Cocktails at Table 7- Inside New York’s Joe Allen

The Houston native made his Broadway debut in The Who's Tommy, other credits include The Lion King, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Rocky Horror Show, and The Wedding Singer. Off-Broadway audiences have seen his work in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Foreigner (Lucille Lortel nomination), The Wild Party, How I Learned to Drive, and Shaggs. His screen credits include Monarch, GLOW, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Nurse Jackie, Modern Family, The Good Wife, Mars Needs Moms, I Am Michael, and Curse of the Jade Scorpion. Kevin earned 2023 Tony and Drama Desk nominations for his performance as Peanut in the Tony-nominated new musical "Shucked".

Lee Wilkof is a Tony, Obie, and Drama Desk nominated actor, perhaps best known for originating the role of Seymour Krelborn in the original off-Broadway production of the cult classic musical, Little Shop of Horrors. Additional off-Broadway highlights include: originating the role of Samuel Byk in Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Assassins (Drama Desk Award nomination), The Present Tense (Obie Award, Drama Desk Award nomination), Broadway credits include: The Odd Couple; Democracy; The Boys from Syracuse; Kiss Me, Kate (Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations); She Loves Me; The Front Page and Sweet Charity. Mizlansky/Zilinsky or Schmucks, The Underpants and June Moon. He has appeared regionally in productions at Yale Repertory Theatre, Baltimore Centerstage, McCarter Theatre, the Goodman, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Film credits include The Grey Zone; The School of Rock; This Boy’s Life; Private Parts; Xanadu, and Sidney Lumet’s Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. He also directed the feature film No Pay, Nudity with a cast including Nathan Lane, Gabriel Byrne, and Frances Conroy

Additionally, Mr. Wilkof has amassed over 100 appearances in episodic television and movies of the week, including Law & Order; The West Wing; Ally McBeal (SAG Award); Max Headroom; Curb Your Enthusiasm; An Early Frost; Cop Rock; Hart to Hart; The Tonight Show, and The Gong Show.

Rosie O’Donnell is a beloved comedian, celebrated actress, and talk show legend. Despite all these professional accolades, it is perhaps her generosity of spirit, her tireless advocacy on behalf of children and families, and her heartfelt commitment to the health of the American theater that most definitively define her impact on popular culture.

Born in Commack, New York on March 21, 1962, Rosie O’Donnell embarked on a career as a standup comedian right out of high school, and in short order found herself enjoying a five show winning streak on the iconic television series, “Star Search” Shortly thereafter, she scored additional major appearances on television, including a regular role as Maggie O’Brien on NBC’s popular sitcom, “Gimme a Break” and a high profile run as a VH1 VJ

In 1992, Rosie was cast alongside Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Geena Davis in the smash hit “A League of Their Own.” She went on to further success on the big screen, starring in twelve films between 1992 and 1996, including 1993’s “Sleepless in Seattle,” 1995’s “Now and Then,”and 1996’s “Beautiful Girls.”

Her most monumental break came by accepting NBC’s offer to host a variety daytime television show, “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” in 1996. Rosie’s innate love of all things show business and her easy rapport with the celebrities she had grown up idolizing translated into a unique and hugely popular TV phenomenon. “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” ran for six seasons and went on to win a variety of Emmy awards, leaving a memorable mark on American television before ending production in 2002.

In the past 20 years, Rosie’s dedication to her artistic endeavors and charitable interests have continued unabated. She has been a regular fixture on television, on Broadway, and, in recent years, has gotten rave reviews for her powerful performances in Showtime’s “SMILF” and HBO’s “I Know This Much is True.” She can currently be seen in the Showtime original series, “American Gigolo.”

-bio adapted and edited from Rosie.com

Danny Burstein is a seven- time Tony Award nominee for The Drowsy Chaperone, South Pacific, Follies, Golden Boy, Cabaret, and Fiddler on the Roof, who won a Best Supporting Actor in a Musical Tony in 2021 for his performance as Harold Zidler in the stage adaptation of Moulin Rouge! He has also won two Drama Desk Awards, four Outer Critics Circle Awards, and received three Grammy Award nominations. His other Broadway credits include The Seagull, Saint Joan, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. On television, Burstein appeared as different characters in six episodes of the original NBC drama series Law & Order and recurred as Lolly Steinman on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. Other TV appearances include: Fosse/Verdon, The Good Fight, Evil, and Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. Film roles include: Transamerica, Deception, The Family Fang, Nor’Easter, Blackhat, and Indignation. (Revised bio courtesy of BroadwayWorld.com)

Matthew Broderick is currently appearing opposite his wife, Sarah Jessica Parker, in the hit Broadway revival of Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite. He made his stage debut at 17 in Horton Foote’s On Valentine’s Day (opposite his father, James Broderick), and quickly became one of the most respected and beloved actors of his generation. Broadway credits include Brighton Beach Memoirs (Tony, OCC, Theatre World awards), Biloxi Blues, How to Succeed in Business... (Tony, DD, OCC awards), Night Must Fall, Taller Than a Dwarf, The Producers (Tony, DD, OCC nominations) The Foreigner, The Philanthropist, The Odd Couple, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Sylvia and It’s Only a Play. Off-Broadway, Mr. Broderick has appeared in The Seafarer, The Closet, Evening at the Talk House, Shining City (Obie Award), Torch Song Trilogy (OCC, Villager awards), The Widow Claire, and in the recent London production of The Starry Messenger. Selected film and television credits include: Max Dugan Returns, WarGames, ’Master Harold’...and the Boys, Ladyhawke, On Valentine’s Day, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Biloxi Blues, Glory, The Freshman, A Life in the Theater, The Lion King, The Cable Guy, Infinity, Election, You Can Count on Me, Wonderful World, The Music Man, Margaret, Tower Heist, Rules Don’t Apply, Manchester by the Sea and To Dust. Mr Broderick will next be seen in Painkiller for Netflix. Photo credit: Tawni Bannister