travsd

Who Are the Stars of Marxfest?

Who are the stars of Marxfest, the Marx Brothers festival taking place in NYC just two months from now? Well, I’ll tell yer! And in my patented, condensed, prioritized way, for the convenience of the busy blog reader. For it is indeed star-studded.

We’ll have comedian Robert Klein in conversation with the New York Times’ Jason Zinoman; the great Austin Pendleton; the New Yorker‘s Adam Gopnick; cultural historian Danny Fingeroth; and Groucho’s grandson Andy Marx with Groucho impersonator Frank Ferrante. Author Robert S. Bader, universally regarded as the world’s most accomplished Marx Brothers scholar and guardian of all things Marx will be presenting some new and exciting discoveries; collector John Tefteller will be presenting never-before-heard audio rarities featuring the brothers. There will presentations by the Al Hirchfeld Foundation and Slapsticon Founder Robert Farr. Nelson Hughes of That Slapstick Show will be curating and queuing up Marx Bros. themed cartoons. Vince Giordano will devote a portion of his weekly Birdland show to the Marxes! And there will be a screening of Duck Soup!

And of course our own Noah Diamond of the Marx Brothers Council Podcast will be presenting his memories of his 2014-16 revival of I’ll Say She Is, in celebration of the centennial of the original 1924 production. Seth Shelden (our Harpo in I’ll Say She Is) will be leading an entire Harpo Summit about a block away from the site of where the silent one made his debut as a member of the Four Nightingales (the act that evolved into the Marx Brothers).

Oh, yes, and I’ll be shoving my beak in, of course. I’m giving two very fun historical talks to promote my new book The Marx Brothers Miscellany, hosting a Marx themed literary salon, and co-hosting a Marxian variety show at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. There will also be programs and shows by just about all of my fellow Marxfest Committee members: Marxfest Founder, Algonquin Roundtable Scholar and Lambs Shepherd Kevin Fitzpatrick; burlesque impresario Jonny Porkpie; Cladrite Radio’s Brett Leveridge; and Renaissance Woman Kathy Biehl (Ruby Mintworth from ISSI). Three Cheers to our remaining committee member Janet Heit, whose fingerprints are all over every single event, as well!

There are many more folks presenting, and we are still booking, but these are the broad strokes, to date. Get all the details here at the official Marxfest website!

Published by travsd

Writer and performer Trav S.D. (www.travsd.com) is best known for his books "No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous" (2005) and "Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube" (2013). He has written for the NY Times, the Village Voice, American Theatre, Time Out NY, Reason, the Villager and numerous other publications. Trav has been in the vanguard of New York’s vaudeville and burlesque scenes since 1995 when he launched his company Mountebanks, presenting hundreds of acts ranging from Todd Robbins to Dirty Martini to Tammy Faye Starlite to the Flying Karamazov Brothers. He has directed his own plays, revues and solo pieces at such venues as Joe’s Pub, La Mama, HERE, Dixon Place, Theater for the New City, the Ohio Theatre, the Brick, and 6 separate shows in the NY International Fringe Festival. In 2014 he produced and directed the smash-hit "I’ll Say She Is", the first ever revival of the Marx Brothers hit 1924 Broadway show in the NY International Fringe Festival.