Marxfest Diary: Days 20-26

DAY 20: At the "secret" Party of the Second Part at Kabin, thrown by Marxfest Committee president Kevin Fitzpatrick for the festival's Kickstarter backers, so many familiar names were finally given faces! For me, the highlight of this night was getting to meet and speak with some of the fine men and women who helped make this festival possible. But it was an evening rich in highlights. The scintillating Bunny Buxom performed twice, and Marxfest Committee member Jonny Porkpie and I did our double-Groucho version of the immortal Gallagher and Shean theme song. Would you like to see some lovely watercolor renderings of these performances, by the inspired Carolyn Raship? Of course you would.

DAY 21: This day has been removed from the festival by special order of the Freedonia Chamber of Deputies.

DAY 22: At 2:00 pm was the penultimate free screening at the Epiphany Library -- A Day at the Races, a transitional Marx Brothers film, which many of us regard as either the last good one or the first bad one. (Next week's Epiphany screening is one we all agree is among the very best -- Horse Feathers.)

Trav S.D. introduces Duck Soup at the
Museum of Modern Art, May 22.
Photo from Travalanche.

In the evening, the Marxfest audience was forced to choose between two outstanding events. Downtown at the Players Theatre, there was the final performance of Pinchbottom Burlesque's The Pinch Brothers in "The Bawdy House." Meanwhile, in midtown, the Brothers' 1933 masterpiece Duck Soup was screened at no less a venue than the Museum of Modern Art. Having seen the Pinch Brothers show earlier (see my previous entry), I arrived at MoMA ready to be entertained by the Marx Brothers themselves.

Marxfest Committee member Trav S.D. introduced the picture with some well-chosen words about how in the midst of planning the festival, it occurred to us that in addition to our talks, walks, parties, and performances, it might be nice "to get together and watch a Marx Brothers movie" too.

Far too rarely have I had the experience of watching the boys on the big screen, with a big audience. Whenever I do, I'm reminded that despite impressive advances in home entertainment technology, nothing can come close to watching a classic comedy film in its natural habitat. I have a nice big TV, and you probably do too, but when was the last time you saw the Marx Brothers two or three stories tall? As Trav points out in his account of the screening, Duck Soup is simply much funnier on the big screen, in front of a big crowd, than it can ever be on Netflix. The visual humor had infinitely greater impact, and the contagious nature of laughter illuminated much that hadn't gotten to me before, or not in many years.

Robert Pinnock, Matthew Curiano, Seth Shelden,
Melody Jane, and Noah Diamond performing the
Napoleon Scene in the I'll Say She Is reading at the
Players Theatre, 5/23. Photo: Jonathan Melvin Smith.

DAYS 23 & 25: I've been working on my reconstruction-adaptation of I'll Say She Is for more than five years. Maybe you've heard about it. On Friday and Sunday, we presented the work publicly for the first time (or for the first time in ninety years, depending on what we're talking about).

It's a bit difficult for me to write about the I'll Say She Is readings the way I've been writing about the other Marxfest events. The whole festival has been a euphoric dream, but this show, having incubated in my hands for so long, is exceptional for me, even in this month of exceptions.

Working on I'll Say She Is, I've been so lucky so often. I was lucky to stumble upon so much research material; lucky to attain the guidance and friendship of Meg Farrell and other experts in Marxism, Johnstoneism, and musical theatre history; lucky to brush against this legend I've cherished since reading about it as a child. But it's hard to think of a luckier break, or one more crucial to the readings and the imminent production, than the association of I'll Say She Is and its producer and director, Trav S.D. I know that to burble about one's collaborators is almost as tiresome as to burble about one's work, but I can't help it. And since I'm already guilty of this, I'm going all the way and telling you that I've been humbled and gratified every day by this beautiful group of people who've brought the show back to life. There hasn't been a cast of I'll Say She Is since 1925. Let's hear it for Melody Jane, Seth Shelden, Robert Pinnock, Matthew Curiano, Kathy Biehl, Ivory Fox, Grace Gotham, Glen Heroy, Dan Herrman, and Bob Homeyer; for Frances Ines Rodriguez, for Sabrina Chap -- the active ingredients of a dream come true.

Matthew Curiano and Melody Jane.
Photo: Jonathan Melvin Smith.

Backstage: Kathy Biehl as Ruby
Mintworth in I'll Say She Is.

Besides the material itself, the readings included a scoop, announced with characteristic flair and showmanship by Trav during his opening speech: I'll Say She Is will be presented in full, with band and chorus, at the New York International Fringe Festival in August of this year. If you missed the Marxfest readings, fear not -- you'll see the whole show in August! And if you saw the Marxfest readings, fear not -- you'll see the whole show in August!

Trav's speech posited that the audience for the I'll Say She Is readings included two factions: the hardcore Marx Brothers fanatics, and others. Judging by the audience's reaction to the material, the former faction seemed to dominate. I'm bursting with excitement about the upcoming Fringe production, and I even dare to hope that I'll Say She Is will have a long life, um, beyond the Fringe. But it's possible that the show will never have as appreciative an audience as the glorious crowd who attended the Marxfest readings. The love in the room was palpable -- I mean the love for our Brothers, which unites us, one for all, and all for me, and me for you, and three for five, and six for a quarter.

And you know what, forget the love; how about the laughs! It's probable that this highly addictive drug, this most potent of all uppers, is what gets most of us on stage in the first place -- the exquisite, life-affirming sound of a large group of friends and strangers collectively issuing rolls of riotous laughter. There is no better music in the world. It was beautiful. It was a tribute to the Marx Brothers, to the Johnstone brothers, to the family on stage and the family in the audience.

Following Sunday's reading, there was a talkback session, with Trav, Meg, and me, and in its way this was almost as much fun as the reading itself. As Trav noted from the stage, virtually the entire capacity audience stayed for the talkback, which never happens! Video of the talkback may be forthcoming. I hope so.

UPDATE (6/5/14): Here it is!



DAY 24: To back up slightly -- in between the first I'll Say She Is reading on Friday and the second one on Sunday, there was a Marxfest event on Saturday afternoon at Kabin. (This comfortable East Village bar and lounge, incidentally, has been one of Marxfest's happiest homes. In addition to Saturday's event, we had our original photo shoot for both I'll Say She Is and The Pinch Brothers at Kabin, as well as the secret backers' party last Tuesday. The folks at Kabin have been incredibly welcoming and generous with the Marx Brothers community, so why don't you stop in sometime and thank them by having a drink or two on their premises?)

