Terrence McNally’s 1975 play that takes place in a bathhouse in Manhattan. When Gaetano Proclo needs to hide from mobster Carmine Vespucci, he escapes to the Ritz. When Gaetano realizes the Ritz is a gay bathhouse and not a Turkish bath, he pretends to be a big-time Broadway producer to keep suspicions low.

“The Ritz” premiered on B’way on Jan 20, 1975 at the Longacre under the auspices of Adela Holzer.  Robert Drivas directed a cast which included Rita Moreno (Googie Gomez), Jack Weston (Gaetano Proclo) & Jerry Stiller (Carmine Vespucci).  In 1976, the play was made into a feature film, directed by Richard Lester and featuring the same three stars from the play.