The Drama Book Shop Celebrates Jay Marshall Book 'Beating A Dead Horse,' 4/22

"An Evening of Whimsy, Wizardry and Wine" will take place at New York's premiere theatrical bookstore April 22 at 6:30pm, celebrating the release of the critically acclaimed new biography, 'Beating a Dead Horse: The Life and Times of Jay Marshall.' Emmy Award-winning talk show host Dick Cavett will interview Emmy Award-winning writer and author Alexander "Sandy" Marshall about his father, dean of American magicians, Renaissance man, Jay Marshall "The most famous celebrity no one ever heard of."

'Beating a Dead Horse: The Life and Times of Jay Marshal'l is an engaging, no holds-barred look at the life (and many loves) of television pioneer Jay Marshall, an icon of the American magic community, who served as the dean of the Society of American Magicians from 1992-2005. This book captures the essence of Jay's comedic genius - both on and off stage - and a life of continual unabashed reinvention: performed 14 times on The Ed Sullivan Show; opened for Frank Sinatra in Sinatra's 1951 Las Vegas debut; appeared in three Broadway shows; played Radio City Music Hall, the London Palladium, and was the last next-to-closing-act (the star spot) at the Palace Theatre. Jay Marshall was a living library of the odd nooks of popular show business. His savvy showmanship and conjuring knowledge garnered the respect and admiration of his peers, and he mentored such stars as Penn & Teller, David Copperfield, Doug Henning, and Jim Henson. At his funeral in 2005, Jay Marshall was described as "the most famous celebrity no one ever heard of."

Alexander SAndy Marshall a two-time Emmy winner (7 nominations), has more than forty years' experience as a writer, director, producer, and actor. He has also won the Clio Award, Golden Eagle, Gold medals at the New York Film & TV Festival, and a dozen international awards. The award of which he is most proud is the New York Mayor's Award for Heroism he received for stopping the violent crime of a rape in progress. His Emmy Award-winning film, The Revenge of the Sons of the Desert was released on The Laurel & Hardy Collection Volume 1 by Twentieth Century Fox in 2006. His play And in the End: The Death and Life of John Lennon received critical acclaim for productions in Great Britain and Australia. No stranger to magic, Sandy is related to two Deans of the Society of American Magicians: his grandfather, Al Baker, and his father, Jay Marshall. Sandy divides his time between New York City and Chicago writing, producing, and creating magic. His column, "Sandy's Rants" appears in The Newest Tops. (http://topsmag.com/Newest_Tops/) He is guest professor at Syracuse University, an avid Cubs fan, and insists anybody can have a bad century.

Dick Cavett was signed by ABC in 1968 as the host of a morning talk show, which eventually lead ABC to give Cavett his own late night program opposite The Tonight Show. The Dick Cavett Show ran on ABC until 1975. From 1977 until 1982, The Dick Cavett Show appeared five times a week on Public Television. In 1986, he hosted the first two seasons of Faces of Japan, a thirteen part series for PBS. The Dick Cavett Show aired for six seasons on CNBC. Dick Cavett was born in Gibbon, Nebraska in 1936. Growing up in Lincoln, Nebraska, Cavett won local fame as a teenage magician. In addition to his television career, Cavett has--in collaboration with Christopher Porterfield--written two books: Cavett (1974) and Eye on Cavett (1983). He made his Broadway debut in 1977 playing the leading role in Otherwise Engaged, a British comedy by Simon Gray. During the summer of 1988, Dick Cavett returned to Broadway in the role of the narrator in Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods. From October 2000 through January of 2002 Cavett appeared as the narrator in the Broadway production of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. He has made guest appearances on such television programs as Cheers, The Edge of Night, and The Simpsons, as well as in the features Beetlejuice and Forest Gump. Talk Show, Cavett's blog currently appears on The New York Times website.

Hyperion Knight, pianist, is a soloist and recording artist whose performances are known not only for their artistic depth, technical brilliance and immense personal flair but also for the breadth of his repertoire. Hyperion Knight made his New York City orchestral concerto debut with the rarely played Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto #1. He has since performed widely for both American and international audiences to great critical acclaim. Amongst others, he has appeared in concert with the Utah Symphony, Maui Orchestra, Kansas City Philharmonic, the Cleveland Philharmonic, and most recently with the Long Beach, Tennessee, New Mexico and New Jersey orchestras. He was a featured entertainer in Manhattan's famed Rainbow Room and Essex House. Where schedule permits, Hyperion enjoys concert presentations on premier luxury cruise lines such as Crystal, Silversea, Celebrity and Holland America. Hyperion Knight has made numerous recordings including, The Magnificent Steinway, Rhapsody (A centenary tribute to Gershwin), Mussorgsky's Pictures at An Exhibition, Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata, Stravinsky's Petrouchka and Music of Chopin.

The wine reception commences at 6:30 p.m. with music by renowned concert pianist, Hyperion Knight. The interview will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. in the Arthur Seelen Theatre downstairs, with book signing to follow the interview. This event is free.

Limited seating: first-come, first-served. The Drama Book Shop is located at 250 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018. Phone: 212 944-0595. For more information please visit www.dramabookshop.com.