In my column last week, I mentioned that Ben Rimalower was directing the cabaret act for “Real Housewives of New York” star, Luann de Lesseps. Well, tonight at Pilgrim House, there’s a double-header (that’s two in a row, for all of you non-baseball fans!) of Patti Issues and Bad with Money, two of Ben’s bests.
When Ben was eight years old, his father came out of the closet and embarked on a drug-fueled tear that left his family in tatters. Amid the chaos of his young life, Ben found comfort (like so many gay boys before him and after) in musical theatre, specifically in the transportive voice of Broadway star Patti LuPone. Patti Issues marked Rimalower’s debut as a playwright and performer, after serving as the director of numerous Off-Broadway plays, concerts and all-star benefits. With a mix of comic irreverence, stark candor and show-biz bravado, Patti Issues poignantly explores the challenges facing LGBT parents and children, while shining unique light on gay men’s time-old obsessions with divas.
Ben Rimalower’s addiction to spending beyond his means has driven him to extreme lengths all his life. In Bad with Money, he charts his sometimes hilarious, sometimes harrowing struggle to overcome his problem, or get rich trying. In this gripping play-by-play of some his biggest mistakes and their consequences, Rimalower offers a no-holds-barred self-portrait of an addict and casts light on one of the last societal taboos.
“People tend to be familiar now with alcohol and drug abuse and I’ve got those too,” said Rimalower, “but spending money I don’t have is really my drug of choice. Considering how many people suffer from the same problem, it’s staggering how seldom it’s discussed.”
Patti Issues – Monday, July 16th @ 7pm
Bad with Money – Monday, July 16th @ 9pm
Pilgrim House – 336 Commercial Street
Reservations at (508)487-6424 or at www.pilgrimhoseptown.com
