Teddy Roosevelt rides again in `The Bully Pulpit'

NEW YORK—Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt rides again -- off-Broadway.

Rough Rider, naturalist and 26th president of the United States, Roosevelt already has been the subject of several Broadway productions: "Bully," starring James Whitmore, in 1977, and then the musical "Teddy and Alice," seen 10 years later about the president and his spirited, strong-minded daughter.

Now we have "The Bully Pulpit," a one-man show written by and starring Michael O. Smith. It's now in previews and opens May 14 at the Beckett Theatre on West 42nd Street. The director is Byam Stevens.

"The Bully Pulpit," produced by South Ark Stage, takes place in 1918 at Sagamore Hill, Roosevelt's Long Island home, on his 60th birthday as the former president looks back on his life.

For more information, visit the Web site http://www.TheBullyPulpitOnStage.org. For tickets, call Ticket Central, 212-279-4200, or go online at http://www.TicketCentral.com.

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Off-Broadway ticket availability and capsule reviews of selected shows as of April 28. Unless otherwise noted, tickets are available at the theaters' box offices for the shows listed. Details about how to obtain tickets -- including by calling the box office, Telecharge or Ticketmaster -- appear at the end.

--"Adding Machine." A Chicago-acclaimed musical based on Elmer Rice's landmark 1923 expressionistic drama about Mr. Zero, a diligent worker replaced by a machine. Minetta Lane. Ticketmaster.

--"Almost an Evening.'" Three short, absurdist plays by filmmaker Ethan Cohen. Bleecker Street. Telecharge. Closes June 1.

--"Antony and Cleopatra." Laila Robins and Marton Csokas are the leads in this Shakespeare revival directed by Darko Tresnjak. A Theatre for a New Audience production. Duke. 646-223-3010. Closes May 2.

--"Betrayed." George Packer's play about three young Iraqis who work for the Americans in Iraq. Culture Project. 212-352-3101. Closes June 28.

--"Blue Man Group." They paint each other. They paint the audience. They unroll toilet paper. Foreign tourists love this long-running new vaudeville show. Astor Place. Ticketmaster.

--"crooked." A young girl's fondness for storytelling has consequences. A comedy by Catherine Trieschmann. Women's Project. Telecharge. Closes May 11.

--"Forbidden Broadway." The long-running off-Broadway revue that pokes fun at Broadway shows and their stars. On hiatus through June 28. 47th Street. Telecharge.

--"From Up Here." Liz Flahive's dark family comedy about high school, second marriages and more. The cast includes last season's most ebullient Tony winner, Julie White. Manhattan Theatre Club Stage I. CityTix. 212-581-1212.

--"Fuerzabruta." This performance piece, whose title translate as "brute force," has been described as a show "where worlds collide." Daryl Roth. Telecharge.

--"God's Ear." A husband and wife struggle to communicate after losing their son. Vineyard. 212-353-0303. Closes May 18.

--"Good Boys and True." Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's story of a scandal at a boys' prep school. Now in previews. Opens May 19. Second Stage. 212-246-4422.

--"I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." The mildest of musical revues about relationships between men and women. Westside Theatre Upstairs. Telecharge.

--"John Lithgow: Songs by Heart." The actor celebrates the art of storytelling in this one-man show. A Lincoln Center Theater production. Plays Sundays and Mondays only. Mitzi E. Newhouse. Telecharge. Closes June 2.

--"Jump." A 90-minute Korean martial-arts entertainment. Union Square. Ticketmaster.

--"My First Time." Recollections of first sexual experiences. New World Stages. Telecharge.

--"Naked Boys Singing." A musical revue. The title says it all. Plays Fridays and Saturday. New World Stages. Telecharge.

--"Port Authority." Jim Norton, Brian d'Arcy James and John Gallagher Jr., star in Conor McPherson's play about three generations of Irish men as they deal with love and loss. Now in previews. Opens May 21. Atlantic Theater Company. Ticket Central. 212-279-4200.

--"Rafta, Rafta." The New Group's production of Ayub Khan-Din's comic tale of an extended honeymoon and its effect on an Indian family living in England. Now in previews. Opens May 8. Acorn. Ticket Central. 212-279-4200.

--"Secrets of a Soccer Mom." Three women take part in an annual mother-son soccer game. Kathleen Clark's play has been directed by Judith Ivey. Snapple Theater Center. Ticketmaster. Closes May 11.

--"Stomp." A noisy yet effective celebration of percussion in this long-running new vaudeville revue. Orpheum. Ticketmaster.

--"Take Me Along." A revival of the Bob Merrill musical based on Eugene O'Neill's "Ah, Wilderness!" Irish Repertory Theatre. 212-727-2737. Closes May 4.

--"The American Dream/The Sandbox." Revival of two classic Edward Albee plays, directed by Albee himself. Cherry Lane. Telecharge. Closes May 17.

--"The Four of Us." Itamar Moses' play about two good friends divided by success. Manhattan Theatre Club Stage II. CityTix. 212-581-1212. Closes May 18.

--"The Little Flower of East Orange." A ghost story by Stephen Adly Guirgis set in a New York charity hospital. Public. 212-967-7555. Closes May 4.

--"The New Century." Paul Rudnick's comedy that links a Long Island matron, a gay cable television host and a Midwest craftswoman, all facing a brave new world. A Lincoln Center Theater production. Mitzi E. Newhouse. Telecharge.

--"The Sound and the Fury (April Seventh, 1928)." Elevator Repair Service's adaptation of part one of William Faulkner's mammoth, complex novel about the Compson family in Yoknapatawpha County. New York Theatre Workshop. Telecharge.

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The Telecharge number is 212-239-6200 unless otherwise indicated. There is a $6.50 service charge per ticket, plus a handling fee per order that varies from $2.50 to $4.00 depending on method of delivery.

Ticketmaster is 212-307-4100. There is a $7 "convenience" charge per ticket, plus a handling fee per order that varies depending on method of delivery.

Both Telecharge and Ticketmaster will provide information on specific seat locations. They also have toll-free numbers for theater ticket calls outside New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. For Telecharge call 800-432-7250; for Ticketmaster call 800-755-4000.

The TKTS booth in Times Square is currently in a temporary location just outside the New York Marriott Marquis hotel on West 46th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue. It sells same-day discount tickets to Broadway, off-Broadway, music and dance productions. There is a $4 service charge per ticket. Cash or travelers checks only. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday evening performances, 3 p.m.-8 p.m.; matinees Wednesday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

The downtown TKTS booth is in the South Street Seaport at the corner of Front and John Streets. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m-4 p.m.

Matinee tickets must be purchased at South Street Seaport the day before, meaning Wednesday matinee tickets are available Tuesday, Saturday matinee tickets are available Friday and Sunday matinee tickets are available Saturday.

Full-price tickets and information on Broadway and off-Broadway shows are available at the Broadway Ticket Center, located on the east side of Broadway between 46th Street and 47th Street. There is a $4.50 service charge per ticket.

(This version CORRECTS Web site link to http://www.TheBullyPulpitonStageorg)