you know? rt: Yeah. He was beautiful. He doesnt take over the family business. They hand delivered the scripts to everybodys homes. So then the pandemic hit and immediately I got the virus. So it was thrilling to be back in a theater on a stage with a live audience, even though they were masked. Youre not invested in a team, the whole idea of a team creating a thing and living together and becoming a version of a theater family, or whatever it is. Richard J Topol, 79. BWW TV: FISH IN THE DARK Montage! Broadway: Lemml in Indecent (Outer Critics Circle Award Nomination), Larry David's Fish in the Dark, The Merchant of Venice with Al Pacino, Tony-winning revivals Awake & Sing! And then one of our stage managers tested positive, and luckily she didnt give it to anybody else. rt: Thats when I was a Mets fan. Everybody did keep their masks on, but there were some drinking and eating. Is it just Jewy enough? I mean, I also shot some TV shows over the course of the pandemic, so all of the Zoom stuff felt more like the way an actor like me connects to short-term work. What was the experience like sharing your life, in person, in front of people, back onstage? rt: Yeah, I know. 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 . Latest News on Richard Topol: Photos: Go Inside Opening Night of THE UNBELIEVING at 59E59 Theaters (Oct 31, 2022) Review: THE UNBELIEVING at 59E59 Theaters- Compelling Play Presents A Meaningful. (l-r backrow) " David Cromer, Pierre Epstein, Jeff Seymour, Molly Ranson, Betsy Aidem, So what could it be about. He covered everything. rt: We were wearing masks around the table. Or is it not? And so the ones that I was willing to share were the ones that couldnt be avoided and, I guess, were the most important. The business is entirely shut down. He had Parkinsons disease. What was that like? Were already verklempt about it. 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. I didnt have it like Danny Burstein; I didnt have to go to the hospital. rt: Exactly. I remember at the time talking with people and saying, Oh my God, this is the longest period of time between . twi-ny: Okay, for my last question, I have a sort of bone to pick with you. rt: Yeah, I know. Lets do what we can. If you can listen to him playing on Lenny Bernsteins Age of Anxiety, listen to the piano on that. I was like, No, no, no, no, no. rt: Right. Get 5 free searches. But then I went to a hockey game and sixteen thousand people are screaming, no masks, lots of eating and drinking. You played Yogi in Bronx Bombers. twi-ny: You guys were great. And so the guy lost his physical abilities and his mental abilities. My father died in 1975; I dont remember whether I jumped ship in 74 or 75. 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