FERNDALE –
Who Wants Cake? kicks off the new year with a fresh look at John Guare's classic dark comedy, "The House of Blue Leaves." Playing at Ferndale's Ringwald Theatre for an exclusive three-week run from Jan. 14-31, "The House of Blue Leaves" will feature Detroit favorite Dave Davies and Lisa Jesswein (formerly of 96.3's Blaine & Lisa in the Morning).
"The House of Blue Leaves" is set during the Pope's 1965 visit to New York City, which brings the hope of answered prayers and a few unexpected guests to an apartment in Sunnyside, Queens. Described best as a farcical black comedy, "The House of Blue Leaves" features fussy nuns, a political bombing, a GI headed for Vietnam, a zookeeper who dreams of making it big in Hollywood as a songwriter, and his wife Bananas, a schizophrenic destined for the institution that provides the play's title.
John Guare's other plays include "Bosoms and Neglect" and "Six Degrees of Separation," which received the NY Drama Critics Circle Award in 1991 for its LCT production and the Olivier Best Play Award in 1993, and the currently-running "A Free Man of Color." He also wrote the lyrics and co-authored the book for the 1972 Tony-winning Best Musical, "Two Gentlemen of Verona." His screenplay for Louis Malle's "Atlantic City" earned him an Oscar nomination. "The House of Blue Leaves" won an Obie and NY Drama Critics Circle Award for the Best American Play of 1970-71 and four Tonys in its 1986 Lincoln Center revival. It is scheduled for another Broadway revival this spring starring Ben Stiller, Edie Falco and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
"The House of Blue Leaves" plays from Jan. 14-31 and ticket prices are $20 on Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m., $15 for 3 p.m. Sunday matinees and 8 p.m. Monday performances are half-off normal ticket price at $10 a ticket. Please note first Sunday matinee on January 16 is pay-what-you-can. The Ringwald Theatre is located at 22742 Woodward Ave. in downtown Ferndale. Reservations may be made by phone at 248-545-5545 or online at http://www.WhoWantsCakeTheatre.com. The box office opens 45 minutes before performances.
