PJ Benjamin* (Ralph Bellini) Son of a Chicago tavern owner, Mr. Benjamin celebrates 50 years in show business including 3,500 performances as the Wizard in the blockbuster Wicked both on Broadway and on tour and six years as lovable Mr. Cellophane in Broadway’s hit musical Chicago. Other Broadway: Pippin, Torch Song Trilogy, Sophisticated Ladies, The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, Sarava and Charlie And Algernon. PJ has worked with Bob Fosse, George Abbott, Cab Callaway and the Duke Ellington Orchestra; appearing in over 100 theatrical productions with roles ranging from Joe Keller in All My Sons to flamboyant Albin in La Cage Aux Folles. Television: “Madam Secretary,” “Law & Order/SVU,” “Person Of Interest,” “Louie,” “The Good Wife,” the upcoming FX series “Fosse/Verdon” and the voice of the Dodo birds in the film, Ice Age.   PJ and wife Louisa have been partners on stage and in their musical act, A Theatrical Valentine and their historic log house museum on Chincoteague Island, VA.

Colten Blair (Young Man) is honored to be a part of such a special piece of theatre as The Last Romance. He was most-recently seen traveling around the country understudying Rolf Gruber in the National Tour of The Sound of Music. Other credits; NYC: Link Larkin in Hairspray, Albert Lennox in The Secret Garden. Opera credits include Basilio in Le nozze di figaro, Ferrando (u/s) in Cosi fan Tutte, Edwin/The Defendant in Trial by Jury, and Prince Philippe in A Dinner Engagement. A proud NYU Alumni, Colten is also a certified voice teacher. Many thanks to this wonderful cast and creative team.

Louisa Flaningam* (Carol Reynolds) What could be better than to be here at Riverside and working with husband, PJ Benjamin?  A proud Actors Equity member for her 51 year career which spans Broadway, National Tours, Off-Broadway and Regional Theatres across the country.  From Fastrada in Bob Fosse’s Pippin to multiple productions of Driving Miss Daisy (Barrymore Award Nomination); from Cleo in the 1979 Broadway revival of The Most Happy Fella (also telecast on PBS) to Mattie Fae in the Alley Theatre’s August Osage County; Pal Joey with Lena Horne, the tour of Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song Trilogy; Brigadoon at NYC Opera; I Love My Wife with the Smothers Brothers and most recently Carrie in The Good Theatre’s The Trip To Bountiful.  Louisa and PJ are proud of their restoration of The Captain Timothy Hill House, Chincoteague Island, VA: their historic log house museum listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.  captaintimothyhillhouse.com

Andrea Gallo* (Rose Tagliatelle) is thrilled to be back at Riverside after 2017’s Private Lives. New York: Kurt Vonnegut’s Mother Night; Hidden Voices; The Respectful Prostitute; Ring Round the Moon; world premieres of Strings, The Velvet Oratorio, Frankie, Coney and The Chaos Theories. Regional: Third, TheaterWorks Hartford; Good People, St. Louis Rep;  Over the River and Through the Woods, Florida Rep; The Last Romance and The Language Archive, Public Theatre; Mercy and the Firefly, Luna Stage; Murderers, Hudson Stage; A View From The Bridge, Nevada Rep;  Evie’s Waltz, Tilt Angel, tempOdyssey, and two solo shows, Broomstick and Donna Orbits the Moon, NJ Rep; What Every Woman Knows, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Noises Off, Lettice and Lovage, I’m Not Rappaport, Horse Cave Theatre. TV/Film: “Law & Order: SVU,” “Sober,” “How To Say Goodbye,” Look on the Bright Side, Brooklyn Battery, The Query, Chasing Taste, The Date and Across Dot Ave.  Earphones Award winner for audiobook narration. BA, Tufts University; MFA, Temple University. Fulbright Recipient (Paris, France).

Creative Team

Director: Chris Clavelli* 
Scenic Designer: Ray Recht
Costume Designer: Susan Mickey 
Lighting Designer: Todd Wren 
Sound Designer: Trevor Peters
Casting: Wojcik | Seay Casting
Stage Manager: Audrey M. Brown*
Assistant Stage Managers: Amy Bertacini* & Kyle Atkins*