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odi Letizia was destined to be in showbiz long before she was even born. Her mother — a traveling professional dancer — married her father, an "advance man" who set up amenities at city stops for Frank Sinatra, in 1963.
Letizia, who grew up at 22nd and Wolf streets, may have begun her career with dance at age 3, but at 12 she snagged the part in an Oscar-winning film.
Letizia, who describes herself as "forever 40," was cast as Marie in the first "Rocky," a role any budding actress hopes would jump-start a film career. Letiza’s father was a liaison for the film, performing similar duties for the crew as he did for Sinatra. Upon noticing the role, he asked if his daughter could audition. Next thing they knew, she landed the part.
But "it’s so not who I am today," she said referring to her character from the 1976 film.
Sylvester Stallone’s famous flick may have been her first taste of the limelight, but the stage was what came calling. Letizia can be seen through Sept. 22 in "Over the Edge" at the Shubin Theatre, 407 Bainbridge St.
The intimate 40-seater provides the perfect backdrop for her one-woman musical comedy. Her characters — from Aunt Rose, who was influenced by her own kin, to Marie, a young South Philly woman based on a childhood friend — often interact with the audience in an improvisation-type back-and-forth, while a piano takes Letizia from one role to the next through scores and songs.
Due to this dynamic interplay, the show may vary night to night, but one element remains: The influence of her roots. It comes across in her on-stage personalities and never fully dissipates her even when she leaves the city.
"As a performer, it helped to make me a real person — down to earth," she said of South Philly. "I don’t really have airs, you don’t get that in South Philly."
After graduating from the Creative and Performing Arts High School, 901 S. Broad St., Letizia danced at the now-shuttered Riverfront Dinner Theater on Columbus Boulevard, followed by a short stay in Miami while touring with a show. She ended up back in the area and, in the early 1980s, moved to New York to work in film and television, including a role in the "Miami Vice" pilot. She began doing off-Broadway, eventually writing her own "club acts" reminiscent of cabaret, including "Love Is A Four-Letter Word." Her starring role in "Dressing Room Divas" nabbed her an Obie Award in 1995 for Best Female in an Ensemble, an honor Letizia cherishes.
Letizia continued working on her own pieces and collaborating with fellow writers. She penned "Edge" several years ago, running it in New York and Philadelphia since 2000. Come the weekends, her audience is mostly New Yorkers, but she said the response to the humor is similar in both cities — except for one thing.
"They recognize themselves in a lot of stuff," she said of the South Philly audience. "The first time we ran the show here, I had a girlfriend come to me backstage and say, ‘Oh my God! That was me, wasn’t it?’ I thought they’d feel as if I was making fun of them, but it’s the opposite feel, like I’m honoring them."
This is the second time this year the show is playing at the Shubin. After its first run in June, the positive audience feedback prompted a fall return. Leitizia said being able to perform in Philadelphia — where she lives when she’s not in New York — is always welcome.
"There’s a warmth in South Philly; everybody knows their neighbor," she said, adding her mother and sister still reside in South Philly with Letizia and husband Andy Redmond now calling Northern Liberties home.
"Edge" is compromised of several female characters Letizia described as "people who are almost at the edge," dealing with how to escape their problems. A bit of the "South Philly attitude" comes out here and there, as several characters are Italian or Jewish with a tough side, Letizia said.
"How can I describe it?" she asked rhetorically. "South Philly people are very unique."
She said scenarios of where her characters eat, live and shop and how they interact with their families reflect many of the neighbors she had as a child. Bringing all of those colorful personalities to the stage was a natural step.
"That’s my genre," she said. "I always go right to live theater. To have a live audience makes it more exciting."
Though the footlights beckon, Letizia has been in talks with Comedy Central to adapt her characters to the small screen, something she said she "would love to do," adding "you can always go back to live theater."
Letizia, who also produces her show, was bitten by the theater bug at first, getting into writing when she moved to New York. For "Edge" she and Ron Seykell, who also directs the show, wrote musical parodies into the arrangements Noah Farber plays on piano.
The toll of traveling and performing sometimes weighs on the actress, but when she sees her audience, "I’m like, ‘I’ll do a run for the next couple months,’" she said.
Letizia said she plans to visit again in December for a holiday show with characters and plots centered around tradition. The show will feature some "Edge" favorites, but she plans to bring in local talent as well as New York performers originally from Philly.
The actress, who draws inspiration from comedy legends like Carol Burnett, Red Skelton and Lucille Ball, continues to write musical comedies — a genre she said she loves because "I grew up with it, it brings me back home" — but will stay with "Edge," taking it to Chicago, Detroit and possibly Los Angeles in the coming months.
Despite the frequent flyer miles or how much time she spends away, her roots will always be a prominent part of her show.
"I love New York, but I love that I can step out and come back to South Philly," she said.
