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,