Tony Award-nominated actor Tony Lo Bianco will transport a Queens audience back to 1945 and three–term mayor Fiorello LaGuardia’s last days in office.
Lo Bianco’s one-man show, “The Little Flower,” will take the stage at Queens Theatre on Thursday, June 20.
Lo Bianco has starred in an Academy Award-winning film and acted in television and on stage. “The Little Flower” marks an expansion of his directing and producing talents.
“The play is really a parallel about what is going on in our country today,” he said. “Many things that happened back then reflect what is going to happen.”
A TV version of the play previously won five daytime Emmys. It offers a historic look into the life and career of LaGuardia, who was mayor from 1934 to 1945. Lo Bianco, who discovered the play in 1984, described the mayor as a “man of sacrifice” because of his efforts for the poor and unfortunate.
“He was a very colorful character,” Lo Bianco said. “He really cared about the people, but he was fair and logical.”
The show takes audiences through important moments in LaGuardia’s life, shining a light on how he was able to help shape troubling times during the 20th century.
Lo Bianco now owns the play and has rewritten it to have broader appeal.
He hopes that along with entertaining audiences with its comedic elements, the play will move people to take action and become involved in their country and government.
“Every day is another scandal,” he said. “I think people are so busy dealing with their own problems that they are not paying attention to what is going to affect our future.”
The play is sponsored by mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis, who a spokesperson described as an admirer of LaGuardia.
“LaGuardia always used to say there is no Republican or Democratic way to pick up the garbage,” Rob Ryan said. “You run the city as a New Yorker.”
“The Little Flower” starts at 7:30 p.m. at Queens Theatre and has a running time of about 100 minutes. For ticket reservations, email queensjune20@gmail.com or call 917-628-5314.
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