(previews start on Jan. 23; opens on Jan. 25) The Talking Band, one of Off Broadway's most venerable and unconventional troupes, has survived for 40 years, singing all the while. In this four-part piece at La MaMa, written by Ellen Maddow and Paul Zimet, with songs by Ms. Maddow and Elizabeth Swados, the company will explore "the essence of character and identity."