THE BARRY Z SHOW to Honor Chip Deffaa

"The Barry Z Show," which has been covering the New York theater scene on cable TV for more than 20 years, will salute ASCAP award-winning playwright/director Chip Deffaa's theatrical productions, on a show being taped for future broadcast 10 pm, October 1st at the midtown club Don't Tell Mama. Host Barry Z, who's often saluted Deffaa's productions over the past 20 years, will be celebrating the release of Deffaa's 12th cast album, "The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue." And he will present an array of performers doing numbers from an assortment of Deffaa's shows.

Andrew Lantcot, who was a star of both Deffaa's "Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue" and "Theater Boys" (and can be heard on both cast albums), will represent those shows. Cody Jordan, Toby Medlyn, and Mark Blowers will be singing songs from Deffaa's musical revue "Mad About the Boy" (whose cast album is now in preparation). Michael Townsend Wright, who starred in both Deffaa's "Irving Berlin's America" and "The Seven Little Foys" (and may be heard on the cast albums of those two musicals, will perform numbers from those shows. And Deffaa--the author of 16 published plays and eight published books, and a former entertainment writer for The New York Post--will chat with Barry Z about his career.

The program will also feature Tony Award-winner Melba Moore, Broadway's Joel Vig, and cabaret stars Ricky Ritzel and Tommy Femia.

"I'm very grateful for Barry Z's ongoing support," Deffaa commented. "It's always great fun doing his shows. And the actors enjoy the freedom he gives them. And there are always surprises; you never know who you might be sharing a stage with. He's devoted past programs to shows of mine, such as 'Mad About the Boy', 'George M. Cohan: In his own Words," and 'The Seven Little Foys.' It's wonderful to be able to help celebrate the latest cast album, 'The irving Berlin Ragtime Revue,' on Barry Z's show, too."

Barry Z, who got his start running a SoHo comedy club years ago, has been presenting entertainers on cable TV and in person for more than two decades. Over the years, he's interviewed many stars, including Betty Buckley, Julie Andrews, Elaine Stritch, Liza Minnelli. Hugh Jackman, Harvey Fierstein, Matthew Broderick, and Sarah Jessica Parker. His show may be seen on TWC Channel 34, Verizon Fios, and RCN; and is carried on UStream.com. This episode will be available on YouTube, as well. Barry Z, who's been interviewed himself by the likes of Phil Donahue and Ricki Lake, has been the subject of a documentary, "15 Minutes: The Barry Z Story," as well as a show about his life, "Love Slave to Show Business: The Barry Z Story," which ran at "Rose's Turn, 55 Grove Street."

To post a comment, you must register and login.