Valerie Harper as Tallulah Bankhead in Florida & D.C.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 1/26/09 at 2:15pm

I've been so Facebook-centric that I rarely even bother to check my MySpace page. But I did yesterday and found some really cool photos of Chad Allen onstage in "Looped" with Valerie Harper as Tallulah Bankhead. They debuted in the play last year in Pasadena and began appearing together again on New Years Eve at the Cuillo Centre for the Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida through February 15 , It will be followed by a run at Washington D.C.'s Arena Stage, May 29-June 28.

The play is loosely based on the true story of Tallullah Bankhead's eight-hour looping session during the movie "Die, Die, My Darling."

Chad is a busy man. He also did a few runs of "The Little Dog Laughed" and this month, two of his films are newly out on DVD: the superb "Save Me" and 'On the Other Hand Death."

http://www.insidesocal.com/outinhollywood/2009/01/snapped-chad-allen-on-stage-in.html


Any expectation of seeing Rhoda Morgenstern evaporates with Bankhead's lurching entrance into the studio with her first line: "[Expletive] Los Angeles!"

From there, Harper deftly portrays a profane, vibrant iconoclast bedeviled by self-disgust. Despite the serious undertone, the evening is a cascade of PG-rated zingers, R-rated retorts and X-rated anecdotes so funny that the opening-night audience's laughter drowned out the dialogue.

Those who only know Harper from television, rather than stage work such as Golda's Balcony, will be impressed at how she immerses herself in the character. But with that sitcom-honed timing, Harper nails lines like: "I'm so shamefully sorry I'm late. But I got a tad lost. You see, I woke up bright and early this afternoon."

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/lifestyle/sfl-arts0118loopedsbjan18,0,3424341.story


I've never been much of an admirer of Harper's work, but I'm intrigued. Anyone seen the show?

Updated On: 1/27/09 at 02:15 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/26/09 at 4:16pm

I thought Jarrod Emick was in the show wit Harper.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/26/09 at 4:19pm

"Any expectation of seeing Rhoda Morgenstern"

Valerie Harper proved she can play more than Rhoda years ago. Why bother to refer to that character?

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 1/26/09 at 8:19pm

She's played many other roles, but none were as high profile as that one. It's what most people know her as.

[logan0215]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 1:30pm

Has anyone seen this at Arena Stage or in either of these out-of-town performances? I'm curious for a review.

[MeganW]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 2:50pm

I saw it at Arena Stage and quite liked it. I wasn't very familiar with Tallulah Bankhead going in, so I can't judge how accurately Harper nailed the impersonation, but I loved the character. I though she acted it very well, though I felt the male character's arc was very indulgent - especially during a scene in the second act. Overall, the show was very engrossing, and had me leave the theatre wanting to know more about Bankhead.