Love, Loss and What I Wore: further cast announced

Love, Loss and What I Wore: further cast announced Sonia Manzano (Maria on "Sesame Street"), Anne Meara ("Sex and the City"; Stiller & Meara), Fredi Walker-Browne (original cast of Rent) and Rumer Willis (The House Bunny; "90210") will join upcoming casts of the Off Broadway show Love, Loss, And What I Wore, now in its second year at the Westside Theatre. Manzano, Walker-Browne and Willis complete the next cast of Love, Loss, And What I Wore, performing 23 Mar - 24 Apr. They join the previously announced Donna McKechnie and Annie Starke. Meara joins the previously announced restaurateur and lifestyle expert B. Smith in the May cast, performing 27 Apr - 29 May 2011. Maddie Corman (Next Fall), who had previously been announced to star in the May cast, has withdrawn for scheduling reasons. The show's current cast (through to 22 Mar 2011) stars Sabrina Le Beauf, Orfeh, Barbara Rhoades, Katrina Bowden and Kim Zimmer. The comedy, an intimate collection of stories by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron, and directed by Karen Carpenter, opened at the Westside Theatre on 1 Oct 2009, following previews from 21 Sep, for what was initially scheduled to be a twelve week engagement that was originally scheduled to close on 13 Dec 2009, but is now booking through to 29 May 2011. Love, Loss, And What I Wore is a collection of vignettes and monologues based on the best-selling book by Ilene Beckerman, as well as on the recollections of the Ephrons' friends. "'The Vagina Monologues' without the vaginas," is how the Ephrons describe this theatrical event. The show opened to mostly good reviews: The only thing wrong with this play is the title... The rest is fabulous. (newyorktheatreguide.com); A kin to a warm estrogen bath (NY Times); By turns funny, poignant, and occasionally rueful (AP); A bittersweet meditation on the joys and tribulations of women's lives (Variety). The original cast featured Samantha Bee, Tyne Daly, Katie Finneran, Natasha Lyonne and Rosie O'Donnell. The creative team features sets by Jo Winiarski, costumes by Jessica Jahn, lighting by Jeff Croiter and sound by Walter Trarbach. A portion of the production's proceeds will benefit Dress for Success, a charity that provides work clothing and job support for low-income women. Audience members will be invited to donate their gently-used purses and other accessories in the theatre lobby. Bios: Sonia Manzano has been playing "Maria" on "Sesame Street" since the early seventies. Stage work includes the original production of 'Godspell,' 'Vagina Monologues' and 'The Exonerated.' Manzano has earned fifteen Emmys as a writer for "Sesame Street," and has published two children's books, 'No Dogs Allowed!' and' A Box Full Of Kittens' with Simon and Schuster. Scholastic will publish her first novel in the fall 2012. She is working on a memoir. Anne Meara. Broadway: 'Eastern Standard,' 'Anna Christie' (Tony nomination). Film includes: "Fame," "Boys from Brazil," "The Daytrippers" and "Another Harvest Moon." TV includes: "Archie Bunker's Place," "Alf," "Sex and the City," "King of Queens" and five Emmy nominations. As a writer, Anne co-wrote (and starred in) 'The Other Woman' (Writers Guild Award) and wrote 'After-Play' (OCC Award) and 'Down the Garden Paths'. Anne was known as half the comedy team "Stiller & Meara." She can currently be seen alongside her husband Jerry on their internet series stillerandmeara.com. Fredi Walker-Browne created the role of 'Joanne Jefferson' in the Pulitzer Prize winning musical 'Rent.' Roles include: 'Rafiki - The Lion King,' 'Erzulie - Once On This Island,' as well as several television appearances, commercials and voice-overs. Directing credits include: 'Caged Bird' by longtime collaborator Myla Churchill, for whom she also mounted 'Scandalous People.' Other credits include: 'The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told' (Paul Rudnick) and 'When The Chickens Came Home To Roost' (Lawrence Holder). Rumer Willis most recently completed production on the independent feature "The Diary Of Preston Plummer," a coming-of-age story opposite Trevor Morgan. In 2009, Rumer starred in "Summit's House on Sorority Row." Additional film credits include "House Bunny" and "From Within." Willis' television roles include a significant arc on "90210" as well as guest starring roles on "Army Wives," "CSI NY" and "Medium." Willis currently resides in Los Angeles.