Hot L Baltimore

"Hot L Baltimore" is a play by Lanford Wilson.

Set in the lobby of the Hotel Baltimore, it focuses on the residents of the decaying property, who are faced with eviction when the structure is condemned. The play draws its title from the hotel's exterior neon sign, the burned-out letter "E" of which was never replaced.

The off-Broadway Circle Repertory Company's production, directed by Marshall W. Mason, opened on March 22, 1973, at Circle in the Square Downtown, where it ran for 1666 performances. The cast included Conchata Ferrell, Judd Hirsch, and Jonathan Hogan. It won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best American Play of 1972–73, the John Gassner Playwriting Award, an Obie Award, and an Outer Critics Circle Award.

In 1975, producer Norman Lear adapted the play for a half-hour ABC sitcom. The cast included Ferrell, James Cromwell, Richard Masur, Al Freeman Jr., Gloria LeRoy, Jeannie Linero, and Charlotte Rae. The series had several controversial elements, including two primary characters who were prostitutes, one of whom an illegal immigrant, and one of the first gay couples to be depicted on an American television series. The network supported the show and gave it a full publicity campaign, but it failed to win an audience and was canceled after thirteen episodes.

In 1976, a version with the title "Hôtel Baltimore" was produced for French television. The series, which featured Dora Doll, lasted for only a single season.

External links

* [http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=3260 Lortel Archives listing]
*imdb title|072512
* [http://thattheatresite.com/library/showpages/show_590.html "Hot L Baltimore" at ThatTheatreSite] Provides character descriptions, reviews, and audition listings.