DeeDee Rescher, who is best known for her comedy work on screen in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and King of Queens stars in Falcon Theatre’s production of Shirley Valentine written by Willy Russell. Andrew Barnicle, directs the fourth production of the Falcon Theatre’s 2012-2013 Subscription Season. This critically acclaimed one-woman show was nominated for a Tony® Award.
This transformative comedy follows middle-aged Liverpool housewife Shirley Valentine, who is trapped in humdrum domesticity, frequently talking to her kitchen walls just for a bit of conversation. But when her best friend wins a trip-for-two to Greece, Shirley is suddenly pulled away from her boredom into a life-altering adventure. Faced with romantic possibilities and sudden self-awareness, Shirley begins to see the world, and herself, in a different light.
Russell was born in Whiston, near Liverpool, U.K., in 1947. In 1974, he wrote his first major success, the musical John, Paul, George, Ringo ... and Bert, which won the Evening Standard and London’s Critics Awards for Best Musical and launched two national tours. His next major works include Breezeblock Park, Our Day Out (presented on BBC), One for the Road, and Stags and Hens. In 1979, he wrote Educating Rita, which was commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company. The play won many awards, including the Society of West End Theatre Award (SWET Award – now called the Olivier Award) for Best Comedy, and ran for the next three years, followed by two highly successful national tours.
The following year, he was honored with an Academy Award nomination for writing the screenplay for the film, which starred Michael Caine and Julie Walters. In 1983, he wrote the award-winning musical Blood Brothers, a big success in London which eventually opened on Broadway ten years later. In 1988, he wrote the play Shirley Valentine, which won the Olivier Award for Best Comedy and was nominated for the 1989 Tony Award after its Broadway debut. In 2000, his first novel, The Wrong Boy, was published. He currently lives in Liverpool.
Rescher was last seen on the Falcon stage in Garry Marshall’s own Everybody Say “Cheese!” in 2009.
Shirley Valentine previews 8 p.m. January 31, February 1 and 2, 4 p.m. February 3 and 8 p.m. February 6 and 7, opens 8 p.m. Friday February 8 and performs through Sunday, March 3, 2013.
Tickets are previews $29.50 – $32, opening night $52 – $57, weekdays (Wed/Thurs) $34.50 – $37, weekends (Fri/Sat/Sun) $39.50 – $42 and student rate (valid student ID) $27. Call 818-955-8101 or visit www.FalconTheatre.com.
The Falcon Theatre is located at 4252 Riverside Drive in Burbank.
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