Gotham Radio Theatre Salutes the Work of Columbia Workshop & Bernard Herrmann!
On March 13th & 15th, Gotham Radio Theatre will present a very special show for the Lincoln Center Library in the beautiful Bruno Walter Auditorium. We will re-create two wonderful radio shows from The Columbia Workshop that were scored by Bernard Herrmann. We will have fan favorites, Stew Spencer (Victor Barbella), Louie Gugliano (Vince Trani), Irene Dahlia (Laura Leopard) and Otto Schmearcase (Bob Ader) on board along with an ORCHESTRA who will be playing Bernard Hermann's lovely original score during the performance. It's a special treat that is not to be missed! There will be two performances and they are FREE to the public! It's first come, first serve so come early!
Thursday, March 13th at 6pm
Saturday, March 15th at 2:30 pm
On March 13th & 15th, Gotham Radio Theatre will present a very special show for the Lincoln Center Library in the beautiful Bruno Walter Auditorium. We will re-create two wonderful radio shows from The Columbia Workshop that were scored by Bernard Herrmann. We will have fan favorites, Stew Spencer (Victor Barbella), Louie Gugliano (Vince Trani), Irene Dahlia (Laura Leopard) and Otto Schmearcase (Bob Ader) on board along with an ORCHESTRA who will be playing Bernard Hermann's lovely original score during the performance. It's a special treat that is not to be missed! There will be two performances and they are FREE to the public! It's first come, first serve so come early!
Thursday, March 13th at 6pm
Saturday, March 15th at 2:30 pm
Stewart Spencer (aka Victor Barbella*) Our Host
Born in Brighton Beach, NY, Stewart was the 4th child of Jewish immigrant parents who worked as a bartender and nightclub entertainer. He spent most of his school nights earning money as a pool hustler and peerless dipsomaniac until he was expelled at 16 for gambling with the janitors. He fled NY and traveled the globe as a cook, Gondolier pilot and bartender, which landed him at Minsky’s, and a short career as a comic on stage. To pay off a gambling debt, he made his first Hollywood film, and though drunk in most of his movies, his career as the brawling sidekick skyrocketed with In Old Montana, In Old Colorado, In Old Cheyenne and, In Old Boise. On the lam from his 3 ex-wives, Stew moves between Hollywood and NY and when here, has been part of Gotham Radio’s productions of Blithe Spirit, Sherlock Holmes and The Speckled Band and Rudolph’s Tale, where-sadly - he was nearly fired for excessive drinking while portraying an elf.
Otto Shmearcase (aka Bob Ader*) in Multiple Roles
Born in 1892 in Branau, Austria, Otto was the only child of the Baron and Baroness Von Shmearcase. After seeing his first Vaudeville show, he was bitten by the Show Business bug and became a song and dance man. OTTO and his boyfriend Adolph, formed a variety act called Shmearcase und Shickelgruber and performed all through Germany. Fifteen years later, the act broke up when Adolph opted for a career in politics. Otto then decided to become a serious dramatic actor, and in 1927, he was cast as a tap dancing robot in Fritz Lang’s classic silent film Metropolis. On Lang’s recommendation, Otto obtained an interview with Louis B. Mayer at MGM who told Otto that he had the perfect face for Radio. Following Mayer’s valuable advice, Otto was cast in The Carter’s Little Liver Pills Theatre Radio Production Of Young Abe Lincoln In Flatbush, playing the title role. Traveling to London, he spent next 12 years in elocution study with George Bernard Shaw. When he returned to American, he was contacted by Gotham Radio Theatre to appear in this evening’s production.