One of my favorite sidebars to the saga of the Marx Brothers is Groucho's seemingly unlikely friendship with T.S. Eliot. With this in mind, I conceived The Love Song of J. Cheever Loophole. The event consisted of readings -- first of the complete Groucho/Eliot correspondence as published in The Groucho Letters, and then of selections from both men's work, culminating in Eliot's masterpiece "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," interrupted by some of Groucho's most distinguished wisecracks. I enjoyed this event immensely, not just because I always enjoy any opportunity to speak in Groucho's voice, but because the Eliot selections were read by Hugh Sinclair, a great friend, a great actor, and a great Marxist. I could listen to him all day. In the future, I believe The Love Song of J. Cheever Loophole might be the basis for a full-length work exploring the Groucho/Eliot relationship.

DAY 26: There were no public Marxfest events on Memorial Day. I spent a lovely afternoon with my lovely mother, who was in town for the I'll Say She Is reading and the Eliot event. We even found time to discuss things other than the Marx Brothers! I'd forgotten there was anything else. Thanks, Mom!

Noah Diamond, Robert Pinnock, and Seth Shelden backstage at the
Players Theatre for the I'll Say She Is reading on May 25.

It's hard to imagine that anything could have topped the first three weeks of Marxfest, but Week Four actually did. And would you believe that there's still another week ahead?

Tonight, members of the cast of I'll Say She Is will be performing at the Theatre Museum Gala at the Players Club (which is distinct from the Players Theatre -- we try to keep things as confusing as possible). On Thursday, there's Horse Feathers at the Epiphany Library at 2:00, and then at 6:30, Trav's talk at the Mid-Manhattan Library: We're All Mad Here: The Marx Brothers in Context. Throughout the festival, it's been said many times that the Marx Brothers were an enormous influence on every comedian since. What is said far less often is that the Brothers were enormously influenced by comedians who came before them, and who were their peers in vaudeville. Trav, author of No Applause -- Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, will shed some light on this in what I'm sure will be an entertaining and informative talk. And it's free. After that, there's the final day of Marxfest -- Saturday, May 31. At noon, meet us outside the Algonquin Hotel for Kevin Fitzpatrick's Marx Brothers and Algonquin Round Table Walking Tour. And at 7:00 pm, we wrap up this dizzying month of Marxian madness with A Night at Wit's End, a speakeasy party at Flute Midtown. You probably know that Wit's End is the city's preeminent Jazz Age party. Did you know that on this particular night, in addition to vintage or vintage-inspired attire, the Wit's End dress code includes the option of Marx Brothers or Marx Brothers-inspired attire? We'll see you there.

As always, I remain
Yours in Marx,

P.S. Did you hear the one about Trav, Carolyn, Groucho, and a screaming child on the subway?

Marxfest Diary: Days 12-19

Marxfest Committee member Kathy Biehl chats with Bill Marx during
Marxfest's Global Marx Brothers Shindig on May 15

DAYS 12-14: There were no public Marxfest events last Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday -- giving the Marxfest Committee and its various cohorts time to gear up for the second half of the festival.

DAY 15: The second half of the festival began on Thursday, May 15. This was the day designated by Bill Marx (son of Harpo) as the International Day of Laughter, so chosen because it's the actual centennial of the Galesburg, Illinois poker game at which Art Fisher gave the boys their nicknames. (Actually, according to Robert Bader, the fateful event could also have occurred on May 14 or 16.) To mark the occasion, Marxfest held a special event, an online conversation with Bill Marx and a virtual gathering of Marx Brothers fans from around the world.

There were some technical glitches, and we were sorry to hear that some who attempted to participate were either unable to log in, or unable to stream the event once they did. But more than 200 Marxists from both sides of the Atlantic did manage to get in, and were treated to a wonderful exchange. Bill graciously and eloquently answered questions about Harpo, the Marx Brothers, and the significance of their lives and careers. "My dad said, 'I never would have made it without my brothers,'" he told us. He also talked about playing the piano for Allan Sherman's debut performance (attended by all five Marx Brothers), shared memories of Harpo's innate wisdom and decency, and described his father's speaking voice.

The hour flew by, and at the end, Bill said -- not only to us, but to all Marx Brothers fans everywhere: "I want to tell you that I love you." He thanked us, all of us, for loving the Marx Brothers and keeping their comedy alive. The pleasure is ours, sir.

We're hoping to obtain video of the conversation and make highlights available online.

Tigger! as Pinchy in The Pinch Brothers in "The
Bawdy House." Photo by Don Spiro.

Immediately following the Bill Marx Shindig, Marxfest Committee member Kathy Biehl and I high-tailed it to the Players Theatre to catch the second performance of Pinchbottom's Marxfest event, The Pinch Brothers in "The Bawdy House." This self-contained burlesque homage, written and directed by Marxfest Committee member Jonny Porkpie (who also appears as the Grouchovian character Zeigsky Minsfeld) is one of the few Marxfest events in which I played no administrative or creative role. It was a fantastic treat to just sit and enjoy it as a member of the audience.

The show began with a Pinchbottom parody of the old Paramount Pictures logo, followed by newspaper headlines setting up the plot -- a clever and beautifully-executed nod to the opening moments of Animal Crackers. For Marx Brothers fanatics (of which there are more than a few running around the city these days), much of the fun of The Pinch Brothers is identifying the many references to classic Marx material, which Jonny has deftly woven throughout his original libretto. The references I spotted, in addition to the Animal Crackers intro, included:

• A "charades" scene between Pinchy (Tigger!) and Chica (Lady Scoutington), modeled on the Harpo/Chico charades sequences in A Day at the Races, A Night in Casablanca, and Love Happy.
• Porkpie parodies of "Lydia the Tattooed Lady" and other Marx standards.
• Tigger!'s spot-on recreation of Harpo's "getting tough" business, as seen in Monkey Business and Horse Feathers.
• Jonny Porkpie and A. Goldfarb hilariously capturing the Groucho/Dumont dynamic, with a twist or two.
• Trav S.D. perfectly embodying the archetypal Marx Brothers detective -- a "pre-noir" lawman, as Trav has said, generally named Hennessy or Henderson. (At other performances, the role is played by Don Spiro.)
• In addition to all the Marx references, The Bawdy House gleefully borrows classic comedy devices from elsewhere (pie fights, silent-movie chases, Donny Vomit as a moustache-twirling villain), nicely contextualizing the Marx mythos.

