Broadway veteran Loni Ackerman (Evita, Cats, The Magic Show, No, No, Nanette, and George M!) is set to star in Gentleman's Wish, a new dramatic comedy by Lawson Caldwell receiving its world premiere in the 2009 Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival. Holly-Anne Ruggiero (resident director of Jersey Boys on Broadway) is serving as director on the production, which will run from July 30th to August 2nd at the Main Stage Theatre in the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex.
In Gentleman's Wish, Senator Hanford Drake's re-election campaign is about to kick off, when suddenly his picture-perfect life evaporates after his wife leaks the 20 year affair he's been having with his best friend Lake. As Senator Drake and his staff descend upon his mother's estate to work on spin and damage control, a surprise visit from the senator's wife and son culminate in a highly publicized press conference, and with several skeletons in the closet, anything can come out.
Ackerman will be playing Dora, the wise-cracking housekeeper who's pulling all the strings, and joining her in the cast are Renee Bang Allen (Company and Grand Hotel on Broadway), Peter Crosby, Samantha Ives (The Color of Flesh, TV's Guiding Light), Fred Marco, Timothy Mele, Scott Raven T, Eric Rubbe (Blue Man Group), and Carolyn Seiff.
The play will feature scenic design from Anne Allen Goelz (Gossip Girl, Criss Angel: Mindfreak!) and costume design from Emily DeAngelis (Blasted at Soho Rep, Dear Edwina)
Gentleman's Wish runs from July 30th to August 2nd at the Main Stage Theatre in the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex at 312 West 36th Street (between 8th and 9th). The performance schedule is: Thursday, July 30th at 6:30pm, Friday July 31st at 7pm, Saturday, August 1st at 9:30pm, and Sunday, August 2nd at 4pm.
Tickets are $18 and can be purchased online at www.midtownfestival.org or by phone at 866-811-4111.
