Latest news with #ADayattheRaces
Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Groucho Marx, playing one night only in the Loop
Groucho Marx has been dead since 1977, but to hear his grandson talk about him, one can imagine a smile on his face, those remarkable eyebrows raising 'He and I became very close in his later years,' Andy Marx was telling me Sunday night. 'We spent a lot of time together, working on various projects, every day at his house for two or three years, having lunch. I used to run into a lot of people who knew my grandfather. But that's rare now.' On the telephone with us was Frank Ferrante, who is in a career-long business of being Groucho, whose full name was Julius Henry Marx. For 40 years and counting, he has been Groucho in many foreign countries, in 47 of our 50 states, in theaters large and small. He will be Groucho again on June 11, when he performs his critically acclaimed one-man, two-act show, 'Frank Ferrante's Groucho,' at Teatro ZinZanni, that lively theatrical oasis in the Loop. He has been here before, serving off and on as Caesar, the emcee of Teatro ZinZanni's dinner circus show, since it opened in Chicago in 2019. He's also played Groucho in the suburbs many times. No surprise. He's been almost everywhere. This will be his 3,500 performance as Groucho, give or take, so I wasn't reluctant to ask him to take yet another trip, back to where it all began. He says this 'remarkable experience' started when he was nine and saw the 1937 film comedy, 'A Day at the Races,' the seventh movie to star Groucho and his brothers Harpo (Arthur) and Chico (Leonard Joseph). 'I was entranced and exhilarated by his behavior on screen,' Ferrante told me. 'Remember, I was 9, and so it was real, he was a real person. That mustache, eyebrows, so free and wild, so brash and irreverent. I wanted to be just like him.' And so did he begin (pre-Internet age, remember?) to devour any books or magazine articles he could find, including the dozen of so books that Groucho wrote, even though his formal education stopped after the sixth grade. He watched the Marx Brothers movies (there were some 13) and explored Groucho's time as the host of the game show, 'You Bet Your Life,' from the late 1940s to the 1960s, and everything else he could find about the man. As a theater major at the University of Southern California, he created as his thesis a show, 'An Evening With Groucho,' and, boldly, invited as many of Groucho's relatives and friends as he could find to attend his production. Among the 100 people in the audience were Groucho's daughter, Miriam, and his son, Arthur. 'I would say it went well, very well,' Ferrante told me. 'Arthur told me after the show, 'If I ever put together a show about my father, I'd like you to be in it.'' It didn't take long. Within a year of graduating, the 22-year-old Ferrante was cast as Groucho in Arthur Marx's 'Groucho: A Life in Revue' (written with Robert Fisher). Featuring actors as his brothers and other characters in Groucho's life, it was an off-Broadway smash, playing for more than a year before heading to London, where it was also a hit and earned Ferrante an Olivier Award nomination. Though Ferrante had found a career, he says, 'My friendships with Arthur and his sister Miriam provided me with an understanding of the man beyond the movies. This was a complicated guy and I am passionate about him. I almost feel like I am doing missionary work, moving from town to town, spreading the word.' As well as Ferrante knows Groucho, there is likely no living person who knew him as well as Arthur's son, Andy, who recalled the first time he saw Ferrante as Groucho, saying, 'My father (Arthur) told me there was this guy at USC and I saw Frank and it was mind blowing, incredible. A little freaky but cool.' The two have become friends over the decades as Andy would fashion a fine career as writer, musician and photographer and Ferrante would keep playing Groucho in his own show while sometimes tackling other theatrical roles and ventures. They live in separate California homes but rightly consider Chicago a special place in the Marx story. This is where what would be the Marx Brothers (in addition to Groucho, Chico and Harpo, there were Gummo and Zeppo) lived from 1911 to 1920. Their ambitious and canny mother, Minnie, chose the city because its central location was within the vaudeville circuit, enabling the 'boys' to hone the shenanigans that would make them world famous. That was a long time ago but the movies obviously continue to attract fans, to spread and keep alive the Marx Brothers, Groucho most prominently. That's in large part due to Ferrante's energetic and artful 'missionary' work. Doesn't hurt that for the last few years a filmed version is available on PBS. Or that he is ever expanding the improvisational portion of the performance, interacting with audiences. And Ferrante will be interviewed following his performance by my colleague Chris Jones. How long can he go? Audiences are drawn to characters of the past, especially to those who might be able to evoke memories of good times. Think of all the Elvis impersonators out there. (When Groucho died in 1977, his obituaries were overshadowed by those of Elvis, who died three days earlier.) In the theatrical world, think of Hal Holbrook, who performed his 'Mark Twain Tonight' more than 2,000 times, from 1959 until retiring in 2017 at 92. There's also James Whitmore, who brought to stage life Will Rogers, Harry Truman and Teddy Roosevelt. Closer to home, there's Ronnie Marmo, who has performed his terrific 'I'm Not a Comedian … I'm Lenny Bruce' more than 450 times, many on Chicago stages. Doesn't really mean much, I guess, but I just learned that Groucho and Lenny Bruce are buried near each other in Mission Hills, California, at a place called Eden Memorial Park.
