The Roundtable with Robert Bannon

We love us some Andy Kaufman! He was a trailblazer, brilliant, and ahead of his time! We were so excited to hear about this new doc at Tribeca. We have the director Clay Tweel here to tell us all about this comedic mastermind!

This revealing documentary offers unprecedented access to the private world of comedy's most enigmatic provocateur, Andy Kaufman, through a treasure trove of never-before-heard audio recordings. Created during the height of his fame, these audio diaries serve as personal journals, capturing Kaufman's inner thoughts, performance ideas and reflections on his unfinished semi-autobiographical book, "The Huey Williams Story." While Kaufman never completed this surrealist work before his untimely death, director Clay Tweel brings these pages to life with imaginative marionette puppetry, creating a mesmerizing glimpse into Kaufman's creative process.

Featuring intimate interviews with family members Michael and Carol Kaufman, along with close friends and collaborators including David Letterman, Carol Kane and Tim Heidecker, the film peels away the layers of performance to reveal the thoughtful, complex man behind the provocative public persona. By embracing Kaufman's own philosophical view that no one is a monolith, this captivating documentary presents a nuanced portrait of the artist while challenging audiences to reconsider what they thought they knew about this boundary-pushing entertainer's life, art and legacy.

All that and so much more only on The Roundtable with Robert Bannon!

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Rob Murat is an award winning singer, songwriter, producer and actor originally from Queens, NY. His work has been featured on MTV, Vh1, BET, ESPN, CBS, TV One, HBO, and PBS achieving over 100 million impressions nationwide. He is a two-time Telly Award winner for his music video short films, "Love Me Love" (Silver Telly - Music Video Category) and "Fly Away" (People's Telly). On both projects, Rob showcased his versatility as writer, director, editor, producer and performer.

In 2023, after a string of periodic single releases, the Ivy League graduate and voting member of the Recording Academy released his sophomore album, Good Day Good People. Collaborating artists on the album include John Legend, J. Ivy (3 time GRAMMY® Award winning poet), Shatta Wale (best known for Beyonce’s Black Is King project), Jon Connor (former Dr. Dre protege), Adina Thembi (popular Ghanaian singer), Jupitar (also popular Ghanaian artist), among others.

As an actor, Rob most recently recurred as a guest star on the hit Netflix series, On My Block. He has made guest starring appearances on the FOX TV series, Bones, and in recurring episodes of the CBS TV series, Extant, executive produced by Steven Spielberg, opposite Academy Award winner, Halle Berry.

He tells us about his new music, his music video, and so much more!

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The future is here and we have the next generation of filmmakers! Both of them have films coming to Tribeca! Are you ready?

“Baby Tooth”, starring Dakota Bouher and the late Keith Roy Chrismon, is a darkly funny showdown that takes place in a rural Oregon parking lot. Marina has two things to offer: her grandfather’s antique speedboat and a stubborn baby tooth. When a local man answers her ad, things quickly go sideways.

Speaking about the film, Olivia has said:““Baby Tooth” comes from a version of my experience navigating life in rural coastal Oregon as an outsider. I was born and raised in Lake Hopatcong, NJ, and moved to the Oregon Coast from Los Angeles in 2021.

Accardo is a filmmaker, animator, and art director from Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey, now based on the southern Oregon coast. Her short films have screened at Oscar-qualifying festivals including Seattle International Film Festival and HollyShorts, and her latest, “Baby Tooth”, is an official selection of the 2025 Tribeca Festival.

Her independent work explores female outliers, absurd social tension, and deadpan discomfort, often with a handcrafted visual sensibility. Olivia’s earlier short “Cupcake Bob” was selected for PBS’ Film School Shorts, and her web series “One True Loves" premiered at Seattle International and won multiple awards during its festival run. She studied film at Syracuse University and FAMU in Prague and is a recipient of the Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund Fellowship, the Future of Film is Female grant, and the Lighthouse International Film Festival Writers Residency.

Writer Director of Hicks Happy Hour Kate McCarthy is a writer/director based in Los Angeles, from San Francisco. She graduated from the AFI Conservatory in 2024 with an MFA in Directing. Kate’s AFI thesis film THE HICKS HAPPY HOUR won Best Comedy Series at the 44th College Television Awards—more commonly known as the student Emmys—and will world premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival.