There are many others, including two classic cinematic Marx Brothers sequences impressively reinterpreted for the stage, but to be more specific would spoil too many surprises. You still have one more chance to see it, this Thursday. Adults only, and all that. For a more detailed account of The Bawdy House, read Trav S.D.'s article about the show.

Day 15 of Marxfest was also a big one for free screenings; at 2:00 you had your choice of A Night at the Opera (96th Street Library) or Room Service (Epiphany Library). The latter venue is showing A Day at the Races on May 22 and Horse Feathers on May 29.

A few Marxfest Committee members, and
friends, at the Brothers' childhood home.

DAY 16: This was a dark day for Marxfest. I don't mean that anything bad happened, just that there were no public events. I barely remember this day. I spent it feverishly preparing for...

DAY 17: I only got to spend a brief amount of time enjoying the Barx Brothers event, but it was a beautiful morning in Yorkville, and it was nice to meet up with part of the group on the steps of the Brothers' childhood home, 179 East 93rd Street. Or 179 Marx Brothers Place.

I had to get to the 96th Street Library to prepare for my own presentation, "The Marxes of Yorkville," which began at noon. The 96th Street Library has a great room downstairs, which they refer to as a meeting room, but which is really a small auditorium. Some years ago, I participated in a "Save Marx Brothers Place" event there, where we screened my film tribute The Brothers, and ever since then I've associated that room with the Marxes.

"The Marxes of Yorkville" was well-attended and seemed to go over nicely. It was a triple bill, starting with my -- lecture? Talk? Presentation? All of these words make it sound like something that would be a chore to sit through. I spoke for about thirty minutes, telling the story of the Brothers' early years in New York, accompanied by photographs and artifacts projected on a screen behind me. It was so much fun, I kind of wanted to keep going and cover their whole career. Maybe some day I'll get to teach a class in Marxism (perhaps in hi skule). But it was time to move on: Next on the bill was a particular treat, Dan Truman and Seth Shelden reading excerpts from Groucho and Me and Harpo Speaks. I'd selected the excerpts, all dealing with the Yorkville years, to complement my talk. Seth, who also plays Harpo in I'll Say She Is this week, told me that it was very helpful having heard Bill Marx's description of Harpo's voice two days earlier.

Noah Diamond speaks at "The Marxes of Yorkville" at the
96th Street Library, May 17. Photo by Amanda Sisk.

Third on the bill was my friend Susan Kathryn Hefti, co-chair of the 93rd Street Beautification Association, who spoke about the "Save Marx Brothers Place" cause, for which she's been working and fighting for many years. The 93rd Street Beautification Association has three goals: 1) to make 179 East 93rd Street an officially designated New York City landmark; 2) to co-name the block Marx Brothers Place; and 3) to extend the Carnegie Hill Historic District by one block, thereby protecting the extant historical structures on the block (including 179) from demolition and redevelopment. Susan shared some information about how Marx Brothers fans can help, and that information can be found here.

DAY 18: I'm hoping that Marxfest Committee president Kevin Fitzpatrick will report on the Bronx Zoo "Elephant in Your Pajamas" event which took place on Sunday. I missed that one, owing to a nine-hour marathon rehearsal for the two staged readings of I'll Say She Is which are coming your way this Friday and Sunday at the Players Theatre. (Details are here. Even more details are here.) I'm going to spare you the self-satisfied burbling in which I am tempted to indulge. I'm not going to tell you how exhilarating the rehearsal was, how brilliant the cast is, how historic these readings are, or how sorry you may be if you don't buy your tickets in advance right now and be part of this moment in Marx Brothers history.

DAY 19: There were no public Marxfest events on Monday, but it was nevertheless an important day. It was the actual ninetieth anniversary of the opening night of I'll Say She Is at the Casino Theatre. Nine decades since the boys graduated from vaudeville to Broadway. And how exciting to think that their ninety-year-old vehicle is still "a masterpiece of knock 'em down and drag 'em out humor" (as George Jean Nathan wrote in 1924), and even more exciting to think that you can be part of the first audience to enjoy this work since the original production closed, and all you have to do is buy tickets right now.

I'd better end this before I plug again.

As always, I remain
Yours in Marx,

Dogs & Elephants? It Must Be Family Weekend

Marxfest has been in full swing since the beginning of the month, however, this weekend is all about families. The Marxfest Committee has focused two days over the weekend on programming that’s aimed at the next generation of Marx Brothers fans. Here are the details to attend, for people of all ages.

Saturday, May 17, 10 AM. The Barx Brothers Dogwalk

We will be meeting at Marx Brothers Playground, on East Ninety-sixth Street, between First and Second Avenues (closer to Second). We will meet at 10 AM and the walk will commence between 10:15 and 10:30. The walk will be held rain or shine. Come dressed as your favorite Marx Brothers member, or dress your dogs and kids up too. Meet Eli the Celebrity Chihuahua! We will be walking about 12-15 blocks. Among the stops will be Marx Brothers Place on East Ninety-third street, where the brothers and their family lived for more than a dozen years. The walk will wind up at the 96^th Street Library, 12 East 9^th Street for “The Marxes of Yorkville” talk by Noah Diamond. This talk is also free and open to the public, and suitable for kids. It commences at Noon.

Sunday, May 18, Noon, An Elephant in Your Pajamas, at the Bronx Zoo

South Entrance (Gate C) meeting point (Noon) –parking entrance
-or-

Asia Gate Entrance meeting point (12:30) – mass transit entrance

Buy advance tickets here 

Get directions here (bus, subway, car)

The trend of wearing your pajamas in public (not a new trend in New York City) will be on display when we visit the Bronx Zoo attired in our sleepwear. Of course we are paying tribute to the famous Groucho Marx joke, however, we are taking it to the real world by visiting the Bronx Zoo elephants. However, the African Elephants at the zoo are not in a cage to walk up to in our pajamas. There is a bit of planning needed to get to see them!

