It was this biodrama about Lukas and it was missing something. theactingcompany.org And so I was so excited to be part of the beginning of it. You were a Mets fan, then you switched over to the Yankees. Im like, Okay, sure. And the first two drafts of it were about that. Richard Topol is an actor who guest-starred on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. All materials copyright 2021 by Mark Rifkin / This Week in New York, THE INSIDER'S GUIDE TO THE CITY SINCE 2001, this week in lectures, signings, panel discussions, workshops, and Q&As. Thats the exterminator, not exterminating Jews but exterminating bugs that Nazis would think are like Jews. So you cant pick a bone with me if it was because my father had just died and my next-door neighbor was a Yankees fan. rt: I was born a Jew. And then we did a couple of Zoom workshops. rt: He was great, for a seventy-year-old man. And thoughtful in allowing them to be really articulate people who have really strong opinions, and those opinions are different. March 23 May 19, free (donations accepted) I met him once at a Mickey Mantle Foundation dinner at Gracie Mansion. What was the experience like sharing your life, in person, in front of people, back onstage? He shouldnt be a lounge singer. 59E59 Theaters and The Civilians have announced the full cast . Photo Credit: Joan Marcus. I had seen a number of shows when I came back from Maine, and some had nobody in the audience and some were jam packed. We dont know when but were still committed to doing the play. And so, kicking and screaming, it became more and more about my relationship to Lukas and then my relationship to fatherhood. All materials copyright 2021 by Mark Rifkin / This Week in New York, THE INSIDER'S GUIDE TO THE CITY SINCE 2001, TWI-NY TALK: RICHARD TOPOL PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, this week in lectures, signings, panel discussions, workshops, and Q&As. twi-ny: Jon Stewart would ask, is it too Jewy? I got bar mitzvahed. We thought, Okay, thats an interesting idea for a play. There had been a lot of preparation. That theater had stayed open through the pandemic because Maine had so few cases, because of the regulations, and because of their skill at keeping people safe. But Im also not religious. And thats when [director David] Cromer came on board. Thats the way I connect to religion. Richard Thomas . Here we have been waiting for so long to do it. Also Known As: Topol Age: 87 Years, 87 Year Old Males Family: Spouse/Ex-: Galia Topol (m. 1956) father: Jacob Topol mother: Rel Topol children: Ady Topol, Anat Topol, Omer Topol Actors Israeli Men Height: 5'10" (178 cm ), 5'10" Males City: Tel Aviv, Israel Recommended Lists: Israeli People Virgo Actors Israeli Actors Actors Who Are In Their 80s Featuring Broadway Star Richard Topol At the moment of his daughter's birth, Rich Topol searches for a father to replace the one he lost and finds two - his famous father-in-law Lukas Foss and himself. That was so much fun. Rich Topol meets Yogi Berra on opening night of Bronx Bombers (photo David Gordon). And the first two drafts of it were about that. Rich Topol starred as stage manager Lemml in Indecent (photo by Carol Rosegg). And then Willys like, Come on, come on. I was like, No, no, no, no, no. Lets do what we can. Since then weve bumped into each other a few other times at the theater and discussed various shows wed seen. We have a place upstate that we escaped too, and I got a call two days later from my agents. Originally from Larchmont, NY, he now lives in New York City with his wife, actress, Richard Topol as Fritz Haber in Genius: Einstein, Episode 7, Richard Topol as Fritz Haber on Genius: Einstein episode 1. In the video below, Patrick Healy visited the Tony Award-winning revival of 'The Normal Heart' to see if its relevant to younger gay people today. rt: Actually, it sort of timed out pretty well, you know? Even if you dont recognize his name, youre likely to know his face; he has approximately fifty television and film credits, including portraying lawyer and politician James Speed in Steven Spielbergs Lincoln, a recurring role on The Practice, and multiple parts on several Law & Order iterations. Off-Broadway: Richard Topol has appeared on Broadway in 7 shows. (l-r front row) - Peyton Lusk, Yair Ben-Dor, Ari Brand, Pierre Epstein, Jeff Seymour, Molly Ranson, Betsy Aidem, Francis If youre a WASP from white privilege, maybe you look at this play and think, like Patrick, Whats the big deal, you know? I play my mother, I play my wife, I play my mother-in-law. I read it to myself and I thought, this is the best play Ive read in ten years. During our wide-ranging Zoom conversation, Topol is thoughtful and generous, laughing and smiling . Antisemitic Protestors Chant At Audience Outside First Preview Of PARADE, Cooper, Esparza, and More Will Lead OLIVER! He thanked me, saying that he was actually the understudy and that was the only time he had gone on. It was so satisfying. He