The film is also set to play at the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Cannes, and Raindance Film Festival. Prior to AFI, Kate’s 2022 debut short LOOK, MIRA was described by Vulture as “a stylishly bittersweet coming-of-age comedy in the Todd Solondz–Wes Anderson mold that’s bursting with color and idiosyncrasy.” The film played at the Oscar- qualifying LA Shorts Fest, the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, and is now streaming on Directors Notes and NoBudge, where its ranked as one of their “Top 12 Most Viewed of AllTime.”

Before film, Kate earned a BA in Theater Arts from the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities. During that time, she also interned at SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, CONAN, FULL FRONTAL WITH SAMANTHA BEE, and The Second City.

Catch all the new up & coming goodness right here on The Roundtable!

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Jason Vendryes is fresh from Tribeca where his film One Spoon of Chocolate (written and directed by RZA) is having its world premiere and he is here!

 One Spoon of Chocolate is an upcoming American drama film written, produced and directed by RZA. It stars Shameik Moore, Paris Jackson, RJ Cyler, Harry Goodwins, Johnell Young, Michael Harney, Rockmond Dunbar, E'myri Crutchfield, Blair Underwood, Jason Isbell, Isaiah Hill, James Lee Thomas, and Jason Vendryes.

  In addition to starring in One Spoon of Chocolate Jason is also currently starring on two television shows currently airing: CBS’ Beyond the Gates and BET’s Ruthless. He tells us about his journey to TV, film, working with Paris Jackson, RZA, Shameik Moore, & well so much more!

A great chat with a great actor here on The Roundtable!

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New York’s new interdisciplinary performance group, co-founded by artistic director Austin Regan and resident artist Kendal Hartse – will present their inaugural production UH OH! Exclamation Point Kendal Hartse Question Mark Live and In Concert Question Mark for two performances at The Gym at Judson (243 Thompson Street, NYC) on Saturday, June 14 and Sunday, June 15 at 7:00 PM. UH OH!, written by and starring Kendal Hartse and directed by Austin Regan, is a performance art cabaret as public radio pledge drive. Oyen also provides musical arrangements for the show. For tickets, please visit Eventbrite HERE.

UH OH! – featuring songs from Jeff Buckley’s seminal album Grace, the 1968 Broadway cult classic Golden Rainbow, Puccini’s Tosca, and beyond – is a wild journey through the sacred soul of the artist in a capitalist world that demands she be commodified. The Actor and The Pianist sing, dance, clown, and beg you to call now and support live art.

Kendal Hartse (Writer and performer) has appeared on Broadway in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and On A Clear Day You Can See Forever. She toured the country as Iris in the first national tour of The Band’s Visit directed by David Cromer, and Roundabout Theatre Company’s Cabaret, originally directed by Sam Mendes. Other favorite projects include Yitzhak in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Baptista/Lucentio in The Taming of the Shrew, Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Polly in Crazy for You, and Nellie Collins in Floyd Collins. Kendal has developed work at the Vineyard Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, New York Stage and Film, Center Theatre Group, and The Julliard School.

Austin Regan (Director) is a New York based stage director whose acclaimed work has been seen across the United States. Recently: Rigoletto at Minnesota Opera; Other projects and productions include Left and Right (National Sawdust); The Trojan Women (Hangar Theatre); Out of a thought (PROTOTYPE Festival); Mad Libs (New World Stages), The Blind (Flea Theater) and Well Worn Words (Ars Nova). Regan is also the Tour Director for the Broadway musical A Beautiful Noise, which is currently selling out venues across the country, and the Resident Director of the Drama Desk Award-winning Off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors. As associate director: five Broadway musicals and the Metropolitan Opera. Drama League Directing Fellow, Lincoln Center Directors Lab, and former Resident Director at the Flea Theater. www.austinregan.nyc

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Today we are talking 20 Pounds To Happiness! This funny, real, and emotion movie is all the rave by critics and film festivals!

Written by Sundance Audience Award-winning writer Josefina López (Real Women Have Curves, both the film and its Broadway version), 20 Pounds to Happiness is about a full-figured Latina (Yelyna De León) in a Real Women Have Curves Support Group who must decide between staying loyal to her girlfriends and risk losing the man of her dreams.