There are two entrances to meet at, and then the rallying point. The South Entrance is where the parking lot is. If you are driving to the Bronx Zoo, park in the South Lot (Gate C). We will meet at the gate from 12:00-12:20 and then proceed to walk to the rallying point in Asia Plaza. If you are taking mass transit, you will be entering at Asia Gate! This is the 2 or 5 subway lines, or the BX9, BX36, Q44, BX40, or BX42 bus lines. You can meet here at approximately 12:30. Then proceed to the rally point in Asia Plaza. In Asia Plaza we’ll pose for photos about 1 PM and then get in line for the Wild Asia Monorail, which takes us to see the elephants (and their friends, the lions, tigers, etc). Following the trip to seeing the elephants (and shooting only photos), we can decide which exhibits to see next.

For all updated information on Saturday and Sunday, follow on Twitter @marxfest for updates that will be sent out. You can also email me kevin@marxfest.com for information.

The rest of the weekend is decidedly adults only! Saturday night Murray Hill hosts You Bet Your Ass and Sunday night is the Pinch Brothersin the Bawdy House.

Marxfest Diary: Days 8-11

Jonny Porkpie, Tigger-James Ferguson, and Scout
Durwood in The Bawdy House. Photo: Nishell Falcone.

DAY EIGHT: I'm afraid your correspondent let you down on Day Eight, failing to attend both the 2:00 screening of Monkey Business and the first performance of The Pinch Brothers in "The Bawdy House." I was recovering from the first week of Marxfest events, and preparing for the rest.

There are still three chances to see The Bawdy House -- which, as you may know, is a burlesque show written and directed by Marxfest Committee member Jonny Porkpie. I'll catch it this Thursday, May 15, following our Shindig with Bill Marx. The Bawdy House also has performances on May 18 and 22. (Get your tickets right here.) It will be another week before I can report on this event, but perhaps someone who saw it last Thursday will provide more details in the meantime. I'm told it's extremely funny. (Update: Here's Trav S.D.'s commentary on the opening night performance.) Here's a short video Jonny posted yesterday, featuring clips from Thursday's show:



DAY NINE: Friday night was yet another of our tentpole events -- the big Marx Brothers cabaret at 54 Below, produced by Kevin Fitzpatrick, devised by Bill Zeffiro, and fittingly entitled The Music of the Marx Brothers.

The Music of the Marx Brothers company: Marissa Mulder, Dandy
Wellington, Tonna Miller, Bill Zeffiro, special guest, Rebekah Lowin,
Kate Manning, Jesse Gelber, Steve Ross. Photo: Kevin Fitzpatrick.

There's been a good feeling around this event from its earliest stages, which I attribute to the talent and enthusiasm of Bill Zeffiro. If you're familiar with his wonderful "1928 exploitation musical" The Road to Ruin, you won't be surprised to hear that he's a passionate, lifelong fan of the Marx Brothers. Bill has a clear streak of anarchic madness himself.

There was something in the air on Friday, besides mist, but the mist didn't hurt. It was a great, gray New York day. I arrived in the vicinity of 54 Below too early for the noon soundcheck, so I wandered around Broadway in the mist and did something I've never done before -- bought the Wall Street Journal. Because we were in it. (There was a Music of the Marx Brothers item, and a great photograph of our emcee, Dandy Wellington -- and even a nice mention of I'll Say She Is. Trav fears they may revoke it after they see our Wall Street number.)

This was the sign on our dressing
room door at 54 Below.

The soundcheck is when I really started to get excited. 54 Below is a great room, and I felt lucky to be there, and to be working with such fine performers -- though, as I hinted in my last entry, I rehearsed and soundchecked with the awareness that I probably wasn't going to wind up in the show. Bill did everything he could to include me, but in the end showbiz is about status, and I knew that if our celebrity guest showed up I was sacked.

The show itself was spectacular -- owing largely, like other Marxfest events, to the obvious love and enthusiasm of the audience. Imagine a crowd that breaks into cheers and applause when they hear the opening notes of "The Monkey Doodle Doo!" That semi-classic from The Cocoanuts was performed most winningly by Rebekah Lowin in one of the evening's highlights. Some others:

Bill Zeffiro at the piano, rehearsing with Marissa Mulder,
Rebekah Lowin, Dandy Wellington, and Jesse Gelber in
the greenroom before the show. Photo: Kevin Fitzpatrick.

• Bill Zeffiro, head down and fingers fluttering, beginning the show with the deeply evocative medley I call "The Grouchoverture." Also: His conviction on "Stay Down Here Where You Belong."
• Dandy Wellington's "Everyone Says I Love You" softshoe.
• Tonna Miller, delivering "Cosi-Cosa" in a state of operatic splendor, and also of pregnancy, gesturing to her midsection to give subtext to the lyric "Well, yes and no!"
• Marissa Mulder's "Always." Bill introduced her with the anecdote about "Always" being cut from The Cocoanuts: George S. Kaufman told Irving Berlin, "It stinks." Ms. Mulder took the stage, said, "This song really stinks," and proceeded to stop the show.
• The elegance and touching sincerity of Steve Ross, delivering "Love Me and the World is Mine" -- first in a tremulous whisper, then richer and more urgent as the song progressed.
• Gelber and Manning did two sets, both consisting only of highlights, but if I could only tell you about one I'd pick their sweet, winsome, and period-perfect rendition of "Why Am I So Romantic?"

Marxfest Committee member Kathy Biehl,
with special guest. Photo: Amanda Sisk.

Roughly halfway through the show, following Tonna Miller's beautiful rendition of "Alone," Bill Zeffiro announced that there was a very special guest in the house who probably needed no introduction. Then a familiar voice was heard, yammering from a corner of the room -- "Well, well, a worse-looking audience I've never seen!" -- and a familiar figure loped his way through the room and onto the stage. Once there, he casually insulted Zeffiro, the venue, and the audience, and between jokes he warbled "There's a Place Called Omaha, Nebraska." I'm told his turn was well-received.

I'm also told there will soon be video available of a few of the performances from The Music of the Marx Brothers. (On our YouTube channel, incidentally, we've just released some of the vaudeville performances from the May 7 Marxes in Manhattan show.)

