Marxfest Begins in Three Weeks!

Members of the faculty, faculty members, students of Huxley, and Huxley students,

It's hard to believe, but Marxfest begins in just a few weeks. And if you think that's hard to believe, take a look at some of what awaits you in the Marxian Month of May:

From Angels to Anarchists: The Evolution of the Marx Brothers (May 2, Coney Island, 7:30 pm) is Trav S.D.'s look at the boys' early years on stage, presented at Coney Island, where Harpo made his first appearance in the act ("apparently with deleterious results to his underwear," Trav notes). A co-presentation with the Congress of Curious People. And don't even think of missing Mr. S. D.'s other Marxfest talks: Anarchy in Astoria: The Making of the Marx Brothers' First Two Pictures (May 10, Greater Astoria Historical Society) and We're All Mad Here: The Marx Brothers in Context (May 29, Mid-Manhattan Library).

Friend of the festival Frank Ferrante is, in the words of the New York Times, "the greatest living interpreter of Groucho Marx's material." Join us for two performances of his beloved hit An Evening With Groucho, May 3, 8:00 pm (Freeport Concert Association) and May 4, 3:00 pm (College of Staten Island Center for the Arts). As if a chance to see An Evening With Groucho during the Month of Marx were not enough, it can now be announced that following the May 3 performance, Marxfest will conduct an onstage interview with Frank Ferrante, who will discuss his celebrated association with the role of Groucho, and will answer questions from the audience. More details soon about this particularly special Evening!

The Marx Brothers on Television (May 4, 7:00 pm) is a must-see event featuring Robert S. Bader (editor of Groucho Marx and Other Short Stories and Tall Tales, and author of an upcoming chronicle of the Brothers' stage career) and comedy legend Dick Cavett. They'll discuss Cavett's friendship with Groucho, and the television career of the Marx Brothers. They'll also be showing video clips you won't want to miss, including the best of Groucho on The Dick Cavett Show, and a sneak peek at some of the footage Mr. Bader curated for the highly-anticipated DVD set The Marx Brothers TV Collection, to be released by Shout Factory in August. Some of this material had been considered lost, and has not been widely seen in decades. Then, on May 7, join us for Marxes in Manhattan, Mr. Bader's multimedia exploration of the Brothers' relationship with their hometown.

For those who like their laughs a bit more...bawdy, we proudly offer The Pinch Brothers in The Bawdy House (May 8, 15, 18, & 22, 8:00 pm). Written by Jonny Porkpie and produced by Pinchbottom Burlesque, this adults-only tribute stars Tigger!, Scout Durwood, Jonny Porkpie, and Bastard Keith, plus Angie Pontani, Rebecca Hart, Anita Cookie, Little Brooklyn, Peekaboo Pointe, Scott Rayow, Tansy, Donny Vomit, pickup artist Zoe Ziegfeld, a special appearance by Jo Weldon, and even more not yet announced! Tell Aunt Minnie to send up a bigger room, willya?

The Music of the Marx Brothers takes place on May 9. Think about this for a moment -- at this point in the festival, we have already communed with our Brothers by way of Trav S.D., Frank Ferrante, Robert Bader, Dick Cavett, and an entire burlesque show. And it's only May 9. We'll be here all month, folks, and it's best if you don't make any non-Marxfest plans at all in May. Certainly not on May 9 at 11:00 pm, when Bill Zeffiro, Gelber & Manning, Marissa Mulder, Rebekah Lowin, and more special guests pay tribute to the music of the Marxes at 54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club.

One might hesitate to call I'll Say She Is (May 23, 8:00 pm & May 25, 5:00 pm) an historic event of monumental importance -- but we wouldn't. The Marx Brothers' career-making 1924 Broadway debut has not been seen since the original production closed. But it will be seen in the fall of 2014, and these two special, semi-produced readings at Marxfest will be your first chance to see and hear the work. Drawn from multiple sources, Noah Diamond's adaptation of I'll Say She Is reconstructs, refines, embellishes, and otherwise grapples with this enigmatic entry in the Marx Brothers canon. Starring Melody Jane, Noah Diamond, Robert Pinnock, Seth Shelden, Matthew Curiano, Kathy Biehl, Bob Homeyer, and Dan Hermann. Musical direction by Sarah Malinda Engelke. Produced and directed by Trav S. D.

Just confirmed: Marxes in Manhattan (May 7), Anarchy in Astoria (May 10) Dr. Sketchy's MarxFest (May 11), and You Bet Your Ass (May 17). But do you think we're satisfied? No, we're still planning and adding more events to the Marxfest schedule, just to make sure there's something for everybody.  

Here's the part where we say that none of this would be possible without you: None of this would be possible without you! Thanks to the good people of Freedonia, the Marxfest Kickstarter campaign is now 80% funded! With only five days left in the campaign, this is our final push to raise the last $983. If you haven't chipped in yet, please consider making a small donation -- every smidgen helps, and our Kickstarter page reveals some of the precious rewards you can reap by becoming a Marxfest supporter.

Take a look at our latest fundraising video, starring Marxfest Commitee member and Top Strategist to the Freedonia Chamber of Deputies Kathy Biehl:

That's all for now, friends. The festival is just around the corner, and you can keep tabs on us, and get all the latest updates as they happen, by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and sitting in parked cars outside our homes and offices.

See you in May!

Yours in Marx,

Member, Marxfest Committee

Member, Freedonia Chamber of Deputies

The Marxfest Committee: Kevin Fitzpatrick, Kathy Biehl, Noah Diamond, Brett Leveridge, Jonny Porkpie, and Trav S.D.

Join the Marxfest mailing list here.