Hit Show Moves to New Home
VERBATIM VERBOTEN
Live & Uncensored, a Unique Theatrical Presentation of the Words You Were Never Meant to Hear From The Rich, The Powerful, The Famous & The Infamous
* featuring David Drake, Jonny McGovern, Shequida, Susan O’Connor & more *
Mondays at 8:00 p.m. at Elmo
"deeply funny and just plain disturbing" -- Chicago Reader
With the closing of Fez, director John Pinckard and producer Vicki Quade (creator of Late Nite Catechism) announce the relocation of Michael Martin’s long-running Chicago and New Orleans hit VERBATIM VERBOTEN to Elmo every Monday beginning March 14th. Verbatim Verboten is a hysterical, ever-changing revue of illicitly recorded and uncensored conversations from public figures. Never meant for public hearing, these words now live on through this unique live theatrical production. Like the title says, these are performed "verbatim," with all of the scary and confusing parts intact. The line-up of pieces changes every night, with about a dozen pieces performed per show selected from a constantly updated collection of nearly 100 transcripts.
VERBATIM VERBOTEN creator Michael Martin brings a new dimension to the practice of "eavesdropping," and has spent over ten years collecting transcripts featuring the uncensored and illicitly recorded words of celebrities, politicians, criminals, athletes, and power brokers. The words and rantings of Britney Spears, Enron and Texaco executives, Louie Armstrong, Madonna & Lourdes, Joe DiMaggio, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Durst, Marion Berry and Michael Alig are in regular play, along with extended and more challenging pieces from the mouths of the British royalty, Jim Morrison, Orson Welles, and the Mafia.
The show made international headlines last year when Tom Cruise threatened legal action over the performance of an illegally taped conversation between him and wife Nicole Kidman as their marriage was crumbling.
The cast includes some of the hottest up-and-coming performers on the downtown and Off-Broadway performance scene: Chad Beckim (Partial Comfort Productions), David Drake (The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me), Tate Ellington (Dog Sees God), Carolyn Ficksman (Protean Theatre Company), John Flynn (Themepark Superstar, Dances with Pitchforks), Molly Franklin, Gary Hall (aka Shequida), Wayne Henry, Justin McElwee, Jonny McGovern (aka The Gay Pimp), Leslie Meisel (Second City), Susan O’Connor (Never Swim Alone, St. Scarlet), Olevia White and Tony White.
VERBATIM VERBOTEN runs Mondays at 8:00 p.m. Elmo is located at 156 Seventh Avenue (at 19th Street -- accessible from the 1/9 train at 18th Street.). The running time is 65 minutes. Tickets are $10. For info call 212-337-8000.