Richard Skipper Celebrates

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Alan K. Rode’s affinity for classic cinema is part of his DNA. His mother grew up in Hollywood and was an extra in Our Gang comedy shorts and studied acting at Ben Bard Drama. His grandfather was a silent film violinist who went from bit actor to Universal Studios house composer and eventually founded Corelli-Jacobs Recording Inc. A great-uncle doubled Gary Cooper in The Virginian (1929) and fought Jack Dempsey. Yet another grandfather promoted rodeos with cowboy star Hoot Gibson at Gilmore Stadium. Before the advent of classic films on cable, video or streaming, Alan incessantly watched and catalogued movies on television. He is the author of a pair of notable cinema biographies. Charles McGraw: Film Noir Tough Guy is a critically acclaimed saga of the rough-hewn actor’s life and times. Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film is the first comprehensive biography of the director of Casablanca, Mildred Pierce, Yankee Doodle Dandy and The Adventures of Robin Hood among other classic films. The Curtiz book has received enthusiastic reviews from the New York Review of Books (David Thomson), the Wall Street Journal (Scott Eyman), the Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan) and Leonard Maltin. Alan has been the producer and host of the annual Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival in Palm Springs, California since 2008.  Alan is also charter director and treasurer of the Film Noir Foundation. With FNF president Eddie Muller, Alan has spearheaded the preservation and restoration of “lost” films and co-programs and co-hosts several of the annual NOIR CITY film festivals. Alan has produced, written and appeared in documentaries for many classic film releases on Blu ray physical media.

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BARBARA MINKUS began her show business career in NYC in Julius Monk’s review, Bits and Pieces. She went on to receive rave reviews touring as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl throughout the United States. She played Lucy Van Pelt in the original NY recording cast of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. On Broadway, Barbara starred in The Education of Hyman Kaplan, directed by the great George Abbott. On television, she was a regular for six seasons on Love, American Style, played Gittel the Witch in ABC’s Curiosity Shop, and was the voice of Ms. Pac Man in the ABC cartoon series, Pacman. She had numerous television appearances over the years on The Danny Kaye Show, The Tonight Show, and made a record 20 appearances on The Merv Griffin Show. After taking time out to raise her family, Barbara returned to the stage at The Santa Monica playhouse to appear in Funny, You Don’t Look Like A Grandmother. She then brought Picon Pie to the Playhouse, playing Molly Picon – a role she helped research – and later reprised the role Off-Broadway. In both LA and Florida, she starred as Jennie Grossinger in the musical Saturday Night at Grossinger’s. Barbara presented From This Moment On – Minkus Sings Porter at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, and returned to present The Songs of Irving Berlin. Other musical theatre performances include Miss Lynch in Grease at the Muni Theatre in St. Louis, as well as Yente in Fiddler on the Roof at both the Muni and the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City. She also starred in the LA and Off-Broadway musical, Don’t Leave It All to Your Children. Along with frequent collaborator Susan Morgenstern.

https://www.barbaraminkus.com/18-minutes-of-fame

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The New York-born trumpeter, bandleader, teacher, producer, writer and music director grew up amidst the free-wheeling and wildly creative adventures of the jazz rock / avant garde / electric-electronic-flavored Gil Evans Orchestras of the 1970s and 1980s. Miles Evans led the Gil Evans Orchestra, and performed with Paul Shaffer, Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, Sting, David Sanborn, Hermeto Pascoal, Jaco Pastorious, Terence Blanchard, Nicholas Payton, Vince Mendoza, Christen McBride, Peter Erskine and Darry Jones—to name a few.  He performed on Grammy Award Winning CDs with Miles Davis, Gil Evans and Quincy Jones. Miles Evans led the Gil Evans Orchestra at The Cutting Room in NYC before COVID-19 came to New York—

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In 1981, Mariann Aalda became one of the first African-American daytime soap opera heroines, the feisty, young criminal defense attorney DiDi Bannister on ABC's Edge of Night. But these days she’s prosecuting ageism with a TEDx Talk, a solo show and as an AARP Age Disruptor.

Her 30-yr TV career highlights also include co-starring opposite Redd Foxx and Della Reese as their daughter, Elizabeth, on the CBS sitcom,The Royal Family; recurring as Lita Ford, Anthony’s yuppie-from-hell girlfriend on CBS’ Designing Women, and co-starring opposite O.J. Simpson as his wife, Ellen for three seasons on the HBO dramedy,First & 10.

More recently, her solo show, Gettin’ Old Is a Bitch…But I’m Gonna Wrestle That Bitch to the Ground! broke a 30-year box office record at the 2019 National Black Theatre Festival, where it was picked up for a sold out run at New York’s historic Billie Holiday Theatre in pre-pandemic 2020. Up next, she stars in the indie short film GUMBO, written and directed by Jess Waters and produced by Geno Brooks and The Artistic Standard for AMC’s ALLBLK- TV.

Ageing Shamelessly!