About Yelena: Yelyna De León is an actress, filmmaker, artivist who hails from the southside of Chicago. She has worked on numerous TV shows (Will and Grace, Snowfall, Ray Donovan, Shameless), feature films (A Better Life, East Side Story) and docs (Behind the Mask of Zorro) to name a few. “Murder in the Woods”, a murder mystery feature film she wrote and produced, starring an all diverse cast including Danny Trejo (Machete), had a successful theatrical and drive-in release during the pandemic and is currently available in English and Spanish, on most streaming platforms, has an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, has been called "darkly funny," by Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun Times, and hit the Hot List in People in Español.

About Josefina: Josefina López is best known for authoring the play and co-authoring the 2002 SUNDANCE AWARD WINNING film Real Women Have Curves. López started her writing career at 17 and has had over 130 productions produced of her many plays throughout the country. She has been working as a professional screenwriter in Hollywood for over 30 years with countless development deals and screenplay assignments. She has worked with many established producers like Norman Lear (“All In the Family”) and Michael McDonald (“American Crime”) to bring Latinos to television. Born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico on March 19, 1969, Josefina López was five- years-old when she and her family migrated to the United States and settled in the East Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights. López was undocumented for 13 years before she received Amnesty in 1987 and eventually became a U.S. Citizen in 1995.

A great chat with great women!

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Acclaimed filmmaker Nathaniel Lezra talks all about his latest documentary,  Roads of Fire, as it prepares for its New York premiere at the 28th Brooklyn Film Festival. This film is more important and timely than ever!

Lezra is known for capturing urgent, human-centered stories across both documentary and narrative formats. His work often focuses on social and geopolitical crises, bringing a distinct and deeply empathetic lens to global issues.  Roads of Fire is a powerful exploration of the global migration crisis, weaving together the stories of a human smuggler guiding refugees through the perilous Darién Gap, an asylum seeker navigating life in New York, and frontline volunteers offering aid amidst one of today’s most pressing humanitarian challenges.

Told through intimate, personal narratives, the film offers an unflinching yet compassionate look at migration, illuminating the interconnected struggles and resilience of those seeking safety and dignity.

“This film is as much about the cost of immigration policy as it is about the resilience of the people impacted by it,” said Lezra. “Given that much of the story unfolds in Brooklyn, having our New York premiere here—at a festival known for championing bold, socially conscious storytelling—feels incredibly meaningful.”

Premiering earlier this year at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Roads of Fire earned critical acclaim and was awarded “Best Documentary Film 2025.” It also had its European premiere in Croatia at ZagrebDox Film Festival earlier this year. The film has been lauded for its emotional depth, immersive storytelling, and timely subject matter. The film is produced by Nathaniel Lezra, Malcolm Bird, Benjamin Wellington, Nicole Tao, David Wu.

With everything going on in the world, this is a must see!

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Cabaret Classics has announced the release of Toast of the Town, Volume 1, the new big band album from Boston-based vocalist Brian De Lorenzo, on CD and streaming and digital platforms on Friday, June 13. Featuring the Tom LaMark Orchestra, this swinging collection features both time-tested standards and hidden gems. The album – produced by Doug Hammer for Dreamworld Productions, with music direction and arrangements by Tom LaMark – features exclusive cover art by lauded Vanity Fair illustrator Robert Risko. To order Toast of the Town, Volume 1, please visit BrianDeLorenzo.com

De Lorenzo will celebrate the recording with a special concert on Tuesday, June 17 at 7:30 PM at Club Café’s Moonshine Room in Boston, MA. Tickets are available HERE.

Toast of the Town, Volume 1 features beloved big band favorites associated with the greatest singers of mid-century standards, including Frank Sinatra; Sammy Davis, Jr.; Tony Bennett; Rosemary Clooney; Ella Fitzgerald; Judy Garland; and Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé. Select highlights include golden-age classics by legendary songwriters like Cy Coleman (“The Best Is Yet to Come”), Jerome Kern (“All the Things You Are”), Cole Porter (“I Love Paris”), and Harold Arlen (“Gotta Have Me Go with You”), and more.

With Brian De Lorenzo’s spirited singing and Tom LaMark’s brisk music direction, Toast of the Town, Volume 1 is more than just a time capsule of the past, but a deft and creative exploration of how our collective songbook has evolved.