UPDATE (6/11): Video of three performances from Music of the Marx Brothers has now surfaced on YouTube:

DAY TEN: On the tenth day of Marxfest, it was out to Queens. The Greater Astoria Historical Society is mere blocks from the Kaufman-Astoria Studios, formerly Paramount's New York production base, where the Brothers filmed Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers. (The GAHS, incidentally, appears twice on our calendar -- they're also offering a free screening of Room Service on May 24.)

Trav S.D. speaking at the Greater Astoria
Historical Society. Photo: Don Spiro.

Marxfest Committee member and showbiz polymath Trav S.D. delivered "Anarchy in Astoria," the second of his three lecture/performances on the Marxfest schedule. At the first, on Coney Island, Trav discussed the evolution of the Marx Brothers from a singing act to a comedy act, during their vaudeville period. In Astoria, he picked up the story twenty years later -- the boys having conquered vaudeville and Broadway, now experimenting with talking pictures.

Trav's entertaining account of the making of Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers ("a backlot backstory," he has said) again achieved the Marxfest Ideal: it provided enough of an overview to be of interest to casual fans, and also plenty of obscure detail and fresh insight for the fanatics to chew on. I might as well confess at this point that I'm in the latter group. I especially enjoyed Trav's reasoned defenses of directors Robert Florey and Victor Heerman against Groucho's frequent criticisms, and his appraisal of the film version of The Cocoanuts as "strangely underwater."

Research project: What was the name and location of the Italian restaurant in Astoria that Chico disappeared to during the filming of the team's first two pictures? Anybody?

For this talk, Trav appeared in a white suit and pith helmet, his appearance suggesting to me that Mark Twain was understudying for Groucho in Animal Crackers. Captain Spalding meets Captain Stormfield. For the Coney Island talk, he donned an academic robe and mortarboard. What will Trav wear at "We're All Mad Here: The Marx Brothers in Context?" Find out at the Mid-Manhattan Library on May 29!

Kat Mon Dieu as Marilyn Monroe, with Jonny Porkpie,
Scout Durwood, and Tigger!, at the Stonewall Inn.

DAY ELEVEN: Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art school, according to its website, "is the world's premier alt.drawing movement. Artists draw glamorous underground performers in an atmosphere of boozy conviviality." On Sunday afternoon at the historic Stonewall Inn, Dr. Sketchy's held a special session with the stars of The Bawdy House as models. I hope someone who attended this event will write about it, here or elsewhere. I couldn't make it, but I did swipe the charming photograph on the left from Jonny's Instagram page: the Pinch Brothers (Also Sisters) with Kat Mon Dieu, who hosted the event as Marilyn Monroe.

Day Eleven of Marxfest was also Mother's Day. For us, of course, this was a day to celebrate not just our own mothers, but also Minnie Schoenberg Marx. She generally emerges from Marx Brothers literature as an amalgam of Mama Rose and Joan of Arc. Some of the most diligent Marx researchers have established that Minnie's management of her sons' career was not as masterful as they liked to say it was. (Simon Louvish's reluctant conclusion is that "being Minnie's boys was a bad career move.") But it all worked out pretty well.

Read Trav S.D.'s appreciation of Minnie here.

Read Alexander Woollcott's appreciation of Minnie here.

Marxfest now goes quiet for a few days, so we can catch our breath and prepare the next course. The festival comes roaring back this Thursday, May 15. That's the International Day of Laughter, so designated by Bill Marx -- and the centennial of the legendary nicknaming, according to Robert Bader. We're marking the occasion with a full day of events. At 2:00, you can choose between free screenings of A Night at the Opera (96th Street Library) or Room Service (Epiphany Library). At 6:00, we have a Marxfest event you can attend no matter where you are -- an online video conversation, in real time, with Bill Marx. This global gathering of Marx Brothers fans is presented in association with the video chat platform Shindig, and all you need to participate is a computer and a webcam. And then at 8:00 at the Players Theatre, the second performance of The Bawdy House. Then, on Saturday, May 17, we've got two Yorkville events during the day (The Barx Brothers Dogwalk and my presentation The Marxes of Yorkville), and another Porkpie-produced burlesque event, "You Bet Your Ass," at 10:00 pm.

And that will have taken us past the halfway point in this miraculous Month of Marx -- with some of our most exciting events still to come. We'll see you there.

Yours in Marx,

Marxfest Diary: Days 5-7

Robert S. Bader wows us with a revelation from Marx
Brothers history. L to R: Kelley Loftus,  Jonny Porkpie (red
shirt), Richard Taylor Pearson, Noah Diamond, Trav S.D.,
Robert S. Bader, Brett Leveridge. Photo by Kathy Biehl.

DAY FIVE: After the whirlwind of Marxfest's first four days, Monday and Tuesday were relatively serene, with no public events. But there was plenty going on behind the scenes. Early Monday evening, members of the Marxfest Committee and a few friends met Robert S. Bader on the corner of Third Avenue and 22nd Street for a big surprise. (It's probably not necessary, at this point, to explain Mr. Bader's identity, but in case you missed it, he's the great Marx Brothers researcher and scholar, host of Marxfest's Marx Brothers on Television and Marxes in Manhattan, editor of Groucho Marx and Other Short Stories and Tall Tales, compiler of The Marx Brothers TV Collection, and author of a forthcoming comprehensive chronicle of the Brothers' stage career.) None of us knew what to expect (except for Kathy Biehl, who has a way of knowing what to expect) -- just that Rob's research had led him to numerous unknown bombshells from the Marx saga, and that he'd be sharing one with us.

If you're a fellow fanatic, you're familiar with the story of how Groucho got his first professional job in show business, which turned out to be with the Leroy Trio. It was 1905, and young Julius Henry Marx answered an ad in the Morning World, and wound up auditioning on a rooftop. Here's Groucho telling a version of the story on his 1972 Carnegie Hall LP:



Incredibly, after decades of searching the World archives, Rob Bader found the ad -- the actual ad which Julius responded to, and which, in a sense, was the beginning of Groucho. (He showed us the ad: "BOYS wanted for act, singers or dancers. Leroy 200 E. 22d st.")

It all started right here.

