Latest news with #Groucho
Chicago Tribune
04-06-2025
- 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.
Epoch Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Conservative MP Patrick Spencer Charged With 2 Counts of Sexual Assault
Conservative MP Patrick Spencer has been charged with two counts of sexual assault allegedly carried out at central London's Groucho club. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Tuesday that Spencer, the MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, had been charged following two alleged incidents at the famous private members club in August 2023. Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS special crime and counter-terrorism division, said the allegations involved two separate women. Spencer, 37, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 16. A Conservative Party spokesman said he had been suspended from the party and had the whip withdrawn 'with immediate effect.' The spokesman said: 'The Conservative Party believes in integrity and high standards. We have taken immediate action.' Related Stories 2/27/2025 6/1/2023 It is understood that the Conservative chief whip asked Spencer not to attend the parliamentary estate while inquiries were ongoing. Under changes approved by the Commons last year, MPs face being barred from attending Parliament if they are arrested for serious sexual or violent offences. A risk assessment panel appointed by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle considers cases and can decide on a range of measures including exclusion from the parliamentary estate and a ban on Commons-funded travel, although its conclusions are kept confidential. In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said, 'On March 13 2025, a man attended a voluntary interview at a London police station.' Ferguson added: 'The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are now active and that he has the right to a fair trial. 'It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary, or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.' Spencer was first elected to Parliament last year with a majority of 4,290. Prior to entering Parliament, he worked in finance for private equity firm IPGL, a company chaired by his father, former Conservative Party treasurer Lord Michael Spencer. He later took a job at the Centre for Social Justice think thank and then became a senior adviser at the Department for Education. He made his maiden speech in the Commons in July last year during a debate on the MPs' code of conduct relating to second jobs, during which he said the 'most important thing to the people across my constituency' was 'restoring a sense of moral probity and public spiritedness to our political system.'
The Sun
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
UK Tory MP charged with sexual assault
LONDON: A lawmaker from Britain's opposition Conservative party has been charged with committing sexual assault at a renowned private members club in London, prosecutors announced on Tuesday. Patrick Spencer, who was elected an MP at last July's general election, is charged with two counts of sexual assault over the alleged incidents in August 2023 at the Groucho club. His lawyers said the MP 'categorically' denied the charges and would 'defend the allegations robustly in court'. The allegations involved two separate women, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Spencer, 37, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday June 16, 2025, the CPS added. A spokesperson for the Conservatives said Spencer, MP for the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency in eastern England, had been suspended from the party with immediate effect. Last month, the governing Labour party announced it had suspended its lawmaker Dan Norris after he was arrested on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl and rape.
Daily Express
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
United Kingdom Tory MP charged with sexual assault
Published on: Wednesday, May 14, 2025 Published on: Wed, May 14, 2025 By: AFP Text Size: An undated handout photograph released by the UK Parliament shows Conservative MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, Patrick Spencer, posing for an official portrait photograph at the Houses of Parliament in London. A lawmaker from Britain's opposition Conservative party has been charged with committing sexual assault at a renowned private members club in London, prosecutors announced on Tuesday. - AFP LONDON: A lawmaker from Britain's opposition Conservative party has been charged with committing sexual assault at a renowned private members club in London, prosecutors announced on Tuesday. Patrick Spencer, who was elected an MP at last July's general election, is charged with two counts of sexual assault over the alleged incidents in August 2023 at the Groucho club. His lawyers said the MP 'categorically' denied the charges and would 'defend the allegations robustly in court'. The allegations involved two separate women, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Spencer, 37, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday June 16, 2025, the CPS added. A spokesperson for the Conservatives said Spencer, MP for the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency in eastern England, had been suspended from the party with immediate effect. Last month, the governing Labour party announced it had suspended its lawmaker Dan Norris after he was arrested on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl and rape. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Sun
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
UK MP Patrick Spencer charged with sexual assault
LONDON: A lawmaker from Britain's opposition Conservative party has been charged with committing sexual assault at a renowned private members club in London, prosecutors announced on Tuesday. Patrick Spencer, who was elected an MP at last July's general election, is charged with two counts of sexual assault over the alleged incidents in August 2023 at the Groucho club. His lawyers said the MP 'categorically' denied the charges and would 'defend the allegations robustly in court'. The allegations involved two separate women, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Spencer, 37, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday June 16, 2025, the CPS added. A spokesperson for the Conservatives said Spencer, MP for the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency in eastern England, had been suspended from the party with immediate effect. Last month, the governing Labour party announced it had suspended its lawmaker Dan Norris after he was arrested on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl and rape.