Forbes
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Roy Thomas Baker: Remembering The Legendary Record Producer In 7 Albums
LOS ANGELES - DECEMBER 9: Rock producer Roy Thomas Baker poses for a portrait at The Village ... More Recording Studio in Los Angeles, California on December 9, 2005. (Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael) If there were a record producer who became the go-to guy for musicians wanting a distinct hard rock sound, it would be Roy Thomas Baker. His list of production credits reads like a who's who of classic rock from the 1970s and 1980s — among them were Queen, the Cars, Foreigner, Cheap Trick, Journey, Ozzy Osbourne and Yes. Additionally, he worked on records by Devo, the Stranglers, the Smashing Pumpkins and Mötley Crüe. In his works, Baker brought the best out of the artists he collaborated with through state-of-the-art techniques and atmospherics that defined the stadium rock aesthetic. The U.K.-born Baker died at the age of 78 on April 12, his publicist announced on April 22. Following the news of Baker's death. Queen guitarist Brian May wrote on Instagram: 'Roy was a part of our production team from the very beginning up to and including the album 'A night at the Opera'. We then parted company for 'A Day at the Races', but reunited for the 'Jazz' album. 'Roy's production contribution along with Mike Stone's engineering for 'Bohemian Rhapsody' will never be forgotten,' May continued. 'Thank you, Roy for all the great work you did for us, and all the fun we had. Rest in Peace.' 'I am very sorry to hear of Roy Thomas Baker's passing. He played a big part in our early years. RIP,' wrote Queen drummer Roger Taylor also on Instagram. In tribute to Baker, here are seven of the many hit albums that he worked on. 8th September 1976: British rock group Queen at Les Ambassadeurs, where they were presented with ... More silver, gold and platinum discs for sales in excess of one million of their hit single 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. The band are, from left to right, John Deacon, Freddie Mercury (Frederick Bulsara, 1946 - 1991), Roger Taylor and Brian May. (Photo) A Night at the Opera (1975) Queen's tour de force fourth album is the British group's signature work; it is also the crowning achievement for Baker, who had previously co-produced Queen's first three albums (Queen, Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack). Among such notable tracks as 'You're My Best Friend," 'I'm in Love With My Car' and 'Love of My Life,' the record's centerpiece is unquestionably 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' the six-minute operatic epic that catapulted Queen to major stardom. In an interview with the New York Times in 2005, Baker said of the iconic song: "I thought it was going to be a hit. We didn't know it was going to be quite that big. I didn't realize it was still going to be talked about 30 years later." The Cars 1978 Greg Hawkes, David Robinson, Ric Ocasek Benjamin Orr and Elliot Easton (Photo by ... More Chris Walter/WireImage) The Cars (1978) Baker's relationship with Boston-based New Wave band the Cars began with their 1978 self-titled debut album, which contained several of the Cars' most beloved songs in 'Just What I Needed,' 'Good Times Roll,' 'My Best Friend's Girl,' 'You're All I've Got Tonight' and 'Moving in Stereo.' Following the success of The Cars, Baker worked with the band on their next three albums. In the news release about Baker's death, Cars guitarist Elliott Easton said of the late record producer: 'Roy was one of the pieces of the puzzle that made The Cars what they became. He didn't belabor anything or take things overly seriously. He was fun to work with, a mirthful guy whose affect was kind of Monty Pythonesque and, as it happens, a great cook.' (L-R) American rock guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist, Neal Schon, English drummer, Aynsley ... More Dunbar, American singer and keyboardist, Gregg Rolie, American singer and songwriter, Steve Perry and American musician, Ross Valory, of the American rock band Journey, pose for a group portrait circa August, 1978 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by) Infinity (1978) Journey's fourth album from 1978 is notable for two things: it marked the debut of singer Steve Perry and Baker's first collaboration with the band. Infinity became Journey's commercial breakthrough album with the classic songs 'Lights' and 'Wheel in the Sky,' and Baker would return for Journey's follow-up hit record, 1979's Evolution. 'We did Infinity with the infamous Roy Thomas Baker,' said Journey guitarist Neal Schon in a press statement, "and we did so many different things on that record that I'd never tried, or even thought about doing. I learned a lot from Roy.' (MANDATORY CREDIT) Foreigner photographed for Music Life Magazine, ... More California, United States in March 1978. (L to R) Ian McDonald, Lou Gramm, Al Greenwood, Ed Gagliardi, Mick Jones, Dennis Elliott. (Photo by) Head Games (1979) Foreigner's hit streak continued with the group's third album Head Games, which also became Baker's first and only credit with that band. Among the record's popular songs were the title track, 'Dirty White Boy' and 'Women'; Head Games peaked at number five on the Billboard album chart and has since sold 5 million copies in the U.S. Cheap Trick 1982 Bun E Carlos, Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander and Jon Brant (Photo by Chris ... More Walter/WireImage) One on One (1982) Baker also brought his hit-making magic to Cheap Trick's One on One, a transitional record as it was the group's first album without longtime bassist Tom Petersson (he was replaced by Jon Brant). The record transformed the Rockford, Illinois, power pop group into an arena rock outfit, buoyed by such tracks as 'She's Tight,' 'If You Want My Love' and 'Lookin' Out for Number One.' Singer Ozzy Osbourne (Photo by Bill Marino/Sygma via Getty Images) No Rest for the Wicked (1988) It seemed inevitable that Baker and Ozzy Osbourne would collaborate, given their backgrounds in hard rock and metal. The pairing finally occurred for 1988's No Rest for the Wicked album, which featured 'Miracle Man' and 'Crazy Babies.' The double-platinum success of this driving and sweeping record extended the former Black Sabbath singer's popularity during the 1980s. Portrait of the members British Rock band the Darkness, circa 2005. Pictured are, from left, Ed ... More Graham, Dan Hawkins, Justin Hawkins, and Frankie Poullain. (Photo by) One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back (2005) In some way, Baker's work on British rock group the Darkness' second album represented a full-circle moment for the producer, as the band's glam-influenced sound recalled the best of early Queen. 'We wanted to get the best of both worlds, of old and new,' Baker said in a 2006 interview with Sound on Sound. 'I think we ended up succeeding, because it sounds like it was done last week, and yet there are aspects where you go 'Wow, I recognise that from the '70s or '80s.'"
