Cocktails at Table 7- Inside New York’s Joe Allen

By Sean Kent, Jason Woodruff, Dana MierlakSociety & Culture Arts Music Personal Journals Performing Arts Music History

Cocktails at Table 7- Inside New York’s Joe Allen episodes

May 22, 2024 Cocktails with Kevin Cahoon: Helicopters and Horse#*^!
Join us for “Cocktails at Table 7” with the charmingly fabulous Kevin Cahoon! From his formative days as the world’s youngest rodeo clown, to touring the US as a Star Search “all- star,” to his recent Tony nominated turn in “Shucked,” Kevin really has done it all. He has also managed to spend A LOT of time at Joe Allen in the process, which works out beautifully for us all! Thank you for joining us, friend. We look forward to many more stories (and rounds) in the future. Cheers!
1 hr 1 min
June 08, 2023 Cocktails with Lucie Arnaz: Matinée "Idles"
What a fabulous round of “Cocktails” we had with the incomparable Lucie Arnaz. From TV to Broadway, from movies to the West End, Lucie’s accomplishments as a performer are only matched by her gifts as a storyteller. From hula hoops, to trapeze acts, to directing, to headlining sold-out evenings of cabaret, to organizing a club for legendary matinée “idles,” there is nothing this woman can’t do! Fortunately for us, her connection to Joe’s runs deep, and so do her memories (one might even say, dining at Joe’s changed her life forever.) Our sincerest thanks to the wonderfully talented and vivacious Lucie for sharing her time and memories with us. This is one “Song” you’ll be glad to be “Playing.” What? That doesn't make sense? Who cares? These episodes are free. Cheers!
1 hr 4 min
December 30, 2022 Cocktails with Lee Wilkof: Disco Beaver From Outer Space
Our pal, Lee Wilkof, has been a regular at Joe Allen for decades, almost as long as he has been delighting Broadway and off-Broadway audiences in seminal musical hits like Assassins, Kiss Me Kate, and Little Shop of Horrors. On this, our final episode of “Cocktails at Table 7” of 2022, we enjoy a heartfelt and intimate chat with one of the great New York character actors. We discuss everything from the integral role his wife of 35 years played in his casting as Seymour Krelborn, the recent health crisis that shook up his world and set him on a path of greater health and happiness, his longtime friendship with the late, great, Mark Blum, and the ineffable appeal of that enduring Joe Allen classic, the La Scala “salad”. (*not actually a salad)
1 hr 4 min
November 04, 2022 Cocktails with Rosie O'Donnell: The Great Cajun Chicken Sandwich Scandal of 2002
This episode's guest really needs no introduction, but we'll try. She was once a regularly scheduled visitor in our living rooms or (for some of us) our college dorm room, an actress, comedian, staunch supporter of Broadway, lover of theatre, activist, and, most importantly, for us, a beloved Joe Allen regular. We are honored, giddy in fact, that the one and only Rosie O’Donnell joined us for a round of cocktails. She regaled us with tales of her early days as a comedian, educating people about theatre history, what it was like interviewing Julie Andrews, the infamous cajun chicken sandwich scandal….. Thank you Rosie! Cheers!
41 min
July 19, 2022 Cocktails with Danny Burstein: Ibsen For Kids
In addition to being one of the busiest and most respected actors on Broadway, Danny Burstein is equally beloved in the theatrical community for his boundless warmth, humor, and kindness. We were honored to share this round of “Cocktails” with him, learning all about his early childhood growing up on Shakespeare Avenue in the Bronx, his time spent dancing in traffic at the world famous Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, the early jobs and relationships that launched his career, and the pearls of wisdom he collected working with the legendary Tony Randall. Danny also shared beautiful remembrances from his decades long marriage to the radiant Rebecca Luker, insights on how he has managed to cope with the profound challenges of the recent past, and how gratitude is central to his life and art.
48 min
May 02, 2022 Cocktails with Matthew Broderick: Lousy Frittata!
