Joe Frank News

New York's treasured radio and TV host Joe Franklin died on Saturday, Jan. 24, from prostate cancer. He was 88.

Today, the New York Post Page Six reports that the show's cast members, including Martin Short, Matthew Broderick, Stockard Channing and F. Murray Abraham, will pitch in and help the transition

For 60 continuous hours, from 7pm on Thursday January 1 to 7am on Sunday January 4, New York's Metropolitan Room is staging what it is billing as "The Longest Variety Show Ever." Featuring approximately 160 performers and 15 emcees, the entertainment will span music, burlesque, comedy, drag, theatre/opera, magic and puppetry.

Writer Paul Rome and composer Roarke Menzies present a new work of performance literature about road trips, relationships and an irritating rash. A disgruntled writer grapples with the existential angst brought on by the appearance of a mysterious skin condition. A casual New Year's Eve hook-up turns into a spur-of-the-moment day trip to the City of Brotherly Love, complete with the songs-Paul Simon, Cyndi Lauper, Drake, Talking Heads-and memories encountered on the car ride there and back. A young musician revisits an ex-lover, while a young American recalls her time spent living in France post-college.

Plenty of theatre happens daily outside of Manhattan's theatre district. Below, check out BroadwayWorld's roundup of theatrical events playing in Brooklyn this December!

Writer Paul Rome and composer Roarke Menzies present a new work of performance literature about road trips, relationships and an irritating rash. A disgruntled writer grapples with the existential angst brought on by the appearance of a mysterious skin condition. A casual New Year's Eve hook-up turns into a spur-of-the-moment day trip to the City of Brotherly Love, complete with the songs-Paul Simon, Cyndi Lauper, Drake, Talking Heads-and memories encountered on the car ride there and back. A young musician revisits an ex-lover, while a young American recalls her time spent living in France post-college.

Writer Paul Rome and composer Roarke Menzies present a new work of performance literature about road trips, relationships and an irritating rash. A disgruntled writer grapples with the existential angst brought on by the appearance of a mysterious skin condition. A casual New Year's Eve hook-up turns into a spur-of-the-moment day trip to the City of Brotherly Love, complete with the songs-Paul Simon, Cyndi Lauper, Drake, Talking Heads-and memories encountered on the car ride there and back. A young musician revisits an ex-lover, while a young American recalls her time spent living in France post-college.

Writer Paul Rome and composer Roarke Menzies present a new work of performance literature about road trips, relationships and an irritating rash. A disgruntled writer grapples with the existential angst brought on by the appearance of a mysterious skin condition. A casual New Year's Eve hook-up turns into a spur-of-the-moment day trip to the City of Brotherly Love, complete with the songs-Paul Simon, Cyndi Lauper, Drake, Talking Heads-and memories encountered on the car ride there and back. A young musician revisits an ex-lover, while a young American recalls her time spent living in France post-college.

When ASCAP Award-winning playwright/director Chip Deffaa's 'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue' has its world premiere at the 13th Street Repertory Theater on November 9th, it will be the second new show about Berlin to play the theater this year.

The 18th Long Island Al Jolson Festival coming up on August 16 is a whole-day affair featuring film presentations, lectures, memorabilia displays and sales, and a performance--'The Heart of Al Jolson'--by singer and Staten Island native Tony Babino (photo below), who can sing Jolson songs like, well, you ain't heard nothin' yet. The other day, like clockwork, I received my yearly invitation to attend from Oceanside, LI resident Jan Hernstat, who for the past 10 years has been the President of the 62-year-old International Al Jolson Society (which was formed in early 1950, a few months before Jolson died), an organization with a worldwide membership hovering around 1,000. I am proud to say that for 30 years, I've been one of them. I'm even prouder to say that I've been an Al Jolson fanatic for much longer. Here's my story about how it happened.

THE LOWER EAST SIDE (LES) FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS - one of the most exciting, eclectic and FREE annual festivals in all of New York City - will present a once in a lifetime performance from Broadway legend DAPHNE RUBIN-VEGA at 6:30 pm on Friday, May 23rd. The indispensable Theater for the New City (155 Fist Ave. at 10th St.) is sponsoring the event, which runs all weekend long from May 23rd until May 25th.

The Friars Club was full of laughter last night as Friar Mickey Freeman was remembered by a group of comics who dubbed themselves Mickey's Kids. Comics Mike Fine and Bob Greenberg produced the event and along with Dave Konig assembled these “kids” to recreate the humor and pay respect to one of the legends in the world of comedy. Mickey Freeman also gained fame as a character actor who appeared as a regular on The Phil Silvers TV Show (Sgt. Bilko). He also appeared on episodes of Naked City, the Lloyd Bridges Show and The Equalizer, in addition to his travels as a stand- up comic. Performers at the event were, Larry Stevens, Mike Fine, Jerry Coe, Dave Konig, Jake Ehrenreich, Bob Greenberg, Marc Eliot, Joe Franklin, Paul and Goldie Dver, and 99 year old Prof. Irwin Corey.

Nearly six decades into her career, Academy Award-winning singer and actress Shirley Jones makes her Cafe Carlyle debut with a two-week run of An Evening with Shirley Jones, continuing through March 15. Actor-composer Ron Abel (Happily Divorced, I Love Lucy's 50th Anniversary Special) accompanies her for performances March 11-15. She'll perform the songs of Rogers, Hammerstein and Hart. Her son, Patrick Cassidy, visited her at last night's show and you can check out photos below!

NiCori Studios and Productions presents Shows Ta Go Ya! & Other Songs of Bobbie Horowitz will be at Stage 72 at the Triad on Sunday, March 30 and April 13 at 4pm.

Catch the NEW episode of Dave's Gone By (#453 - Urinenation) - LIVE, this Saturday, Jan. 11, 9am-noon(MT) streaming on UNC Radio (www.uncradio.com).

NPR radio personality, author and performance artist Joe Frank returns to Steppenwolf Theatre Company for one night only with his new show Murdered by the Mind, directed by ensemble member Terry Kinney and featuring noted musicians Danny Frankel (percussion) and David Ralicke(saxophone and keyboards) on Saturday, March 1, 2014 at 8 pm in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St). Tickets ($28) go on sale Friday, January 10 at 11am at steppenwolf.org.