Even more incredibly, the actual building is still there, as is the lower rooftop which was the exact location of Groucho's first audition. We gazed up in awe, then entered the building -- now a German restaurant, Rolf's, coincidentally a favorite haunt for years of both Bader and Biehl, before they had an inkling of its significance to Marx Brothers history. Over a meal which surely would have pleased Lafe and Fanny Schoenberg, Rob shared further morsels of his groundbreaking research, and then we proceeded with plans for the Marxes in Manhattan show. Rob and I wound up walking around the city and talking long into the night about obscure corners of the Brothers' story, with an emphasis on I'll Say She Is. Of course, I have a special interest in I'll Say She Is -- but that's not the point of this particular article, so I won't go into detail about it here. (This is not the proper context, for example, to tell you that my adaptation of I'll Say She Is premieres in two historic staged readings on May 23 and 25, or that you can get tickets here right now.)

Clockwise from upper left corner: Bill Zeffiro, Tonna Miller,
Jesse Gelber, Dandy Wellington, Noah Diamond, Bill
Zeffiro, and Jesse Gelber rehearsing at Pearl Studios.
Photos by Kevin Fitzpatrick.

DAY SIX: Again, no public Marxfest events, but in the afternoon I attended a rehearsal for The Music of the Marx Brothers, Marxfest's big cabaret revue at 54 Below, which takes place tomorrow night (Friday, May 9) at 11:00 pm. (Get your tickets here!)

In Room Service (screening on May 15 and 24), Chico is heard to announce that "the rehearsal, she'sa wonderful." (He still thinks it's a terrible play, "but it makes a wonderful rehearsal.") This rehearsal was so wonderful, I can hardly imagine how much fun the show itself will be. Participating on Tuesday were Bill Zeffiro, Gelber & Manning, Tonna Miller, Dandy Wellington, and me; also appearing on Friday night are Steve Ross and Marissa Mulder. It's very exciting to be in such talented company -- even though I realize there's a good chance I will be bumped from the bill on Friday, in favor of a celebrity. (A legend, really. He has a moustache. No more hints.) Marxfest Committee founder and president Kevin Fitzpatrick, producer of the Music of the Marx Brothers show, managed to grab a bit of video, and here's a fragment for your enjoyment:

"It's a handy thing for a comedian --
assuming you are a comedian."

DAY SEVEN: For some reason -- I can't imagine why -- I've been craving cigars lately. Having arrived in the Village much too early to enter the Players Theatre and set up for Marxes in Manhattan, I treated myself to a two-dollar stogie and loped around Minetta Lane, puffing and mugging.

Before long, I met up with Kathy, Rob, and Paul Wesolowski, and we were soon admitted to the Players. Marxes in Manhattan was another beautiful and memorable evening, at least the equal of Sunday night's glorious Marx Brothers on Television. Last night's show offered a more diverse lineup of programming. Like the TV event, it included precious rare video footage, including twenty minutes of Marx family home movies, deftly edited by Bader and scored and narrated by Bill Marx. (This "family Marx Brothers movie," which includes the earliest known footage of Groucho, and many other incredible clips that were new to most of us, will be included in the upcoming DVD set.) There was also a fascinating multimedia presentation in which Rob Bader shared more secrets from his research, exquisite performances of "Alone" and "Everyone Says I Love You" by Rob Schwimmer on the theremin, and  recreations of early vaudeville material.

Kit Russoniello, Richard Taylor Pearson, Zachary Catron

In an evening full of surprises, the vaudeville performances were perhaps the most satisfying. Who ever thought we'd be watching a faithful recreation of the Leroy Trio? Kit Russoniello (as Johnnie Morris), Richard Taylor Pearson (as Gene Leroy), and Zachary Catron (as Julius Marx) were outstanding, and completely convincing as this infamous act we've heard and read so much about but certainly never expected to see. They performed "I Wonder What's the Matter with the Mail" -- one of those ghostly song titles often encountered in Marx Brothers literature. To hear the song itself, performed so well and so accurately, was the kind of time travel experience I dream about. It was not hard to imagine that the Players Theatre was a vaudeville house in 1905 and that we were witnessing the birth of the onstage Groucho. Sealing the deal, young Mr. Catron returned to the stage twice more, to perform early Julius Marx specialties "Somebody's Sweetheart I Want to Be" (sung by Groucho at the Metropolitan Opera House benefit for the victims of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake) and "Hello Mr. Stein" (performed by the Brothers in Mr. Green's Reception and other early acts).

Read Trav S.D.'s lovely account of Marxes in Manhattan right here, at Travalanche.

Update: Since this entry was published, we've released video of the three vaudeville performances:





A special word should be said about "Hello Mr. Stein." According to Rob Bader, Minnie bought this song from the publisher in 1907, and it was part of the Brothers' act from the Nightingales period through Mr. Green's Reception. Mr. Catron's performance on May 7 was likely the song's first public hearing in a century, and this video is the song's first-ever recording. "Hello Mr. Stein" was the first comedy song to be associated with the Marx Brothers.



As Bader explained, the boys are performing "Hello Mr. Stein" in this familiar photo from Mr. Green's Reception:

Kelley Loftus??? Photo by Kathy Biehl.

The only disappointment of the evening was that we didn't get to see Kelley Loftus. Ms. Loftus was supposed to be running the merch table, selling copies of Rob Bader's Groucho compilation. But she never showed up -- and added insult to injury by sending in her place a monkey wearing a fez cap. Why, the very idea! Though Kelley was missed, the creature Kathy dubbed "the merch monkey" seemed to do a pretty good job. Maybe we'll have her back, or maybe she'll have our back.

I wrapped up the night at the Washington Square Restaurant with Rob, Kathy, Paul, Meg Farrell, and Herbert Goldman. As we partook of moussaka, tuna melts, pizza burgers, and pie, we traveled more uncharted byways of Marx Brothers history, enriched by Mr. Goldman's footnotes about Jolson and the Shuberts.

Marxfest continues to exceed my wildest expectations. And my expectations are plenty wild.

