Written by Matthew Lombardo Setting Summer of 1965 | Original language English | |
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Looped is a play by Matthew Lombardo that had its Broadway run in 2010, after two previous productions in 2008 and 2009, all of them featuring Valerie Harper.
Contents
Plot
Based on a real event, Looped takes place in the summer of 1965, when an inebriated Tallulah Bankhead needed eight hours to redub - or loop - one line of dialogue for her last movie, Fanatic. Though Bankhead's outsized personality dominates the play, the sub-story involves her battle of wills with a film editor named Danny Miller, who has been selected to work that particular sound editing session.
Productions
Looped premiered at the Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena, California in 2008 and then played the Cuillo Centre for the Arts, West Palm Beach, Florida. In Washington, DC the play ran at the Arena Stage in May through June 2009. Valerie Harper starred in all productions. Stefanie Powers—who had starred opposite Bankhead in the "Die! Die! My Darling!" film—took over the role after Valerie Harper was diagnosed with brain cancer, at Valerie Harper's request.
It began preview performances on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre on February 19, 2010, and opened on March 14, 2010. Directed by Rob Ruggiero, the play starred Valerie Harper in a Tony Award-nominated performance and featured Brian Hutchison and Michael Mulheren. Looped closed on April 11, 2010 after 33 performances and 27 previews. The creative team included sets by Adrian W. Jones, costumes by William Ivey Long, lighting by Ken Billington, sound by Michael Hooker, and direction by Rob Ruggiero.