Louie Gugliano (aka Vince Trani*) in Multiple Roles
Born in Brooklyn in 1886, the son of an immigrant bread baker from Genoa, Louie’s career began in vaudeville, singing beside a young George Burns in the Pee Wee Quartet. He then went solo as Little Louie, boy crooner. A promising songwriter, Louie often brought the crowd to tears with his heartrending rendition of Your Mother Is Your Best Friend After All, which Irving Berlin himself has called “the worst song I ever heard.” Louie also appeared in silent films, most notably as the bratty kid Charlie Chase dropped down the well in Who’s Your Daddy? Soon too old to be considered cute any more, he returned to vaudeville as an animal wrangler for Fink’s Mules, sweeping up afterwards. There followed a stint as piano player for silent films at the Bijou, still sweeping up afterwards. It was then that Louie composed his greatest hit songs, A Gypsy From Poughkeepsie, I Love My Wife, But Oh You Kid! and The Pussycat Polka. He started in radio playing spooky organ for Inner Sanctum and belting out bloodcurdling screams whenever anybody was murdered. At this point Fate intervened, giving Louie some priceless free publicity. Filling in as emcee at the Friar’s Club, Louie got sucker-punched by Jerry Lewis after mistakenly introducing him as “Larry Jewish." Then, at a restaurant in Little Italy, Louie approached Frank Sinatra, intending to compliment him, but somehow insulting him instead, whereupon Old Blue Eyes crowned him with three platters of pasta. Today Louie is best known for playing a score of memorable bit parts in obscure films, and is affectionately referred to in the business as “you know…what’shisname.”
Irene Dahlia (aka Laura Leopard*) in Multiple Roles
Born Arina Torporkov in Saint Petersburg, Irene’s mother was a member of the Moscow Art Theatre founded by Constantin Stanislovski. Her family immigrated on the heels of the Russian Revolution in 1917. Once safely in New York, her mother Sonia Torporkov (stage name Mollie Anderson) began her Broadway career, appearing in The Fountain of Youth” among others. Irene made her Broadway debut in 1924 with a small role in Anthony and Cleopatra. She returned to Broadway in 1926, starring in “She Couldn’t Say No” and has been a star in her own right ever since. FDR once remarked on her performance in “The Bohemian Girl” as “moving Russian and U.S. relations to a new delicious level.” Irene will next appear in Gotham Radio Theatre’s production of Present Laughter this summer she toured the country in the Broadway hit, “Suspect”. Married briefly to screen star, John Garfield, Irene lives quietly in New York with her little dog Sasha.
Sydnie Grosberg Gale (aka Sydnie Grosberg Ronga) Director
Sydnie Gale began her career as a stage manager, most notably for Sarah Bernhardt's American tour. Miss Bernhardt brought her back to France, but not knowing the language Miss Gale moved to London. She spent the next few years touring with plays by Shaw and Wilde. While working with the Gaiety Players she was asked to direct Shaw's The Philanderer. The tour was a great success and she became the company's regular director bringing some American plays into their repertoire. In 1928 the Gaiety Players toured the United States and Miss Gale decided to stay. She directed for The Theatre Guild bringing the works of Shaw, Molnar and Pirandello to the American Stage. As radio became more popular she often adapted her productions for broadcast. Miss Gale has been the primary director for Gotham Radio Theatre and is delighted to be continuing her work with with this adaptation for our salute to The Columbia Workshop.
Musical Director - Jeremy Robin Lyons
Jeremy Robin Lyons is an MD, arranger, and orchestrator whose work has been seen at Lincoln Center (American Songbook Series), The National Opera Center, Barrington Stage Company, 54 Below, Joe's Pub, and many others.
Our Musicians
Bjorn Berkhout - cello
Nyssa Duchow - violin
Evan Goldhahn - percussion
Robert A. K. Gonyo - trumpet
Jeremy Robin Lyons - piano
Alison Mari - oboe
Diana Ortega - bassoon
Sophia Saunders-Jones – flute
Nyssa Duchow - violin
Evan Goldhahn - percussion
Robert A. K. Gonyo - trumpet
Jeremy Robin Lyons - piano
Alison Mari - oboe
Diana Ortega - bassoon
Sophia Saunders-Jones – flute
Actors with *, appear as a courtesy from Actors Equity Association.