Photo by Tom Dawes

(Clockwise) Jared Bradshaw, Kristen Maloney and Rob Seitelman

The Peccadillo Theater Company production of The Talk Of The Town, a musical about the Algonquin Round Table, begins an open-ended run from the 11 Sep 2005. The musical, playing at the Oak Room in the Algonquin Hotel, is now booking to the 26 Dec 2005.

Algonquin Hotel General Manager Anthony Melchiorri said jokingly that, “I hope The Talk Of The Town plays here until Dorothy Parker comes back as the Algonquin cat!” He went on: “I feel that Talk and the management of the hotel are doing something very special and important for the legacy of this building.”

The Talk Of The Town tells the story of the ten-year friendship of the wittiest literary lights of the 1920's, including Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, George S. Kaufman and Alexander Woollcott. This period musical traces the legendary skirmishes (both romantic and otherwise) around the famed Algonquin Round Table.

The Talk Of The Town, originally opened at the Bank Street Theatre on the 8 Nov 2004, following previews from the 28 Oct, and played through to the 12 Dec 2004. Brian Siebert of The New Yorker wrote of the show, “…Ginny Redington and Tom Dawe’s well-crafted period-style songs are genuinely clever, and the classic quips, briskly deployed throughout, still crackle.”

Ginny Redington and Tom Dawes come from successful careers in the music business as singers, songwriters, musicians, arrangers and producers. Ms. Redington wrote songs for well-known artists such as Gladys Knight and Sarah Vaughan, as well as performing her own material. Mr. Dawes was a member of the rock group The Cyrkle (best known for their hits “Red Rubber Ball” and “Turn Down Day”); he also produced a number of records for other artists, including two gold albums for the British blues group Foghat.

The Talk Of The Town's cast, directed by Dan Wackerman, includes Jeffrey Biering, Jared Bradshaw, Donna Coney Island, Adam MacDonald, Kristen Maloney, Rob Seitelman and Stephen Wilde.

The musical has choreography by Mercedes Ellington, set design by Chris Jones, costumes by Amy C. Bradshaw and musical direction by Jeffrey Biering.

(For more information click here)