 |
|
Nov. 20, 2009
Nov. 19, 2009
Jonathan Tobin: ADL Crosses the Line with Report Bashing Obama Critics
Nov. 18, 2009
JWisdom.com: The (Jewish) Dating Game
with Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff (8 minutes)
Nov. 17, 2009
Steven Emerson: How Does the 4th Amendment Impact Terror Finance Investigations?
JWisdom.com: If Frank Sinatra married Edith Piaf
with Rabbi Y.Y. Rubinstein (2 minutes) Life lessons from what would be regarded as the most inappropriate lyrics ever sung
Nov. 16, 2009
JWisdom.com: Deconstructing faith
with Rabbi Warren Goldstein (9 minutes)
Nov. 13, 2009
JWisdom.com Sarah's subjective reality
with Rabbi Sroy Levitansky ( 6 minutes)
Nov. 12, 2009
JWisdom.com Does God get tired?
with Rabbi Harvey Belovski ( 5 minutes)
Nov. 11, 2009
JWisdom.com Marriages are not made in Heaven
with Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff (VERY fast 15 minutes)
Nov. 10, 2009
Michael Doyle: Author of book exposing CAIR ordered to remove supporting documents from Web
JWisdom.com If the creation so loudly shouts the existence of the Creator, why aren't more people believers? with Rabbi Naftali Brawer (9 minutes)
Nov. 9, 2009
Mark Steyn: Shooter exposes hole
in U.S. terror strategy
JWisdom.com It's never too late to
have a happy childhood with Sarah Chana Radcliffe (5 minutes)
Nov. 6, 2009
JWisdom.com Zero to 1/60th: How
to Empower An Hour with Gavriel Aryeh Sande (7 minutes)
Nov. 5, 2009
JWisdom.com Hidden Hints: Unlocking
Faith & Prayer with Rabbi Jay Yaacov Schwartz (10 minutes)
Nov. 4, 2009
JWisdom.com When God played peacemaker
With Rabbi Sroy Levitansky (5 minutes)
Nov. 3, 2009
JWisdom.com Are you are closet idolater?
With Sara Yoheved Rigler (10 minutes)
Nov. 2, 2009
JWisdom.com Abraham's Strange Change
With Rabbi Yitzchok Fingerer (5 minutes)
|
| |
Jewish World Review
Oct. 16, 2009
/ 28 Tishrei 5770
What a Party!
By
Greg Crosby
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
It was the first time I attended the New York high school annual reunion put on by the New York Alumni Association and what a blast it was! My wife, an alumni of Midwood High in Brooklyn, and I arrived with friend and New York alumni Lee Delano. Guests dined on gourmet New York cuisine such as hot dogs, deli sandwiches, and knishes, pizza, Chinese food, and Carvel ice cream. Now if they could fly in New York egg salad and tuna fish sandwiches they'd really have something.
Walking around the patio area it's hysterical how everyone stares at everyone else searching for their old school mates. People looking into the faces of those passing by and wondering if that fat old bald guy could be the handsome curly-headed football star of New Utrecht back in 1967, or if this little gray-haired lady eating the knish in the corner is the same cute co-ed from Madison drama class in 1959.
After the reunion came the award show, which was an absolute knockout. New York Friars Club comics Sal Richards and Freddie Roman were masters of ceremonies and absolutely killed the audience. I can't tell you when I laughed as much as I did that night. Norm Crosby, Steve Solomon, and Scott Record contributed to the laughs and I must tell you, this is what standup is all about. Young comics today could take lessons from these pros, and should.
Watching these guys perform brought back memories for me of the great standup comedians that I used to see on the Ed Sullivan, Johnny Carson, and Steve Allen shows. Guys like Henny Youngman, Jan Murray, Danny Thomas, Myron Cohen, and Alan King. Freddie Roman, of course, is a legend among standup comedians. One of the last of the Borsht Belt comics, he was a regular in the Catskills and as a matter of fact had a very successful Broadway show called "Catskills on Broadway" a few years back. And Sal Richards got his start in the Catskills too. Most of those comics back then were Jewish. Richards is Italian but he's funny enough to be Jewish.