was beautiful. twi-ny: Okay, for my last question, I have a sort of bone to pick with you. So thats the sort of glib answer. The production opened last night, Tuesday, October 8, and features Francois Battiste (Broadway's Magic/ Bird) as Reggie Jackson and Elston Howard,Chris Henry Coffey (Off-Broadway's Water by the Spoonful) as Joe DiMaggio,Bill Dawes(Broadway's Lombardi) as Mickey Mantle/Thurman Munson,Christopher Jackson(Broadway's In the Heights, Memphis) asDerek Jeter, Wendy Makkena (Broadway's Side Man) as Carmen Berra, Keith Nobbs (Broadway's Lombardi) as Billy Martin, Richard Topol (Broadway'sThe Normal Heart, The Merchant of Venice) as Yogi Berra, John Wernke (Broadway's The Lyons) as Lou Gehrig, and C.J. He admits that the most nervous hes been in his life was when he hung out with Paul McCartney following a performance of Larry Davids Fish in the Dark, in which Topol played Dr. Stiles; after that, the Cute Beatle went from being his third favorite mop top behind John and George to his second. And on the other hand, it was incredibly scary because it was the first play that Id ever cowritten with anybody, and it was about my life. Right. RICHARD TOPOL. We would do a weeklong workshop with the first act of the play, then the second act. And Josh had done some incredible things. The actor was ecstatic as he began his journey to fatherhood, it had been greatly anticipated, so when it eventually happened, he became dedicated to the course. He had a mind that was brilliant and fingers that could play I dont know if youve ever heard him play or listened to something. Im a lefty, so Tug McGraw was my hero. I dont subscribe there. And I asked him about managing the 73 Mets. That was Buddy Harrelson, Wayne Garrett, Tommie Agee, Jerry Grote. rt: No, no, no. He shouldnt be a lounge singer. We do not want to shut this play down. Rich Topol plays nonreligious narrator Patrick Salomon in Manhattan Theatre Club world premiere (photo by Matthew Murphy), PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC Topol, " Betsy Aidem, Richard Topol, Pierre Epstein, Francis Benhamou A few days after Prayer for the French Republic opened at Manhattan Theater Clubs Stage I at City Center, we talked about one-person shows, getting Covid, baseball, and what its like being an actor in lockdown, including a detailed description of mounting a play as a pandemic continues. Im a lefty, so Tug McGraw was my hero. Known For The Good Doctor Lincoln Malcolm in the Middle The Blacklist Ghost Whisperer Elementary Manifest Curb Your Enthusiasm Acting 2016 Indignation as Mo Greenberg 2005 Ghost Whisperer ( 1 episode) as James Sutherland 1999 Mickey Blue Eyes as FBI Chef in Truck 1995 Party Girl as Hannah Buff 1994 He was even more thankful when I told him that I had included him in my review. rt: Well, it started actually in August of 2019, when Josh had been commissioned by Manhattan Theater Club to write a play. Yeah, I love that play. twi-ny: As a listener, I felt it Shipwreck was one of the audio plays that worked the best during the lockdown. With the streets controlled by the Italian mob, Bumpy must take on the Genovese crime family to regain control. Even those people understand, given what weve lived with, at least certainly for the last few years. And then we did a couple of Zoom workshops. This is your first one-man show, which you wrote with Willy Holtzman, a two-time Pulitzer nominee. And so it was the worst it could be without being bad. I dont think Im as extreme as Patrick; Patrick is a Jew who doesnt know anything about his Judaism and is happy to not know anything about his Judaism and is somebody who thinks of organized religion as what he says in the play, which is bullshit.. Director David Shore Writers David Shore (teleplay by) And the play started to be about that. rt: Oh, less upsetting because I know Im not a professional. And then when we started up on our feet, we were unmasked, for those who were comfortable with that. I was doing Anatomy of a Suicide at the Atlantic Theater Company. I play my mother, I play my wife, I play my mother-in-law. Photo Flash: THE MERCHANT OF VENICE on Broadway - Production Shots! Rich Topol debuted his intimate one-person show at Portland Stage in November (photo by No Umbrella Media LLC). I didnt have it like Danny Burstein; I didnt have to go to the hospital. It goes from Molly just clinking one note to me playing something schematic to Peyton [Lusk] playing that lovely Chopin piece to the end; the piano has a journey too. Richard J Topol, 79. Or is it not? They bicycled around Manhattan delivering the scripts because they didnt want to email them. Im not going to risk that. Intense. Originally from Larchmont, NY, he now lives in New York City with his wife, actress Eliza Foss, and their daughter. Willy and I had been talking about this play for a number of years. And thats how it came to pass, and Anita Stewart, the artistic director of Portland Stage, was just a real cheerleader for the