From NY Times - Ryan Reynolds to appear in Celebrity Autobiography at Triad

November 15, 2009, 6:45 PM

Ryan Reynolds to Read From the Book of Loggins

By PATRICK HEALY

The heartthrob actor Ryan Reynolds (”The Proposal,” “Definitely, Maybe”) will make his debut next week in the New York edition of the theatrical comedy “Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words,” where stars read humorous snippets from memoirs of the entertainment world’s A-list through D-list.

Given Mr. Reynolds’s popularity in movies and on “Sexiest Man Alive” lists, a second show has been added for the Nov. 23 production at the Triad Theater on the Upper West Side; performances will be at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.

Mr. Reynolds is scheduled to read from Kenny Loggins’s “The Unimaginable Life: Lessons Learned on the Path of Love.” Other performers that night include Rachel Dratch, Carol Kane, Sherri Shepherd, Michael Urie andKristen Wiig.

Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead and Mark Karan and Ratdog perform Historic Live Show at Triad

Billed as Mark Karan and friends but really the entire band Ratdog (which is Bob Weir's band after the Grateful Dead) made a historic appearance for a post Beacon Theater show at Triad on Friday October 23rd. The show started at 1am as the band had to load in some large cabinets and equipment from the Beacon Theater. It was an amazing night of music that did not end until 4am. The entire band Ratdog performed with Mark. Bob Weir played on Wang Dang Doodle and Smokestack Lightning. Truly a magical night of music.

From RELIX Magazine:

Late Friday night, the members of RatDog also played a surprise show at New York’s 150-person club Triad after their Beacon gig. The show was originally billed as Mark Karan and Friends and the RatDog guitarist opened the night with a version of “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl.” Weir, RatDog saxophonist Kenny Brooks, RatDog drummer Jay Lane, RatDog bassist Robin Sylvester, Citizen Cope keyboardist John Ginty, keyboardist Dred Scott and saxophonists Doug Yates and George Garzone all emerged for the song and remained onstage for “ Wang Dang Doodle,” “Smokestack Lightnin‘” and “Spoonful.” Though Weir left the stage, the collaborations continued late into the night. At one point singer Emory Joseph—who also recently released an album of Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter covers—emerged for a take on “What Did I Do Wrong” and the night climaxed with “Sugaree” and “And We Bid You Goodnight.”

New York Times Review of Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter at Triad

By DANIEL M. GOLD

Published: November 4, 2009

Forty-five years after his death, Cole Porter has never truly left town. His songs are a staple of Manhattan’s cabaret scene: one performer finished a tribute at the Algonquin last month, while two others just opened shows that prominently feature his work.

• Overview
• Tickets & Showtimes
• New York Times Review
• Readers’ Reviews

Haley Jane Samuelson

Stevie Holland in her one-woman musical show, "Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter."

None are as ambitious as Stevie Holland, a jazz singer who has tried to steer into somewhat more daring precincts. Apparently drawing on sources like William McBrien’s fine Porter biography and the 2004 film “De-Lovely,” Ms. Holland and her husband, the composer Gary William Friedman, have written “Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter.”

It’s billed as a one-woman play, directed by Ben West. Really, though, it’s cabaret. Ms. Holland takes the nightclub stage of the Triad Theater as Linda Lee Porter, the dazzling divorced socialite from Kentucky who wed Porter, eight years her junior, in 1919 when both were expatriates in Paris. Despite her husband’s homosexuality — Ms. Holland has Linda saying she “accepted his romantic appetite for men because I had his love” — the couple stayed married for 35 years, until Linda’s death from emphysema in 1954.

With a trio playing smoothly behind her, Ms. Holland runs through truncated versions of some of Porter’s best-known songs — “In the Still of the Night,” “I Love Paris,” “What Is This Thing Called Love?” — as well as a handful of comparative rarities. Instead of conventional patter, she ladles out bits of the Porter chronology in a Southern-tinged lilt.

There’s a lot of ground to cover, even for a more polished actress than Ms. Holland: the couple’s time in Europe; the return to the States and Porter’s first great Broadway successes; the move to Hollywood; the horse-riding accident that disabled him; Linda’s failing health. As a result, the piece, which clocks in at just about an hour, feels rushed. Not only does it make great demands of Ms. Holland, who between her singing and narration barely has time to pause, but it also shortchanges the audience, which for the most part gets only bits and pieces of songs that cry out for full, lustrous renditions.

