Diets and Laughs
Who amongst us hasn’t been on numerous diets in our lives?
Renée Taylor, celebrated actress, writer, comedian, has tried them all, and uses them as the backdrop to her rich and funny one-woman show, “My Life On a Diet,” now playing at the St. Clements Theatre.
Ms. Taylor, a Bronx native (go Bronx!), relates her life story, with many references to her very interesting parents, her varied career, and her dear husband, Joe Bologna, who sadly, passed away less than a year ago.
Even though Renée sits at a desk for most of the show, the piece never feels static or stilted, because her stories are so incredibly entertaining.
The play takes place in a living room, and so you feel like you are a guest in her home as she invites you in and shares her fabulous stories.
Mixed in with tales of her quirky parents, are her encounters with superstars, including Barbra Streisand and Marilyn Monroe, along with highlights of her career track.
But back to the title of the show, and her endless diets. Each time Taylor mentions the diet she was on at a specific time in her life, the diet information is projected on to a screen. Hilarious and even instructional. At 85, Renée Taylor, still has excellent comedic timing.
My Life on a Diet, running through August 19, is a delicious pu pu platter of entertainment.
https://mylifeonadietplay.com/
Valerie Smaldone is a 5-time Billboard Magazine Award winner and is well known for her unprecedented success holding the #1 on-air position in the New York radio market on 106.7 Life-FM, an iHeart station. She has hosted, produced, and created several award-winning nationally syndicated programs featuring in-depth interviews with stars like Paul McCartney, Celine Dion, Rod Stewart, Elton John and Mariah Carey among others. Her radio talk show "Bagels and Broadway" highlighted theatre and food personalities. She is an accomplished interviewer and voice artist heard on commercials, narrations, promos and audiobooks, as well as a sought after live announcer.
Most recently, Valerie produced and directed a film, The Thursday Night Club, featuring pop diva Gloria Gaynor in her movie acting debut. She is one of the creators and producers of a docu-series, Divine Renovation, starring Erik Estrada, on streaming networks soon.