And that was only the first week, folks! Tonight (Thursday, May 8) it's back to the Players for the opening night performance of Pinchbottom's adults-only burlesque tribute The Pinch Brothers in "The Bawdy House" (tickets here! tickets now!). I'll be catching a later performance (The Bawdy House continues its run May 15, 18, and 22), but hopefully one of my colleagues on the Marxfest Committee can report on opening night to keep these Marxfest Diaries complete. And tomorrow night (Friday, May 9) I'll see you at 54 Below for the aforementioned Music of the Marx Brothers. This weekend, it's Trav S.D.'s presentation about the making of Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers (Anarchy in Astoria, May 10) and a special Pinch Brothers in "The Bawdy House" session at Dr. Sketchy's (May 11). At which point we will still have more than half of the month of Marx ahead of us!

See you real soon.

Yours in Marx,

Marxfest Diary: Days 3 & 4

Noah Diamond and Frank Ferrante wave to the crowd
after Marxfest's Q&A with Mr. Ferrante on May 3

It may have been a terrible mistake to start writing these Marxfest Diaries. I must warn those with sensitive stomachs that I can't report on the events of this festival without entering full kvell. I apologize in advance for any breathless burbling in the paragraphs which follow.

DAY THREE of Marxfest (Saturday, May 3) took us out to Freeport, for a performance of Frank Ferrante's sensational An Evening with Groucho, followed by my official Marxfest Q&A with its star. Bouncing along the Belt Parkway with my esteemed Marxfest Committee colleague Jonny Porkpie and my esteemed wife Amanda Sisk , I thought of the first time I saw Mr. Ferrante perform. It was at the Goodspeed Opera House, in an exceptionally good production of Animal Crackers in 1992. I was fifteen years old. (Armed with this information, you can do the math and determine that I am now 75.) By then, I'd been a passionate Marx Brothers fan for years, but that production was my first Marx experience that took place in the real world, in three dimensions, and not on a screen. It was inspiring.

Twenty-two years later, there I was, backstage at the Freeport Concert Association with Frank and the renowned Marx Brothers researcher and archivist Paul Wesolowski (editor and publisher of the legendary Freedonia Gazette), chatting about Harpo's early adventures as a piano player in a Freeport brothel. It should surprise no one to hear that Mr. Wesolowski has unearthed enough material on Mrs. Schang and her gang for a miniseries. (My suggested title: Schang Hide.) It should surprise even fewer to hear that Frank's tour de force performance as Groucho is sharper than ever, or that spending time with this most distinguished graduate of Huxley College has been among the highlights of my Marxfest experience. To meet him is to know that the legacy of history's greatest comedian could not be in better, more caring hands.

Here's my Q&A with Frank, which took place immediately after the show -- many thanks to the Freeport Concert Association for the video, and for hosting the event:



DAY FOUR of Marxfest was yet another experience whose essence can be conveyed only by adjectives such as magical, unforgettable, and oh my god, that's Dick Cavett! (This last item is not technically an adjective, but I've written to the people at Webster's, and it shouldn't be long. But it has to be long -- it's the dictionary.)

Dick Cavett and Robert S. Bader at the Marx Brothers on
Television event at the Players Theatre on May 4

When the Marxfest Committee began, two years ago, we were almost afraid to say out loud that we wanted Groucho's friend Dick Cavett, a comedy legend in his own right, to be involved. Even then, our plans were ambitious, but a Cavett appearance seemed too good, too big, and too unlikely to hope for. Last night at The Marx Brothers on Television, our dream came true, through the heroic efforts of many -- but especially Marxfest Committee member Kathy Biehl (who produced the event) and the great Marx Brothers scholar, author, editor, and archivist Robert S. Bader.

Mr. Bader hosted the event, sharing some prize revelations from his vast research into the Marx Brothers -- including a selection of video clips, many of which we'd never seen before, all of which are to be included on the upcoming Shout Factory three-DVD set The Marx Brothers TV Collection. (If you pre-order the set here, you get a bonus fourth disc with even more lost and/or rare Marx Brothers television material.) The contents of this set have been the subject of much speculation, and although the hour's worth of footage screened last night was only a fraction, it's clear that this is not the usual assembly of public-domain chestnuts. The gems included:

• The first television broadcast of You Bet Your Life (not the endlessly reissued pilot)
• The final episode of Chico's sitcom The College Bowl
• A never-before-released 1955 Groucho performance of "Dr. Hackenbush," in greasepaint
• An almost intolerably delightful Harpo/Chico piano duet from The Colgate Comedy Hour
• A very funny variety-show sketch starring Harpo as a waiter, which Rob Bader suggested may have included material cut from A Day at the Races
• Groucho and Jackie Gleason singing their rewrite of the Gallagher & Shean song, on Gleason's 1960s variety show -- in color
• And, of course, more

Dick Cavett and Robert S. Bader on stage at Marxfest

For the second half of the presentation, Rob welcomed to the stage his good friend, whom we all think of as our good friend, Dick Cavett. They engaged in the kind of sparkling conversation that made Mr. Cavett the best talk show host in television history. This chat included some Groucho anecdotes I'd never heard before, and some which I never get tired of hearing. Rob also showed a wealth of Groucho-on-Cavett clips, including many which are not available commercially or on YouTube. At program's end, Mr. Cavett -- I'm not kidding about this -- drew whoops of laughter and applause when he performed Michael Jackson's moonwalk dance.

Under any circumstances, it would be beyond thrilling to see footage of the Marx Brothers we'd never seen before. Under last night's circumstances, it was beyond beyond thrilling. What I came away with, even more than the excitement of the clips or the presence of Dick Cavett, was simple gratitude for all the love in the room. It was palpable. There we were on Macdougal Street (steps from where Mr. Cavett first shook the hand of Mr. Woody Allen in 1961) -- the Marxfest Committee, fans, friends, family, Ferrante, Wesolowski, Bader, Cavett and many, many more -- all together, doing the thing that got us here in the first place: Watching the Marx Brothers and laughing and laughing and laughing.

Three wiseguys out on the town: Noah Diamond, Frank
Ferrante, and Jonny Porkpie on Macdougal Street after
Marxfest's Marx Brothers on Television event, May 4

Having recently had several experiences I know I'll cherish as long as I live, it's hard to believe that Marxfest is still in its first week. There's a brief breather now, with no public events Monday or Tuesday. But behind the scenes, your Committee is hard at work on the next round. That begins this Wednesday, May 7, with Marxes in Manhattan. Like last night's show, it's produced by Kathy Biehl and devised by Kathy with Rob Bader. Also like last night's show, it will feature film clips you've never seen -- though these clips are even rarer, as they're Marx family home movies. Also on the bill will be a theremin tribute to Marx Brothers music, and recreations of some of the earliest Marx performances, including the infamous Leroy Trio.