This is a shame because Ms. Holland, tall and stately, has a graceful, silken voice that glides easily through her material. “Love for Sale,” which she sang after discussing the Porters’ growing estrangement in Hollywood, carried emotional weight, and she gave the closing number, “When a Woman’s in Love,” a real sense of triumph.

“Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter” runs through Nov. 21 at the Triad Theater, 158 West 72nd Street, Manhattan; (212) 352-3101, lovelindathemusical.com.

Sherri Shepherd (The View) will be in Celebrity Autobiography Sept. 14th @ 7:30pm

Congrats to Sherri Shepherd for winning an Emmy award. The picture above is from The View and pictured with Sheri are the other co-hosts from The View along with the Triad's Celebrity Autobiography show team. A few months ago The View featured Celebrity Autobiography

on one of their episodes. Sherri is absolutely hysterical in Celebrity Autobiography and there are a few seats left for the Sept. 14th show at smarttix.com Additional cast members include

Michael Urie of Ugly Betty, Kristen Johnston of 3rd Rock fame & Craig Bierko.

Brenda Braxton (Tony Nominee Smokey Joe's Cafe) to appear this Monday in Erotic Broadway

Brenda Braxton, whose powerhouse performance in Smokey Joe’s Cafe earned her a 1995 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and recently seen Starring in CHICAGO on Broadway joins the cast of this stimulating and irreverent, adult’s-only variety series, showcasing Broadway’s brightest talent.

The hottest and most exciting talent on Broadway will offer their own unique interpretation of the genre featuring an erotically-charged evening of dance, slinky love songs, risqué stand-up comedy, steamy story telling…and well, who knows what else?

The August 10th performance will also feature Tony Nominee John Selya (Movin’ Out, Guys & Dolls), Tonya Wathen (Chicago), Ioana Alfonso (9 to 5), Joe Ricci (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change), Michelle Pruiett (The Little Mermaid), and many more of Broadway’s hottest performers.

Tricia Brouk and James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano) at Triad attending Erotic Broadway

FOREVER PLAID Celebrates 20 Year Anniversary (Triad is the original home of Forever Plaid)

The Triad Theater (then called Steve McGraws) is where Forever Plaid made it's debut and played for over 5 years. Since then the show has become perhaps the most successful show in Off-Broadway History grossing over 300 million dollars worldwide. All of this came about from a small little show at our 130 seat theater.

On Thursday July 9th a live broadcast and filmed event of the show was broadcast into 375 theaters and featured 3 members of the original cast. Below is some information aboutthe show & live filmed broadcast from Forever Plaid's website:

Amassing loyal followers around the world, the Plaid fan base has been constantly growing for nearly twenty years. All these fans have now become part of the "Frequent Plaid" program. 'Plaid Heads' (a term coined by Jay Leno) have seen the show upwards of 700 times! 'Plaid Head' celebrities include Joanne Woodward, Goldie Hawn, Liza Minnelli, Garry Marshall, Jason Alexander, Elaine Stritch, Rosie O'Donnell, Tommy Hilfiger, Bette Midler, Joan Baez and Robert Reich. The film features cameos by Fred Willard, Loni Anderson, Rose Marie, Kate Linder, and Melissa Manchester.
―FOREVER PLAID‖ has played the East Room of the White House (under the first Bush administration), and The Plaids have also sung for President Clinton at both his Democratic Conventions. In London ―FOREVER PLAID‖ gave a command performance for HRH Queen Elizabeth. In Japan, the show was sponsored by the government and was honored with performances for Japanese dignitaries. The show has played non-stop, worldwide for nearly twenty years.

Broadway World Photo Coverage of Erotic Broadway's Debut at Triad June 29th 2009

Adam Shorsten, Anthony Francavilla, Michelle Mantione, and The Imagination Company presented EROTIC BROADWAY at The Triad on Monday June 29th. EROTIC BROADWAY is New York City's sexiest, new late-night Monday series. BroadwayWorld.com made the late night trip to the Triad to cover all the seductive action.

Two of Broadways hottest talents, Nick Adams and Kearran Giovanni guest starred in the June 29th performance which was choreographed by Broadway's hottest dance talent, Lorin Latarro.

Press notes describe EROTIC BROADWAY as, "this stimulating and irreverent adults-only variety show series, showcasing Broadway's brightest talent, will feature an erotically-charged evening of dance, slinky love songs, risqué stand-up comedy, steamy story telling and...well, who knows what else? Featuring a new cast and creative team at each performance, the hottest and most exciting talent on Broadway will offer their own unique and different interpretation of the genre."

