Final performances - must close August 3rd!

A new play by Matthew Lombardo
Directed by Rob Ruggiero
June 27 - August 3

From the writer of the hit play Tea at Five!

Looped tells the story of Tallulah Bankhead, the original celebrity bad girl, being called into a sound studio to "loop" one line of dialogue for what would be her last film. Southern, but by no means a belle, Ms. Bankhead was known for her wild partying that outshined even today's superstars. Relish in the promiscuity, scandal and outrageous wit of this sultry-voiced stage and film star.

Approximate run time: 1 hour and 45 minutes with an intermission.

Starring:
Valerie Harper as Tallulah Bankhead
Chad Allen as Danny Miller

Quotes and Reviews

"Entertainment value is guaranteed! Valerie Harper brings Tallulah Bankhead's outrageousness and glamour to life!"
- Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times

"Harper has found the second role of a lifetime in Matthew Lombardo's riveting new play!"
- Jay Reiner, The Hollywood Reporter

"GO! Lombardo's dialogue is hilarious!"
- LA Weekly

"Harper's comedy chops eclipse even Tallulah's!"
- Bob Verini, Variety

"A tour-de-force turn by Valerie Harper!"
- Jonas Schwartz, TheaterMania

Related Links
More about the creative team:

     Matthew Lombardo
     Rob Ruggiero
     Tallulah Bankhead


Quotes and Reviews

Coming soon!


Related Links*
Valerie Harper’s Official Website
Chad Allen Online
Rob Ruggiero’s Official Website
Tallulah Bankhead on Wikipedia
Tallulah Bankhead fun quotes

Blog

Facebook Page
MySpace Page

Matthew Lombardo (Playwright) is extremely grateful to be returning to Pasadena Playhouse after having enjoyed a sold-out run of Tea at Five starring Kate Mulgrew three years earlier. That production, which earned Mr. Lombardo the 2002 IRNE Award for Best Solo Play, had its world premiere at Hartford Stage followed by a successful run Off-Broadway at the Promenade Theatre. The play continues to tour the country, having played well over 1000 performances nationwide and has just debuted internationally with a Finnish speaking production in Helsinki, Finland. Mr. Lombardo’s other Off-Broadway credits include directing the hit comedy End Of The World Party by Chuck Ranberg at the 47th Street Theatre, Mother and Child at Second Stage Theatre and Guilty Innocence at The Actors’ Playhouse, serving the latter two productions as both Playwright and Director. Regionally, he has directed the 20th Anniversary production of Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song Trilogy at the American Stage Company and the west coast premiere of Mother and Child starring Tony Award-winning actress Ann Wedgeworth at the Coast Playhouse. Having written for the television series Another World, Mr. Lombardo garnered a 1993 Writer’s Guild Award Nomination for Outstanding Achievement. Other plays include The Kennel Club, House of Atreus, Trolls and he is currently writing a new drama entitled High. He continues to acknowledge that nothing is accomplished without the love and support of his family and friends and humbly dedicates this play to Eddie.

Rob Ruggiero (Director): is delighted to be making his Pasadena Playhouse debut with Looped. In addition to Mr. Ruggiero’s freelance work, he is the Associate Artistic Director of TheaterWorks in Hartford, Connecticut where he has been a key partner in its Artistic Partnership since 1992. Recent projects at TheaterWorks include a production of The Little Dog Laughed (starring Chad Allen) and conceiving and directing an original musical revue entitled Make Me A Song: The Music of William Finn, which had a successful run off-Broadway last year as well as a recent London production. His work was first seen Off-Broadway as director of All Under Heaven (starring Valerie Harper), which toured regionally and had a critically acclaimed run in Los Angeles. In 2005 Mr. Ruggiero conceived and directed the highly successful Ella, a musical portrait of Ella Fitzgerald (starring Tina Fabrique), which continues to play major theaters nationally with productions scheduled into 2009. Mr. Ruggiero’s work on both plays and musicals has been seen at many regional theaters around the country, including: Arena Stage, The Pittsburgh Public Theater, Barrington Stage Company, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Arizona Theatre Company, Cleveland Play House, San Jose Repertory Theatre and The Asolo Repertory Theater among others. Last season he directed a highly successful revival of 1776 for Goodspeed Musicals where later this year he will direct a production of Big River. He is the recipient of two Kevin Kline Awards, for both "Best Director of a Musical" (Urinetown: The Musical) and "Best Director of a Play" (Take Me Out). An online portfolio of his work can be viewed at www.robruggiero.com.

Tallulah Bankhead* was born in Huntsville, Alabama, on January 31, 1902. A beauty queen at 15, Bankhead was cast in her first West End play at the age of 17 (the first of many major theatrical productions she would headline) and made numerous successful films from 1927 to 1938. And while she was dynamic force both on stage and on screen, it was her off-stage antics that have made her a Hollywood legend.

From the time she first hit Hollywood, Tallulah Bankhead was a big hit at social affairs where she often shocked the staid members of that society with her "untraditional" behavior. She chain-smoked and enjoyed more than her share of Kentucky bourbon, and made it a "habit" to take her clothes off and chat in the nude. A friend and fellow actress remarked on one occasion, "Tallulah dear, why are you always taking your clothes off? You have such lovely frocks." She was also famous--or infamous--for throwing wild parties that would last for days.

She returned to films in 1943 with a cameo in Stage Door Canteen (1943), but it was Lifeboat (1944) for director Alfred Hitchcock that put her back into the limelight. The limelight didn't shine for long, however. After shooting A Royal Scandal (1945) she didn't appear on film again until she landed a role in Fanatic (1965). Her film and small-screen work consisted of a few TV spots and the voice of the Sea Witch in the animated film The Daydreamer (1966), so she went back to the stage, which had always been first and foremost in her heart. To Tallulah there was nothing like a live audience to perform for, because they, always, showed a lot of gratitude. On 12 December 1968, Tallulah died of pneumonia in her beloved New York City.

While she made most of her fame on the stages of the world, the film industry and its history became richer because of her talent and her very colorful personality. Today her phrase, "Hello, Dahling" is known throughout the entertainment world.

* Biographical information courtesy of the Internet Movie Database.


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