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Show Many film and TV stars also crave B'way stage By Ruth Thompson What makes a television or movie actor who's almost guaranteed money, recognition recogni-tion and fan loyalty turn to the Broadway stage? Winning applause from live 'audiences is one reason. And maybe there's something in 'the challenge of getting out there every night despite headaches, colds, digestive disorders or low spirits. Limited runs on Broadway are luring many series' stars lately who are on their vacations, vaca-tions, even if it means braving New York's Broadway and " Off-Broadway theatergoers, who pay high ticket prices, "and New York's critics, who are often less than flattering. - Two Hollywoodites who have taken the challenge, and are loving the experience, are Robby Benson and Julie Kavner. Robby has stepped Into the role of Frederick in Joseph Papp's off-beat staging of Gilbert Gil-bert and Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance." And he intends to stay with it on Broadway for some months to come. A year ago at this time Julie Kavner starred in th television movie "Return of the Stepford Wives." Before that, she won an Emmy award as Valerie Harper's sloppy sister Brenda on the "Rhoda" series. Now at the Off-Broadway Place Theater she has committed com-mitted herself to a challenging challeng-ing two-character play, "Particular "Par-ticular Friendships." She plays a warm-blooded heterosexual hetero-sexual who yearns for a young man (played by Luke Reilly) who has defined himself as homosexual. So much for actors whose base is Hollywood. Then there's the occasional lucky soul and Nancy Addison Addi-son Altman is one who gets to eat her cake and have it too. Nancy has earned her credentials as a professional in the Off-Broadway arena and she has yearned for what 1 all actors want: the Broadway debut. It came her way last month when she was cast as ' Claudette Colbert's scheming, ' greedy daughter-in-law in "A 1 Talent for Murder." 1 Even better, it didn't cost her the other role she loves, as 'the lovely lawyer Jillian on ' ABC's daytime serial "Ryan's Hope," which is produced in New York. Does switching to two such opposite characters in the same day get confusing? "No, but it means I just haven't been having any spare Lime," says Miss Altman. "I ;ven call on a trusted friend )f my two dogs to walk thenv iometimes when I can't. "And I guess I don't have to ell you what a learning expe-ience expe-ience it is, and a great privi-ege privi-ege to work with Claudette ince childhood, I guess, I've ratched her movie "Since You Vent Away,' 20 times and ried every time. Jean Pierre turnout (who co-stars) has en wonderful, too." Also nice has been that live - pplause. fF-- Nancy Addison Altman (Phot by Peter Cunningham) |