PORTLAND STAGE WORLD PREMIERE “SEARCHING FOR MR. MOON” STARS CO-WRITER BROADWAY, FILM AND TV ACTOR RICH TOPOL

Reviewers are invited to attend the opening performance of “Searching for Mr. Moon,” written by Willy Holtzman and Rich Topol, on Friday, November 5, at 7:30 pm.

Portland Stage will host the world premiere of the one-person show, “Searching for Mr. Moon,” starring and co-written (with Maine-based Willy Holtzman) by Broadway, film and television actor Rich Topol. The show runs through Sunday, Nov. 21. Free conversation events include Artistic Perspective on Sunday, Nov. 7, and Curtain Call on Sunday, Nov. 14. Both events are in theater following the show. Digital streaming of the show will be available from Wednesday, Nov. 17, through Sunday, Dec. 5.

The show is a funny and poignant autobiographical journey to fatherhood. At the moment of his daughter’s birth, Rich searches for a father to replace the one he lost at age 12. He finds two – his famous father-in-law, composer Lukas Foss, and, eventually, himself. It is scored by the emotional music of Foss, Leonard Bernstein, and Glenn Gould. Topol has performed on Broadway numerous times, including as Lemml in the Tony Award-winning production of “Indecent,” for which he was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award.

Holtzman’s works “The Morini Strad,” “Inside Out,” and “The Real McGonagall” have been fully produced at Portland Stage. His musical “Sabina,” about Carl Jung’s protégé, initially developed as a play at Portland Stage’s Little Festival of the Unexpected and since produced multiple times in New York, will premiere as a new musical on the Portland Stage Mainstage in the spring of 2022. Holtzman has also received the Peabody Award, the WGA Award, and The Humanitas Prize for his film “Edge of America.”

Portland Stage Executive and Artistic Director Anita Stewart designed the set with an array of projections by designer MIchael Commendatore, which weave Topol’s family archive videos and images into the scenes to reflect the people in his past and convey mood and seasons. “I’m sure you saw ‘The Queen’s Gambit,’” explained playwright Holtzman. “Using visuals to tell key moments to develop character is part of this story, too. And we knew that we wanted the sound design to help tell this story. It’s about Rich trying to recover his dad’s voice, bring him into the presence of his life, and it’s Lukas—magic, mischief, and sound. We are so grateful to be working with David Van Tieghem, brilliant sound designer, and Michael Commendatore, the projection designer.”

“We initially invested in developing the play at Portland Stage during the pandemic to support Rich Topol, Willy Holtzman, and the team who came to work on the staged reading,” said Stewart. “But the audience response to the staged reading when its working title was ‘Give Me a Moment’ was so enthusiastic we decided to continue developing it and to bring it to our Mainstage this season.”

Tickets are $20-$63. Discounts are available for seniors 65 and older and for students. Pay-What-You-Can tickets are available with rules and restrictions available on the website. Digital Streaming access is $25 online, or call the box office for Pay-What-You-Can. Tickets are available online at portlandstage.org or at the box office. Box office hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 12-5 p.m. and 2 hours before performance time. For more information, call the box office at 207-774-0465 or email boxoffice@portlandstage.org.

Portland Stage promotes and celebrates the creation of new plays with an environment that supports the region’s playwrights, builds bridges between its theater and national writers, and develops awareness of theater. Subscriptions to Portland Stage are available. Subscribers gain insider access, significant savings, and flexibility. Visit portlandstage.org to learn more.