Don’t Pass Up the “Italian Bred”

An Italian-American woman with roots in Brooklyn and Staten Island, and family living in New Jersey? Hard to believe, I know, but Candice Guardino can assure you it’s true – and she is taking the stage this month in Asbury Park, NJ to share her story, based on true life and told through the eyes of a little girl growing up Italian on Staten Island. Born in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, raised on Staten Island, and with her entire family currently living in Holmdel – including relatives who own Home Away from Home Academy in Aberdeen, NJ – while she splits her time between Los Angeles and New York, Ms. Guardino has garnered rave reviews for her sold-out shows in Los Angeles and Chicago and earned thousands of social media followers and celebrity fans. On Sunday, July 30, 2017 at 3:00 p.m., she will bring her hit show, “Italian Bred,” to the famed Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, where it is sure to resonate with the area audiences – many of whom boast those same cultural, comforting, often comedic, roots. And if you’re not Italian? Yeah, you can come, too! Tickets are available at www.Ticketmaster.com or (800) 745-3000, or at the box office at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park.

Over the course of her one-woman show, Ms. Guardino takes on the persona of multiple family characters while sharing the stage with virtual cameo appearances by Emmy Award winner Leslie Jordan (“Will and Grace”), Mario Cantone (“Sex & the City”), Steve Schirripa (“The Sopranos”), and Vic DiBitetto (“Mall Cop 2”). She is not just a woman of many characters, but a woman of many talents, too. She made a name for herself on the New York theatre scene with her revealing one-woman show, “S.O.S.,” has written several sitcoms, stage plays, screenplays, and shorts. Her background includes studying with UCB, Second City, and The Pit Improv, with a BA degree in theatre.

For more about Candice Guardino and to stay updated on tour dates and other news, go to www.candiceguardino.com or follow her on Facebook. Read just some of the reviews for “Italian Bred” and you’ll see why this is an offer you can’t refuse. Jose Solis of Stage Buddy NY says, “Guardino singlehandedly proves you can make a one woman show funnier and smarter than almost anything on TV. The endlessly talented performer plays every member of her family, as well as various supporting characters, who help populate her memories of growing up in Staten Island. Guardino’s performance is so tender and clever that by the end of the show, we feel like we, too, grew up with her.” Notes Tolucan Times LA, “Hailing from the self-described ‘forgotten borough’ of Staten Island, Guardino describes her former stomping grounds as a “neighborhood where every guy is named Vinnie, Anthony, or Joey.” Candice tells her incredible story of love, life, and growing pains, as she creatively dons props and costumes, portraying her entire family.” Broadway World News Desk, NY declares, “Italian Bred is the female Wonder Years.” And Arts Live, LA adds, “Italian Bred, like the nostalgic scent of Sunday dinner! Get ready to laugh and relate!”

Next month, there will be additional servings of “Italian Bred” in the Garden State. Catch it at the Bickford Theatre in Morristown, NJ on Saturday, August 5 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, August 6 at 3:00 p.m.; go to http://morrismuseum.org/la-carte-series or call (973) 971-3706 for tickets. It will also appear at the Harbor Square Theatre in Stone Harbor, NJ on Friday, August 11 and Sunday, August 13 at 8:00 p.m. For tickets, call (609) 830-3566 or visit www.harborsquaretheatre.com.