You read that correctly: The Leroy Trio will be recreated on stage. Fifteen-year-old Julius Henry Marx performed with this short-lived trio of warblers in 1905. On Wednesday we get to see it. Compared to that, recreating I'll Say She Is is like reheating leftovers. Get your tickets here! Then, on Thursday, May 8, it's opening night for the festival's biggest mainstage production, The Pinch Brothers in "The Bawdy House." This adults-only tribute, brought to you by Pinchbottom Burlesque and written and directed by Jonny Porkpie ("the Burlesque Mayor of New York City"), returns on May 15, 18, and 22, and you're probably going to want to see all four. (Tickets here!) And on Friday night, May 9, I'll see you at 54 Below for The Music of the Marx Brothers, an enchanted evening of Marx music, featuring a wondrous lineup of New York musical stars, and special guests, one of whom might even be me. (Tickets!)

More soon, right here, and all around the town. Everyone says I love you, and these days, they say it a lot.

I remain
Yours in Marx,

The Marxfest Committee with Mr. Dick Cavett at Sunday night's Marxfest event, Players Theatre. Left to right: Trav S.D., Brett Leveridge, Jonny Porkpie (kneeling), Kathy Biehl, DICK CAVETT!!!, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Bill Zeffiro, Noah Diamond

Marxfest Diary: Days 1 & 2

The Marxfest Committee begins Marxfest with a Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
at the Algonquin. Left to right: Noah Diamond, Trav S.D., Kathy Biehl,
Jonny Porkpie, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Brett Leveridge.

The date was March 29, 2012. I know, because I just checked. On that date, I received an e-mail from Kevin Fitzpatrick, known to me as the author of A Journey Into Dorothy Parker's New York, asking if I'd like to join a small group of Marx Brothers enthusiasts who'd "get together and bat around ideas for what we can do in 2014 in New York to make a lot of noise about the Marx Brothers."

Two years, one month, and four days later, Marxfest has begun. I think my Marxfest Committee colleagues would agree that the thing has far outgrown our earliest visions, and that looking at our calendar for the month of May is like standing atop a mountain that suddenly sprouted up from the ground under our feet. But there will be time at the end of this month for rhapsodizing about this miracle we've wrought. The task before me is to report on the first two days of the festival.

Technically, the first Marxfest event was one of our partner events, a matinee screening of A Night at the Opera at the Epiphany Library on 23rd Street. (They've got free screenings of Marx Brothers films every Thursday in May.) Nevertheless, the festival began hours later, Thursday at six in the Blue Bar at the Algonquin Hotel, with The Party of the First Part. (Credit Jonny Porkpie with the name -- well, actually, credit Kaufman and Ryskind. Jonny Porkpie will get additional credit in the Academy Bulletin.) It was a lovely gathering of friends and fans. The festival really, really began at 7:40 pm, when the Marxfest Committee stood before the Algonquin Round Table (just go with it) and held a very, very official Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony. We made short work of that ribbon.

Here's a smidgen of video from the party:

And suddenly, this thing we'd been planning for two years was no longer a thing that was happening in the future. Kathy Biehl cut a ribbon in two, and we were off to the races, the opera, Casablanca, Freedonia, and Cocoanut Beach...

Trav S.D.'s wardrobe courtesy
of the Wagstaff Collection.

...and, on Day Two of Marxfest, Coney Island, for Trav S.D.'s presentation From Angels to Anarchists: The Evolution of the Marx Brothers. Trav delivered an excellent discussion of the origins of the Brothers' act, and he did so just a couple of blocks from the site of Henderson's, where Harpo appeared on stage for the first time, pissing or shitting himself. (Trav touched on that, but don't worry, he washed his hands.) If you've heard Trav lecture you know that he's a highly engaging and witty speaker. (If you haven't, you still have two chances this month. He'll be speaking about the making of The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers in Anarchy in Astoria: The Making of the Marx Brothers' First Two Pictures, on Saturday, May 10 at the Greater Astoria Historical Society; and about the vaudeville culture surrounding the Brothers in We're All Mad Here: The Marx Brothers in Context on Thursday, May 29 at the Mid-Manhattan Library.) Among its many virtues, the talk struck the perfect balance -- let us call it the Marxfest Ideal -- of general overview for those strange people who don't spend every day of their lives obsessing about the Marx Brothers, and fresh insights and new revelations for the normal people who do.

Trav's From Angels to Anarchists talk was complemented by the presence of an angel, Sarah Moskowitz (our host seizing the opportunity to exclaim, "O-KAY, Ms. Moskowitz!!"). She performed three selections from the early Marx repertoire, cued by Trav's narrative. It was wonderful to hear these ancient numbers performed live, and Ms. Moskowitz's sincerity unburdened them of cobwebs. The revelation, believe it or not, was..."Peasie Weasie."

You know, I've always hated "Peasie Weasie." I love the idea of "Peasie Weasie," how Minnie bought it from Charles Van for $27, and I love Groucho's impish glee as he performs the song with Dinah Shore in that television appearance. But I've always found the lyric insipid to the point of embarrassment. Guess what -- it killed at Coney Island tonight. Partly it was the rare return of the song to its natural habitat -- live performance in front of an audience -- and partly it was Ms. Moskowitz's pure, understated style. She made the song genuinely funny by not insisting that it was genuinely funny. I've completely misjudged "Peasie Weasie" all these years. It's a fine piece of showbiz.

So that's how Marxfest finally began -- at the beginning. 

This weekend, we have two more huge events. Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, there's Frank Ferrante in An Evening with Groucho. Saturday night, I'll be interviewing Frank onstage after the show. And Sunday night at the Players Theatre, what is likely to be the hottest ticket in this extremely hot-ticketed festival: The Marx Brothers on Television, an evening with Dick Cavett and Robert S. Bader. In addition to a sparkling conversation, you'll see Marx footage you've never seen before.

We're just getting started, friends! Let joy be unconfined! Let there be dancing in the streets, drinking in the saloons, and necking in the parlor.