Matthew Broderick isn’t just a two-time Tony Award winning award winning actor who has starred in a dozen Broadway shows, or a beloved star of countless hit films and TV shows who has been an audience favorite for decades. He’s also one of the most engaging and hilarious guests we’ve ever had the privilege of “sharing a round” with, and, in this episode, we have an absolute ball discussing anything and everything with this true Joe Allen all-star. We explore Matthew’s affectionate decades-long relationship with Joe Allen Restaurant, his incredible collaborations with showbiz icons like Neil Simon, Mel Brooks, Jason Robards and Marlon Brando, and the stringent requirements one must meet in order to land a coveted spot on the Joe Allen flop wall.
38 min
March 31, 2022 Cocktails with Jesse Tyler Ferguson: He Can Cook Too!
Before Jesse Tyler Ferguson was a charming, familiar face in American living rooms on the groundbreaking hit sitcom, Modern Family, he was a charming, familiar face at Joe Allen. This week, we enjoyed a high-spirited round with this versatile actor, producer, author, and regular, who is currently back on Broadway in a much anticipated revival of Richard Greenberg’s Tony Award®-winning, Take Me Out. We explored the life changing philanthropic work Jesse’s Modern Family fame has enabled him to do, the inspiration he found as a young theatergoer in the work of William Finn and James Lapine, the ins and outs of the Albuquerque children’s theater scene, and what it takes to brave the elements on the stage of the Delacorte Theatre.
49 min
February 22, 2022 Cocktails with Donna McKechnie: The Education of D*O*N*N*A
To celebrate Valentine's Day, we had the great pleasure of having a round of cocktails with Tony Award winning Ms. Donna McKechnie! Not only is Ms. McKechnie an award winning dancer, singer, actress, and choreographer, she also has the distinction of being a Joe Allen “day-one” regular. We chatted about everything from standing on "A Chorus Line”, learning from the greats, the first days of body mics, to the special place Joe Allen has in her heart. She put a smile on our faces, we know she’ll put a smile on yours. Cheers!
36 min
January 20, 2022 Cocktails with Victor Garber: It feels good.
For our first episode of 2022, we shared a round with one of the classiest and most accomplished people we know, Victor Garber. Victor’s association with Joe’s goes back decades and we were thrilled to have him share memories of evenings spent there with colleagues and friends. We were treated to hilarious and heartwarming anecdotes about legends past, including Gilda Radner, Robert Moore, Stephen Sondheim, and Maureen Stapleton. We also covered the pleasures of a visit to Schitt’s Creek, the charms of Bernadette Peters and Jennifer Garner, and the undeniable appeal of a Joe Allen LaScala Salad. Like Victor himself, an actor who has played everyone from Jesus to Liberace, this conversation has a lot of range
39 min
December 24, 2021 Cocktails at Christmas...AGAIN!
The Ghost of Christmas Past visited us this time around! Take a trip down memory lane as we chit-chat with the staff about some of our favorite memories in the restaurant. We also wanted to share this episode as a tribute to the man who started it all, our boss and inspiration, Joe Allen, who passed away this past February. Yes, it's last year's episode, but it's been a year since we've heard it and it's just as fun now as it was then. Happy Holidays!
52 min

About Cocktails at Table 7- Inside New York’s Joe Allen

From the publisher's feed

Welcome! Don’t have a reservation? No problem. On Cocktails at Table 7: Inside New York’s Joe Allen, your table is always ready. In candid conversations with Broadway veterans, long-time regulars, even past and present employees, your hosts, Dana, Sean and Jason, recreate the intimate vibe that an evening at Joe’s has always offered. You’ll hear stories of the “Good Ol’ Days” in 1960’s Hell’s Kitchen, rarely told anecdotes from the shows on the “Flop Wall,” and the special connection between the restaurant and the people who make theater happen (Chita Rivera, F. Murray Abraham, and Daryl Roth, just to name a few.) You’ll feel like you’re tucked away at your favorite table or perched on a barstool sipping a martini, enjoying an insider’s night out. What began as an effort to preserve the connection to our beloved community has evolved into a joyful celebration of the memories and moments that have made Joe Allen one of Broadway’s most enduring hits. Cheers!