Bob Green News

'No Name... & A Bag O' Chips' comedy / variety show producer Eric Vetter wraps up 2016 with two December shows at Otto's in Manhattan.

They've already taken you to Austria, Neverland and Oz. On December 7, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are Baltimore-bound.

TV producer and comedian Angela LaGreca hosted the Sunshine Commitee's Comedy & Raffle Night at the Friars Club last night and BroadwayWorld was there for the fun.  A group of very funny comics kept the Friars laughing in the Frank Sinatra Dining Room as they raised funds for the important work of the Sunshine Committee.

59E59 Theaters will host the world premiere of LIFE IS FOR LIVING: CONVERSATIONS WITH COWARD, co-created by Simon Green and David Shrubsole. Starring Mr. Green with musical direction by Mr. Shrubsole, LIFE IS FOR LIVING: CONVERSATIONS WITH COWARD was researched by Jason Morell. Produced by Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, LIFE IS FOR LIVING: CONVERSATIONS WITH COWARD begins performances on Tuesday, December 13 for a limited engagement through Sunday, January 1. Press opening is Sunday, December 18 at 7:30 PM.

Today, BWW participated in a media conference call with HAIRSPRAY composer/co-lyricist Marc Shaiman and co-lyricist Scott Wittman who answered questions and shared the latest developments on NBC's highly anticipated broadcast of HAIRSPRAY LIVE!

The Morris Museum is pleased to welcome the off-Broadway hit show, 'Old Jews Telling Jokes,' to the Bickford Theatre.  A gleeful ode to humor that will have audiences laughing till they plotz, the show will run five times from November 17 through November 20, 2016.

Still witty, smart and funny at 95 years of age, the legendary comic Marty Allen was hosted (not roasted) at a Friars Club lunch.  Emmy Award winning Friar Bill Boggs interviewed Marty about his long career in show business.  Marty worked as an opening act for stars such as Sarah Vaughan, Eydie Gorme and Nat King Cole gained enormous fame when he teamed up with singer Steve Rossi and made 44 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.  In 1961 and 1962 Allen appeared on Broadway in Let It Ride! at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre and then went on to perform in the pre-Broadway tour and Broadway performances of I Had A Ball.

Ian Finkel, the World's Greatest Xylophonist and Elliot Finkel, concert pianist extraordinaire offered a first-hand account of the incredible career of their father Fyvush Finkel last night in a touching memorial at the Metropolitan Room.  Fyvush had been performing in English and Yiddish roles for nine decades before his passing this summer.  His last engagement was at Mr. Finn's Cabaret in the Berkshires, and he had invited the cheering audience at the end of the show to come to his  94th birthday celebration on Oct 9th at the Metropolitan Room.  The evening instead was celebration of his life on stage with the performances by family and friends performing his songs, stories, and jokes.  To quote one of Fyvush's jokes, if he were present he would have opened the evening by saying, "I'm celebrating my 94th birthday today!"  after the applause died down he would then look around and  continue…."but I realize looking at this audience, it's no big deal!"

At Variety's annual TV Summit held at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, Aaron Sorkin joined NBC chief Bob Greenblatt, and producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron to talk about NBC's recently announced live broadcast of Sorkin's play A FEW GOOD MEN.

'No Name... & A Bag O' Chips' Comedy / Variety  producer Eric Veter presents two shows this month at Otto's in Manhattan.  On Friday, June 10th   the show will feature  actor / comic Bob Greenberg ( 'Old Jews Telling Jokes') comedian/author/ pundit   Leighann Lord (co-Host of National  Geographic Channel's  'Star Talk with Neil deGrasse Tyson!') and comedy writer / performer Frank Coniff   (Comedy Central's   "Mystery Science Theater 3000"),   The festivities  continue on Friday, June 17th  with Hari Kondabolu (Edinburgh Fringe Festival) Megan Sass  (NY Funny Songs Festival) and Leo Flowers (Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen). 

Fyvush Finkel, 93 year old Broadway veteran, Yiddish Theater star, movie and TV actor was accompanied by his two sons Ian and Elliot Finkel and opened at the Metropolitan Room last night.  BroadwayWorld was there, along with many actors, musicians, and comics, who turned out to see the legendary performer take the packed room on an emotional musical journey with some hysterical humor, wonderful singing, and brilliant character acting by Mr. Finkel.  Ian Finkel who is billed as the world's greatest xylophonist, more then lives up to that title with his virtuoso exciting style, and along with powerful piano interpretations by Elliot Finkel, the show is a great musical experience.

THE WIZ LIVE producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron chatted with BroadwayWorld about the production's recent success at the NAACP Image Awards and more. Check out the full interview here!

Central Works' 26th Season takes off with Totem and Taboo by David Weisberg, opening with a press night on Saturday, February 20 (previews Feb 18 & 19) and running through March 20 at the historic Berkeley City Club.

See 'Old Jews Telling Jokes' now through January 3rd at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick. There are matinee and evening performances available throughout the holiday weekend for this uproarious comedy show.

Now that we are a week removed from last Thursday's THE WIZ LIVE!, NBC's third live musical in as many years, we know that the production has predominantly been hailed as a critical and ratings success, vindicating the audacious experiment after two, less than artistically satisfying, outings. Led by a newcomer plucked from an open call, director Kenny Leon and executive producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan found a star in Shanice Williams and surrounded her with an all-star cast that ranged from serviceable to revelatory. However, as enjoyable as the event was, especially in relationship to past efforts, THE WIZ LIVE! was not a perfect production. There is, after all, a reason why no one did live TV musicals for nearly half a century; they are hard.

The award-winning Equity professional non-profit East Lynne Theater Company celebrated its 35th anniversary in style at its annual fundraising event at Aleathea's Restaurant at The Inn of Cape May on November 9.  The audience of over one hundred enjoyed the food, entertainment, trivia contest, silent auction, and the warm and friendly atmosphere. The gala was titled "155 in 35" because ELTC has produced American plays that were originally produced from 1788 - 1943, a span of 155 years.

Back in June, following the explosive and well-received Actors Fund benefit that featured the music of 'Bombshell' from the NBC television series 'Smash,' Universal Stage Productions announced plans to begin development on 'Bombshell' as a musical for the stage. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, producing duo Craig Zadan and Neil Meron revealed that it won't be much longer until work on the project begins.

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE exploded on stage on October 30th at Creighton University's Lied Center for the Performing Arts as a glorious celebration of light, color and sound.

For almost half a century, the Friars Club Sunshine Committee has been dedicated to bringing Friarly Sunshine into the lives of those in need, bringing laughs to children and the elderly in hospitals and nursing homes, and at the annual Christmas/Chanukah spectacular for disadvantaged children. Last night this charitable arm of the club presented a laugh a minute during their annual Comedy Night and Broadwayworld was there photo and laugh along. Although the politically incorrect and xxx rated humor cannot be recounted here (what happens in the Friars stays in the Friars), MC Stewie Stone did point out after one of the comics hysterical routine that this particular comedienne wanted to be Donald Trumps running mate. The night was a fund raiser by the Sunshine Committee and the live auction was extremely rewarding and also very funny.