Future performance dates are July 20th, August 10th, August 24th, October 5th & October 19th at 9:30pm. Cast and creative teams to be announced.

The Triad is located at 158 West 72nd Street, NY, NY. www.triadnyc.com Tickets are $50, $35 & $30 each plus a 2 beverage minimum. Tickets on sale now for all performances at www.smarttix.com.

"The Real Billy Elliot" by Rex Reed New York Observer May 19th, 2009

Jon Peterson: Song Man Dance Man
The Triad, 158 West 72 Street

With youth, one expects energy and exuberance, but good looks, intelligence and talent are rarely found in the same package. Jon Peterson, an enchanting new performer from England who has “adopted” the Apple as his own, has got it all. In Song Man Dance Man, an entertaining nonstop revue at the beautifully refurbished cabaret theater called the Triad, Mr. Peterson is paying homage to the historic song-and-dance icons George M. Cohan, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Bobby Darin and Anthony Newley. A combination of Tommy Steele and Norman Wisdom, he was a veteran of the Royal Ballet School at 9 years old. But Swan Lake didn’t hold a candle to MGM musicals, and Mr. Peterson never had any doubt what he wanted to be when he grew up. He is, in many ways, the real Billy Elliot.

Unfortunately, by the time he was handsome and supple enough to become the new Bob Fosse, movie musicals were over. That hasn’t stopped him from emulating his heroes. From a vaudeville trunk he extracts top hats, canes, baseball caps and props to create his own version of That’s Entertainment! His Bobby Darin needs work, but the athletic cockiness of Gene Kelly shines through, tough but tender on “For Me and My Gal” and wet dancing with an umbrella on “Singin’ in the Rain.” He doesn’t imitate the cockney of fellow Londoner Anthony Newley. He channels him, until his “Once in a Lifetime” sends chills down your spine. His biographical patter is revealing, his personal revelations are endearing and his tap-dancing is aces high. With flipper shoes, baggy pants, white gloves protruding from a long purple coat, orange shirt and polka dot tie, he kneels in front of a mirror applying clown makeup and emerges as Kelly singing Cole Porter’s “Be a Clown” in The Pirate, then keeps the makeup on for “What Kind of Fool Am I?” which displays the serious, lonely side of a clown and builds to a perfect finale.

Out of character, his floppy hair refuses to stay in place, and his smile is as warm as Palm Springs in December. With Hermes Pan to do the choreography, Conrad Salinger to write the arrangements and Ira Gershwin to pen the lyrics, Jon Peterson could have been a big star. Even in the creatively bankrupt show business world of today, he vibrates with talent and charisma, and in the right vehicle he could own the stage. 

rreed@observer.com

From the INSIDER.com - Schirripa And Richards On Mulberry Street

We had the pleasure of catching up yesterday with our pal Steve Schirripa and his good friend Sal Richards at Il Cortile in Little Italy yesterday. Steve, who rose to international notoriety for his role as Bobby ‘Bacala’ Baccalieri on HBO’s The Sopranos, was with entertainer Sal Richards shooting a commercial for an upcoming appearance at the Andiamo Celebrity Showroom in Warren, Michigan. Steve was en route after his shoot to The Triad to participate in their Drama Desk Winning show, Celebrity Autobiography. Richards, who’ll be appearing at The Triad Theatre in July and August, has his own documentary coming out later this summer entitled ‘Mr. Laughs: A Look behind The Curtain.’ The movie is narrated by Vincent D’Onofrio, from ‘Law And Order: Criminal Intent’, and features his rather dramatic life story … which is very definitely to be continued. The movie which we here at Times Square Gossip got an advance look at, features testimonials from the likes of Sid Ceasar; Don Rickles; Jackie Mason; Jerry Stiller; Soupy Sales; The View’s Joy Behar; Norm Crosby; Lanie Kazan; and Julius LaRosa, among others. It is a lovingly rendered work … sure to be a favorite. The film was directed by Gregory Principato. Richards’ show, ‘The Way It Was’ will be at The Traid theatre on West 72nd street on July 22 and 29, and August 6 and 13.

Celebrity Autobiography at Triad Wins Drama Desk for Best Unique Theatrical Experience

The next Scheduled Performance is Monday, June 22 at 7:30pm

Scheduled to appear are:

Rachel Dratch, Jackie Hoffman, Kristen Johnston (3rd Rock) Eugene Pack, Dayle Reyfel, Steve Schirripa (Sopranos), Sherri Shepherd (The View), Alan Zweibel, and more!