piece. Theater review: Richard Topol explores his roles as father and son at Portland Stage The Broadway actor's one-man show, 'Searching for Mr. Moon,' is autobiographical. I didnt have it like Danny Burstein; I didnt have to go to the hospital. And so initially we decided it would be about Lukas Foss, who was my father-in-law, a really interesting man who had a really interesting life. I was really glad to do it at Portland Stage, where most of the people who were watching knew nothing about me and I didnt have to feel so exposed. twi-ny: Okay, for my last question, I have a sort of bone to pick with you. twi-ny: If Lukas were still around to see you in the show, would he be happy with your piano playing? I am pleasantly surprised at how many hundreds of people are coming to see the show every day. But because its about one of the hardest things and most personal struggles that Ive experienced for the last forty-six years of my life, since my father died, it was scary to share, but it felt worth sharing. rt: Right. Josh was holding it close. And so initially we decided it would be about Lukas Foss, who was my father-in-law, a really interesting man who had a really interesting life. My father died in 1975; I dont remember whether I jumped ship in 74 or 75. He admits that the most nervous hes been in his life was when he hung out with Paul McCartney following a performance of Larry Davids Fish in the Dark, in which Topol played Dr. Stiles; after that, the Cute Beatle went from being his third favorite mop top behind John and George to his second. Maybe Im fooling myself. He had a really interesting life and a really challenging death. What was that like? And I asked him about managing the 73 Mets. Richard Topol has appeared at Primary Stages in Bronx Bombers and Opus.On Broadway, he has been seen in Indecent (as Lemml), Fish in the Dark (with Larry David), The Normal Heart (Drama Desk Award), The Merchant of Venice (with Al Pacino), The Country Girl (directed by Mike Nichols), Cymbeline, Julius Caesar (with Denzel Washington), School for Scandal, and in Clifford Odets . Ive actually asked that of some of my Jewish friends too. Click below to watch a montage of Alexander in the show! Producers Douglas Denoff & Beth Goldsmith, and 59E59 Theaters (Val Day, Artistic Director; Brian Beirne, Managing Director) present the Directors Companys production ofThe Lucky Starby Karen Hartman, directed by Noah Himmelstein (Rooted). Its a short question, right? Ive always had this obsession with searching for a father and he was my father-in-law, so lets do that. The Public Theater is now presenting KING LEAR, directed by James Macdonald. rt: But Willy and I had a lot of time over the pandemic because there wasnt much else to do to finish the play. I think that most of the major religions are about feeling good to be small under the umbrella of something thats bigger than our oneness, that connects us all. rt: Exactly, the third guy from the left. About seven years ago, I was sitting in the audience at a play when I recognized the man in front of me, actor Richard Topol. It was the first production of the first play that Ive ever cowritten. We did that reading and I think it confirmed for Manhattan Theatre Club and for Josh that he had latched on to something incredible. You dont develop a through-line, you dont understand the arc of things. I think that most of the major religions are about feeling good to be small under the umbrella of something thats bigger than our oneness, that connects us all. But his true love is theater, which he also teaches. Foss' eclectic music underscores Rich's funny and poignant journey to fatherhood. Rich Topol is third guy from the right in cast and crew photo from Prayer for the French Republic opening night (photo 2022 by Daniel Rader). They bicycled around Manhattan delivering the scripts because they didnt want to email them. . Richard Topol was born, is Actor, Miscellaneous Crew. Theyre like, To be honest, Charles should be, if not actually North African, at least more Sephardic, more Middle Eastern. You dont develop a through-line, you dont understand the arc of things. We do not want to be shut down. Topol was raised in Mamaroneck and lost his father when he was twelve. And then Josh tested positive right before tech. twi-ny: Its been very strange. First of all, I dont like one-person shows, I dont like seeing one-person shows; theyre not interesting to me. It went really well and theyre, like, We want to produce this and we have a slot. And so I was like, Okay, fine. Im a tree worshiper. twi-ny: A lot of people still feel that way. The business is entirely shut down. He was by himself and I went over to him and said, Im going to ask you something that no one probably ever asks you about. rt: Thank you. The Unbelieving begins previews October 20, 2022, in Theater B and opens October 27 for a run through November 20, 2022. It doesnt have any songs . 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