Actor | Influencer | Speaker | Disruptor

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Donald Pippin, a celebrated and prolific musical director for Broadway and New York’s Radio City Music Hall and the last living recipient of the long-discontinued Tony Award for Best Conductor and Musical Director — which he won for 1963’s Oliver! — died June 9 at the age of 95.

Marcia Milgrom Dodge, : “I met Don when I was the choreographer on The Music Man @ NY City Opera in 1988. He was our Maestro and he was a generous gentleman in the theatre, taking me under his wing with such mastery and kindness…Journey On, dear Don, in beautiful music.” We will be joined by Marcia and other colleagues and friends to share their favorite memories of a man whose Body of WORTH should be celebrated today and always will!

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Donald Pippin, a celebrated and prolific musical director for Broadway and New York’s Radio City Music Hall and the last living recipient of the long-discontinued Tony Award for Best Conductor and Musical Director — which he won for 1963’s Oliver! — died June 9 at the age of 95.

Marcia Milgrom Dodge, : “I met Don when I was the choreographer on The Music Man @ NY City Opera in 1988. He was our Maestro and he was a generous gentleman in the theatre, taking me under his wing with such mastery and kindness…Journey On, dear Don, in beautiful music.” We will be joined by Marcia and other colleagues and friends to share their favorite memories of a man whose Body of WORTH should be celebrated today and always will!

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U.S. Every Be a Kid Again Day on July 8, stop what you are doing and immerse yourself in your childhood memories. This special day is about taking a break from being an adult and going back to being the carefree kid you once were. It's also my Friday Wrap Up Show! I'm bringing along some friends to bring out the kid in all of us! Join us to find out who will be here and how we revert back to the kid inside!

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Karen Oberlin

Telling the story, both musically and lyrically, is what I find most exciting and galvanizing as a performer," Karen Oberlin was quoted saying in an interview. Hailed as one of premier interpreters of the Great American Songbook by both the New York Times and London's Classical Source, Oberlin was deeply honored to receive, in 2013, both the Mabel Mercer Foundation's most prestigious Donald F. Smith Award and an Honorary Doctorate in Music from Dix Hills Performing Arts Center/Five Towns College. She has also been the recipient of the Nightlife Award for Jazz Vocalist of the Year, a Bistro Award for Outstanding Achievement and multiple MAC Awards. Ms. Oberlin's recordings can be heard regularly on the legendary WNYC radio show hosted by Jonathan Schwartz, where he often sings her praises. This year Ms. Oberlin returns for her annual week performing at London's most exquisite cabaret club, the Crazy Coqs at Brasserie Zedel, following a return engagement in Paris, this time at Club RaYé. Quoting from among her many reviews in the New York Times, Stephen Holden says, "Beyond having a pretty voice, poise and interpretive insight... Ms. Oberlin has impeccable classic pop style (and) musical intelligence." Rex Reed, in the New York Observer, called her performance "thrilling," and continued, "Oberlin is as lovely to look at as she is to hear -- subtle, elegant and musically spot on... (Her performance) rings true and funny and flawless. She's a keeper!" The music critic, David Yaffe, says Ms. Oberlin "reaches into the minds and muses of our golden repertoire to teach us, dazzle us, and send us to a Tin Pan Alley nirvana, as deep as the ocean and high as the sky."

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It’s easy to produce a Judy Garland show: Just give her a stage, a spotlight, and get out of the way.” – Al Jolson National Take Your Dog to Work Day As you run out the door, don’t forget your briefcase and a doggie bag. Since I do everything from the studio I set up in my office, this is an easy one! I may even bring Benny om camera with me. As we all celebrate Judy, maybe all of our guests will bring their little dogs, too! This truly is a Wrap Up show as I leave town the next day for a week of R&R! I'm joined by Kristen Morgenstern!

www.facebook.com/Kristenmorgensternmusicwww.Kristenmorgensternmusic.comhttps://www.instagram.com/desiresgirl8/https://www.youtube.com/Kristenmorgenstern8

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John received national attention when Judy Garland sang his songs on The Tonight Show just a few months before she died. Before connecting with Judy, John wrote special comedy material for Lily Tomlin, Linda Lavin, and Eartha Kitt. His comedy number about a girl who fell in love with Mr. Clean attracted the attention of a famous ad agency, BBD&O, and he was offered a high-paying copywriter’s position. But, after a few weeks, John, feeling stifled, left the agency to make his way as a pianist, playing the songs he’d always loved -in clubs, at resorts, on the QE2 and even on a luxury train like the Orient Express. As a writer, collaborating with director Paul Bartel, John wrote the screenplay for a movie, Not For Publication and also the script for an episode of Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories; he also provided the musical scores for each of these with orchestrator Larry Hochman. With co-producer Bobbie Horowitz, John traveled to London to produce his own, film-noir satirical musical, The Betrayal of Nora Blake. “Funniest show of the year” said the reviewers. Most appropriately, today, we must mention the memoir John wrote about the thrilling eight weeks he spent as Judy Garland’s boyfriend, manager and songwriter.