Danny Pintauro - The Velocity of Gary - New York

[DAN_AS_GARY]

RELEASE: DANNY PINTAURO TO STAR IN "THE VELOCITY OF GARY" IN NYC

WHO'S THE BOSS STAR DANNY PINTAURO TO MAKE NEW YORK THEATRE DEBUT IN "THE VELOCITY OF GARY (NOT HIS REAL NAME)"

DANNY PINTAURO, best known for his eight year run as the irrepressible Jonathan Bower on TV's "Who's the Boss?>" with Tony Danza, will make his New York theatre debut in "THE VELOCITY OF GARY (NOT HIS REAL NAME)," a new solo play by acclaimed playwright JAMES STILL. Directed by MARK CANNISTRARO, performances begin on July 8th at THE DUPLEX CABARET THEATRE, 61 Christopher Street (at 7th Ave.) and continues throughout July. Tickets are $15 plus two drinks and may be reserved by calling (212) 414-5234.

Originally developed and performed in theatres around the country by its author, the play paints an affecting solo portrait of "Gary," a young, naive street hustler. Armed with a theme ("anything can happen") and a pair of leopard print underwear, Gary takes an unforgettable journey through the seedier side of Manhattan. His affinity for strange situations leads him through a circle of porn stars, deaf drag queens and a dog named Rodney, but it's thorough a surprising friendship that Gary discovers his greatest poetry, humor, pain and hope. The play is the basis for the Columbia/Tri-Star feature film "THE VELOCITY OF GARY" starring Salma Hayek, Vincent D'Onofrio and Ethan Hawke, which opens around the country on July 16th.

DANNY PINTAURO'S role on TV's "Who's the Boss?" catapulted him to national stardom and earned him the Youth in Film Award for Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor in a Long Running Series. Mr. Pintauro's film credits include leading roles in Stephen King's "Cujo" and "The Beniker Gang" and he is the recipient of the California Motion Picture Association Award for Contribution to the Entertainment Industry. Television credits include a five year continuing role on As The World Turns and CBS-TV's "Timestalkers" Mr. Pintauro recently graduated from Stanford University> with a degree in Drama.

JAMES STILL is the recipient of the Charlotte B. Chorpenning Playwright Award for Distinguished Body of Work and the TCG/Pew Charitable Trust National Theatre Artist Grant with Indiana Repertory Theatre in Indianapolis where he is the Playwright-in-Residence. Recent credits: "And Then They Came For Me" (George Street Playhouse, Indiana Rep) which opens this month in London and in several productions around the country; an adaptation of John Gardner's novella "In The Suicide Mountains" (Mark Taper Forum) which was developed at Sundance. Mr. Still was a finalist for the Humanitas Prize for Television and Film Writing for his work on the Nickelodeon television series "Maurice Sendak's Little Bear."

MARK CANNISTRARO is the recipient of the 1998 Back Stage Bistro Award for Outstanding Direction for his work on the critically acclaimed musical revue "Fairy Tales," which transferred to the WPA Theatre after a run at the Duplex Cabaret Theatre. He is the Producing Director of SourceWorks Theatre, a production company devoted to discovering new works, and has produced and directed many productions in NYC including the New York premieres of the LA comedy hit "Cyberqueer" and Obie winner Amlin Gray's "Mickey's Teeth" as well as downtown revivals of "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You" and "Vampire Lesbians Of Sodom."

PLAYING SCHEDULE
Thursday, July 8th at 10; Monday, July 12th at 10; Wednesday, July 14th at 6:30; Thursday, July 15th at 10; Friday, July 16th at 10; Thursday, July 22nd at 10; Friday, July 23rd at 10; Thursday, July 29th at 10; Friday, July 30th at 10

TICKETS $15 plus two drinks

FOR TICKETS (212) 414-5234

Reviews

On Mon 19 Jul 1999, Mark wrote...
I hopped up to New York last Wednesday, to see the opening of "The Velocity of Gary (Not His Real Name)" and had a wonderful time. The play, directed by Mark Cannistraro, is outrageously funny, and yet parts will leave you with a lump in your throat. The viewer will watch Gary (Not His Real Name), as he careens through his environment and relationships fascinatingly. I would venture a guess that many watching the play have, often sadly, known someone who exhibits at least some Gary's behaviors. Watching Dan deliver around 90 minutes of dialogue in this venue, served to remind me what a consummate professional he is. It boggles my mind that one can remember so many lines, when I consider the day a success if I can remember where I left my car keys. Dan's performance was excellent. I had the privilege of meeting Dan, Mark Cannistraro, some friends and associates at the get-together after the opening. I can't say enough how friendly, and gracious they were. They were excellent hosts, and ambassadors for New York. They sure made this Texan feel at home! ... mraven@onramp.net

On Tue 20 Jul 1999, Gary wrote...
Saw his performance in NYC in "The Velocity of Gary, Not His Real Name". He commanded the stage with aplomb & charm in this 90 minute one-man show in which he portrays numerous characters. His talent continues to develop as he matures into a fine dramatic actor. Skip the film, which pales by comparrison. The play is clever & amusing, and Danny delivered an engaging & heartwarming rendition of Gary, a male hustler about whom we should not care, but do in spite of ourselves... Rustyco@MSN.com