Daily News from New York, New York • 320

TV Steaming out of limbo for pay-TV R-URNING BRUCE JAY Fried-1 4- man's 1970 black comedy, Steambath," about life after deaths into a half-hour situation comedy is not without serious risks. War-nerBrothers has produced six such episodes, with Jose Perez reprising his TV role as God the steambath attendant for airing on the pay-cable Showtime service, beginning Aug. 16. Tiie new series continues to use in the PBS production first seen on TV in 1973 and repeated annually ever since. "I personally believe the play is the best thing I've ever done.

Even today, when I walk down the street, people recognize me as God, the steambath attendant," he said. The original play, which opened at New York's Truck and Warehouse WHPiWWW- wwiWiiyW)U wn iMgU WWWt, im- i i I J- 1 Theatre and ran for a total of 127 performances, was directed by Anthony Perkins, who also starred in the show along with Elizondo and Conrad Bain. In the PBS production, Bill Bixby was cast in the role of the public-relations man essayed by Perkins, with Valerie Per-rine cast as Meredith, the sexy female, who will be played in the Showtime version by Janis Ward. the. Friedman characters and concept of a room in this case, a sauna to represent limbo, a place between this world and the next.

j'What we're doing," said David Pollock, who is producing the show along with Elias Davis, "is six new situation with episode one faithful to the original Play?" jActor Perez, who has struggled to remain loyal to i 1 Ji. t- i Kay Gcrdella 1 It Regulars in Showtime's (I to r) Robert Picardo, Al Ruscio (top), Janis Ward, Jose Perez and Rita Taggart. Tandy, the PR man, is played by Robert Picardo, and the cab driver Davinci by Al Ruscio. Added to the Showtime cast is one character, Blanche, a sensual middle-aged woman portrayed by Rita Taggart THE ORIGINAL comedy was salty and sassy, with considerable nudity, which presents some problems for producers Pollock and Davis, just as it did for Norman Lloyd when he produced the play for PBS' Hollywood Television Theatre. At the time, Lloyd told us, "at least 20 of the script had to be doctored up." Pollock, afforded more leeway on pay-cable, insists he's "remained faithful to Friedman," although he concedes Showtime has voiced some concern, resulting in some skillfull editing especially of nude scenes.

the Friedman play, is wor- hmm ried. about exploiting the original work. "I feel a loyalty toward Friedman's piece. That's why if we go further with this, beyond the six episodes, we're going to have to outline the parameters so we don't stray too far from the original Friedman concept. "What it amounts to," he continued, "is it stretches the original work.

You can't take what Bruce did and let other writers imitate it and expect the result to have the same genuineness. The Friedman play, although a comedy, had some profound things to say." PEREZ IS ALSO protective of the role of God, and considers it his, although it was first played by Hector Elizondo in the 1970 Off-Broadway production. Perez took over the role give them a feeling of everything goes, if this isn't a place where you're judged, then how can you get into philosophical discussions and issues? The audience should know the characters can never get out of the room." According to Pollock, various guest stars will appear in each episode. Dan Greenberg, author of "How To Be a Jewish Mother," penned the pilot script. Burt Brinckerhoff and Terry Hughes are the directors for the six episodes.

Brinckerhoff also directed the PBS production. "There's some nudity, but not total nudity and no frontal nudity," said Pollock. "As for language, we're irreverent and salty. The people in the steambath are dead, and they have nothing to do but reflect on their lives and respond to the new arrivals." Perez, who got his acting start in "South Pacific" at age 10, admits he's had some arguments over what the piece is about. "For instance," he said, "they wanted to play loosely with the idea of purgatory.

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