In addition to laughter we had great music filling the room. New York Alumni Co-Chairs Louis Gossett, Jr. and Jon Voight presented the awards along with Connie Stevens and Monty Hall. Honorees Ed Ames and Melissa Manchester performed their hits. Ed Ames, who at over 80 looks and sounds better than ever, sang They Call The Wind Mariah, My Cup Runneth Over, and Old Man River. Melissa did the wonderful Cole Porter tune, I Just Love New York a cappella followed by Midnight Blue, Come In From the Rain and Don't Cry Out Loud.
Also performing was Lainie Kazan and British star Toni Morrell. There simply is nowhere else on earth that you could possibly see a show of the caliber that was put on that night. The talent on stage was phenomenal - it had to be because there was as much talent in the audience as there was on stage. Among the audience members were Mitzi Gaynor, Jack Carter, Rose Marie, Charlotte Raye, Theodore Bikel, and Martin Landau.
Lou and Fran Zigman are to be congratulated for putting together the greatest show of the year that most people don't even know about. It's the best kept secret in show business. Fortunately for me I was introduced to it by my friend Lee Delano who put me on to Lou a few months ago. Now, after attending the event I feel like an honorary New Yorker myself. Must be something in the food. I only wish they had filmed the entire show and made it available to buy on DVD. I know an awful lot of people who would love to have a record of that night (probably everyone in the audience for starters).
I'm told that plans are already in the works for next year, which will be the 25th annual New York Alumni reunion. Let me tell you this, if it's only half the show this one was, it will be tremendous. Bringing New York to LA - what a concept. The only things missing are the bridges, the tunnels, the Oak Bar at the Plaza Hotel, and the Bemelmans paintings from the Carlyle. I'll suggest those to Lou for next year.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Greg Crosby, former creative head for Walt Disney publications, has written thousands of comics, hundreds of children's books, dozens of essays, and a letter to his congressman. A freelance writer in Southern California, you may contact him by clicking here.
Greg Crosby Archives
© 2008, Greg Crosby
|
|
Arnold Ahlert
Mitch Albom
Michael Barone
Dave Barry
Tony Blankley
Andy Borowitz
David Broder
Stratfor Briefing
Mona Charen
Linda Chavez
Ann Coulter
Greg Crosby
Larry Elder
Suzanne Fields
John Fund
Frank J. Gaffney
Lloyd Garver
Jonah Goldberg
Julia Gorin
Jonathan Gurwitz
Paul Greenberg
Lewis Grossberger
Victor Davis Hanson
Betsy Hart
Nat Hentoff
David Horowitz
Laura Ingraham
Cheri Jacobus
Jeff Jacoby
Paul Johnson
Jack Kelly
Ed Koch
Ch. Krauthammer
Michael Ledeen
John Leo
David Limbaugh
Kathryn Lopez
Rich Lowry
Michelle Malkin
Jackie Mason
Dick Morris
Bill O'Reilly
Jim Mullen
Clarence Page
Kathleen Parker
Dennis Prager
Wesley Pruden
Tom Purcell
Jonathan Rauch
Celia Rivenbark
Robert Robb
Cokie & Steve Roberts
Pat Sajak
Debra J. Saunders
Culture Shlock
Roger Simon
Michael Smerconish
Thomas Sowell
Mark Steyn
John Stossel
Cal Thomas
Bob Tyrrell
Diana West
Dave Weinbaum
George Will
Walter Williams
Byron York
Mort Zuckerman
Robert Arial
Chuck Asay
Baloo
Chip Bok
Dry Bones
Lisa Benson
John Branch
Gary Brookins
John Cole
J. D. Crowe
John Deering
Brian Duffy
Everything's Relative
Mallard Fillmore
Jake Fuller
Bob Gorrel
Joe Heller
David Hitch
Jerry Holber
Steve Kelley
Jeff Koterba
Dick Locher
Chan Lowe
Ranan R. Lurie
Jimmy Margulies
Rick McKee
Michael Ramirez
Kevin Siers
Jeff Stahler
Ed Stein
Danna Summers
John Trever
Gary Varvel
Kirk Walters
How 2
Lori Borgman
The Savvy Consumer
Elder matters
Fixit
Dr. Peter Gott
GET A JOB! by Marty Nemko
Richard Lederer
Tech Maven
Every Monday Matters
Nutrition Myths
Bookmark These
Bruce Williams
How Stuff Works
|
