When you enter the Friars Club on 55th street the world immediately becomes a better place. The first space you encounter is the Billy Crystal Room where you hear the laughter and the animated conversations as Friars share stories with one another. Last night in only the 8th time in the Club’s 114-year history The Icon Award was presented by Robert De Niro to Billy Crystal at the Ziegfeld Ballroom to a capacity filled New York/Hollywood audience. The Icon Award honors individuals whose extraordinary accomplishment raise the standard of entertainment and positively redefines our culture. Billy is following in the footsteps of entertainment icons Douglas Fairbanks, Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra, Martin Scorsese, and Robert De Niro.
Friar Rinaldo Nistico was also presented with an Icon Award For Outstanding Contribution to The Friars Club as it’s Goodwill Ambassador.
Billy Crystal’s good friend, producer and writer Friar Alan Zweibel was presented with the Friar of The Year Award by Lewis Black, and entertainer Deana Martin was honored for her contributions to the club, continuing in the tradition of her dad Friar Dean Martin.
The Friar historians will no doubt recall the eventing as one of the most momentous, emotional, entertaining, and humor filled nights in the long list of the many unforgettable show business events that the Friars have produced.
The list of sports and entertainment legends honoring Billy Crystal with their words and performances made the Ziegfeld Ballroom one of the exciting places on the planet to be in last night….Richard Belzer, Lewis Black, Bob Costas, Katie Couric, Robert De Niro, Dick Ebersole, Josh Gad, Larry King, Robert Klein, Deana Martin, Rob Reiner, Smokey Robinson, Meg Ryan, Susan St. James, Ben Schwartz, Marc Shaiman, Paul Shaffer, Jordin Sparks, David Steinberg, Take 6, Joe Torre Bernie Williams and many others.
(For complete photos of the Billy Crystal event go to Broadwayworld.com)
Billy Crystal & Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Billy Crystal
Robert Klein & Alan Zweibel
Katie Couric & Eda Sorokoff
Jamie deRoy & Paul Shaffer
Bernie Williams & Joe Torre
Deana Martin & Eda Sorokoff
Debbi Maglio, Eda Sorokoff Alyse Lo Bianco
Eda Sorokoff, Freddie Booker, Sunny Sessa
Eda Sorokoff & Joe Torree
Who knew 42nd Street and Broadway ran all the way down to Boca/Delray and end at The Wick Theatre and Museum Club! In an event yesterday afternoon that rivaled any Broadway Opening Night Party, Marilynn & Kimberly Wick celebrated the opening of The Wick’s 2023/2024 season with a spectacular immersive exhibition of “Dancing Feet” The Experience, 42nd Street. They also had in attendance none other than the star of the original Tony Award Winning Broadway show (42nd Street) Lee Roy Reams on the Museum Club’s Stage to add commentary, sing, and have a fun filled talk back with the audience. Lee Roy, who starred as Billy Lawlor in the 1980 production, shared many anecdotes about the musical during the video presentation, including insights about renowned choreographer Gower Champion and his untimely death on the day of the show’s Broadway opening. The legendary show went on to win the Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Choreography. While Reams continued his illustrious career in musical theatre, starring in numerous Broadway shows including The Producers and La Cage Aux Folles, and at The Wick, he created a sensation with his role as Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly!
“The Wick is breaking new ground in both entertainment and technology by creating these immersive experiences that both entertain and educate audiences about the history of Broadway,” said Kimberly Wick, curator. “As the owners of the largest Broadway costume collection in the nation, we are thrilled to add this innovation as another way to preserve the incredible artistry of our past for generations to come.”
Last year, The Wick Costume Museum underwent a dramatic high-tech transformation, resulting in a stunning new venue, rechristened The Museum Club at The Wick. The completely renovated space thrilled guests with 360-degree immersive video experiences, historic costume displays, dining, and entertainment.
LEE ROY REAMS
LEE ROY REAMS & MARILYNN WICK
MARILYNN WICK & KIMBERLY WICK
LEE ROY REAMS
LEE ROY REAMS
KIMBERLY WICK
DANCING FEET
LEE ROY REAMS
MICHAEL URSUA & LEE ROY REAMS
THE MUSEUM CLUB
JOHN McDANIEL, EDA SOROKOFF, LEE ROY REAMS
THE MUSEUM CLUB
EDA SOROKOFF & MARILYNN WICK
COMING ATTRACTIONS
COMING ATTRACTINS
Attending the opening of Make Me Gorgeous starring the fabulous Wade McCollum as Kenneth/Kate Marlowe inspired this caricature.
Make Me Gorgeous is the reworking of the original script, Mr. Madam by donnie that premiered at triangle in June 2022.
Make Me Gorgeous is a one-person show based upon a true story, taken from several books by Kenneth aka Kate Marlowe. Kenneth has been described as one of the gayest and most openly homosexual personalities of the late 50s and early 60s. He went from a 1940s/1950s drag performer to being a madam (for Hollywood gays), to being the author of several books, and at the age of 50 began transitioning, soon after marrying a man in prison. You just cannot make this stuff up
It now has a new name, but the same playwright and actor now are bringing the story to the stage at Playhouse 46th at St Luke’s, 308 W 46th Street. With the encouragement of the Tony Award-winning playwright of “Memphis” Joe DiPietro and many others, the show will have a limited run off-Broadway run until December 31, 2023.
One Night Only: An Evening with Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara with the NY Pops is happening Friday 8pm, at Carnegie Hall. This unique program by NY Pops conductor Steven Reineke, pays homage to earlier icons of stage and screen who teamed up for memorable concerts.
The hysterical sequel to the smash-hit Menopause The Musical is finally here and it’s National Tour landed at the Aventura Cultural Center in Florida this week. America, get ready to cheer and laugh on a cruise through “The Change” with your beloved ladies 5 years after their chance encounter in a department store. They have nothing in common but memory loss, hot flashes, night sweats, not enough sex, too much sex and more! This hilarious musical parody set to classic tunes from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, will have you dancing in the aisles as the audience did at the performance we attended ( and has been doing since the original Menopause The Musical opened 20 years ago). If you think #1 was #1 wait till you see # 2.
Aventura Cultural Center
CURTAIN CALL
AVENTURA CULTURAL CENTER
STEPHEN SOROKOFF, SETH GREENLEAF, EDA SOROKOFF, KEN GREENBLATT, SANDI GREENBLATT
SETH GREENLEAF GFOUR PRODUCTIONS
KEN GREENBLATT, & JOSH FRIEDMAN, VP alumni & admissions UNIV OF MIAMI
COMMING ATTRACTION
Ken Fallin's Broadway
Ken Fallin’s Broadway: Off Broadway With The Mint Theatre Company’s Partnership
Starring in The Mint Theatre Company’s Partnership are Sara Haider and Gene Gillette. Partnership by Elizabeth Baker and is about what working women had to do to survive and become emotionally more than a century ago.
In Partnership Kate Rolling (Sara Haider) is the ambitious owner of a small fashion boutique in Brighton. When the owner of the largest shop in town proposes a merger on favorable terms—including matrimony—Kate sees an irresistible business opportunity. “Oh, don’t worry about me,” Kate assures her friends, “I never expected anything great in the way of love.” But isn’t romance most likely to happen when it’s least expected?
Elizabeth Baker’s charming comedy premiered in 1917.
To see T2C’s review click here.
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