 Make sure to stream the album wherever music is heard!

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Brian De Lorenzo – named Edge Media’s “Top Ten of New York Cabaret” and Talent America's “Performer of the Year” – is an award-winning singer, actor, and songwriter equally at home in nightclubs, concert halls, and theaters. He has traveled from Alaska to England and from the Mediterranean to Mexico to sing for appreciative audiences. Brian enjoys performing a variety of music including songs from “The Great American Songbook;” musical theater, pop, and contemporary cabaret.

He created Found Treasures, a cabaret show and subsequently his first recording, which is primarily comprised of songs from lesser-known musicals. The recording was nominated for the “Recording of the Year” award by the Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs (MAC). In 2022, Brian premiered the song “Things Will Get Better,” which he wrote during the Covid-19 lockdown and released as a single the following year. Of his recent album, I Know More Now, the late entertainment writer John Hoglund said, “De Lorenzo has a penchant for story songs that pack a profound punch. In this regard, he is always committed and gives thrilling interpretations of old and new gems that speak from the soul.”

De Lorenzo is featured on the original cast recording Made in America: Vaudeville Songs, a tribute to Judy Garland and the Gumm Sisters, in which he starred at Don’t Tell Mama in New York City. He is a founding member of the Boston Association of Cabaret Artists (BACA) and served as the organization’s president for four years, and was editor of their newsletter, BACA News, for more than four years. Brian wrote about Boston-area news for Cabaret Scenes, the international cabaret magazine. He holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from The State University of New York’s Fredonia School of Music.

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Akbar Hamid, is here! He does it all. He is a business man, producer, and actor! Wait til you see "Poreles!" It is a story about a queer Muslim beauty founder named Akram, whose brand is finally poised for its big break—until an allergic reaction leaves his face covered in a rash just as a major pitch looms. As everything he's worked for hangs in the balance, Akram must navigate chaos, family, and the pressure to stay flawless. Co-written by Harris Doran and Fawzia Mirza, Poreless is a sharp, heartfelt comedy about identity, ambition, and the messiness behind the glow. Produced by Akbar Hamid & Rabia Sultana. The film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival!

Does this sound like a trip? Well it sure is! We have the star Akbar Hamid here! Akbar is a businessman, a producer, and now an actor. How did this short come to be and how did it end up at Tribeca? Watch and find out!

It is a great short that touches questions on religion, being Muslim, being gay, and more! He tells u s how all of these things can come together with laughter! All that & more here on The Roundtable!

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The Downtown Urban Arts Festival (DUAF), now in its 23rd season, will present the works of 18 playwrights, including that of Tony® Award winner Sarah Jones when the festival returns June 11-June 28 at Joe’s Pub (425 Lafayette Street) and Theater Row (410 W. 42nd Street).

 In 2001, the theater program at DUAF was founded with the purpose to build a repertoire of new American theatre that echoes the true spirit of urban life and speaks to a whole new generation whose lives defy categorizing along conventional lines. That purpose has been realized, as 221 writers have created and refined their work for the stage

The Downtown Urban Arts Festival is produced by T. Marc Newell and artistic directed by Reg E. Gaines.Through the festival, DUAF selects theatre professionals, past DUAF alumni, and notable playwrights to attend the shows and these professionals rate each play based on content, tone, and structure. From these ratings, Best Play and Best Short are selected.It was also announced that the DUAF Spotlight Playwright of this year’s Festival is Juan Ramirez, Jr. “Spotlight Playwright” is awarded to recent DUAF alumnus who received the Best Play Award in previous DUAF festivals. 

The Festival kicks off with a free conversation with Tony® Award winner Sarah Jones on June 11 at Theatre Row, followed by her return to the New York stage in her playAmerica, Who Hurt You? at Joe's Pub on June 13-14 America, Who Hurt You?  performs at Joe’s Pub and the rest of the Festival is at Theatre Row.

“We are excited to celebrate our 23rd season of the Downtown Urban Arts Festival,” said T. Marc Newell. “The wealth of talented writers in New York is staggering, and sometimes, they just need a chance. We look forward to our audiences discovering these amazing talents and the stories that speak to their lives and journeys. We also are thrilled to present Sarah Jones’ new play, America, Who Hurt You? and know this year has something to suit every taste.” 

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