It was all in the family and all for the family at The Friars Club last night. La Famiglia, Mishpucha, La Familia, CeMbR, Rat Pack, Broadway and Cabaret, were assembled by producers Laura Slutsky and Jamie at the Friars for a spectacular Jamie deRoy & friends show last night. You had to be in the family or know someone in the family to get into the sold out event. Probably no family gathering had so much fun, good food, and great performances as this one did.
One of the very first evenings of entertainment at the Friars was organized by show biz icon George M. Cohan in 1911 (then called Friars Frolics). He called on fellow Friars, Irving Berlin (who wrote Alexander's Rag Time Band for the event), Will Rogers and Victor Herbert to help out. What better way than to have great-grand-daughter Jennie Cohan Ross introduce Broadway song and dance man Robert Creighton to wow the crowd in the Frank Sinatra Dinning Room. Joining Robert was the relative of another legendary Friar. Broadway and Cabaret performer Haley Swindal who is Friar George Steinbrenner's grand-daughter. Haley gave a performance that would have brought Yankee Stadium to it's feet.
Jamie & Laura in their show titled "Family Ties" put together an array of performers who were either related to each other or to a Friar. It was one exciting performance after another. Grandmother & Grandson Angela Bacarai & Nicolas King, Mother & daughter Stacy Sullivan & Savannah Brown, Married Couples - Ray Marchica & Nina Hennessey, Luba Mason & Ruben Blades, and Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano.
Jamie didn't come up with an original tune like Berlin's Alexander's Rag Time Band, but director Barry Kleinbort who directed this great event did write a very funny parody for "Favorite Things" that Jamie sang to the family. Laura Sultsky's "spanish" introduction of Luba Mason & Rubin Blades will probably go down as one of the funniest in Friar history. Music director Ron Abel led a great trio consisting of Jared Egan on bass, and Ray Marchica on drums.
If you want to become a member of one of the best families in NYC call the Friars. You don't have to be a relative by blood, just by your desire to have fun and enjoy the company of wonderful people.
Photo Credit: Stephen Sorokoff
Reben Blades & Luba Mason
Family Ties
Laura Slutsky, producer
Jamie deRoy, producer
Haley Swindal & Robert Creighton
Jennie Cohan Ross (great-granddaughter George M. Cohan
Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano
Stacy Sullivan & Savannah Brown
Luba Mason, Stephen Sorokoff, Ruben Blades
Eric Comestock, Barry Kleinbort, director, Jared Egan, bass
Stephen Sorokoff & Marilyn Maye
Stacy Sullivan & Savannah Brown
Haley Swindal & Robert Creighton
Haley Swindal & Robert Creighton
Nina Henneessey
Barbara Fasano, Nina Hennessey, Ray Marchica
Stacy Sullivan & Eric COmestock
Robert Creighton & Haley Swindal
Ruben Blades, Barbara Fasano, Luba Mason, Eric Comstock
Lady Jane Rothchild & Bill Boggs
Barbara Fasano, Luba Mason, Haley Swindal, Nina Hennessey
Robert Creighton & Fyvesh Finkel
Sheryl Spigel & Jack Gindi
Angela Barcari,Janie deRoy, Nicolas King
EDa Sorokoff, Jane Rothchild, Leslie Laredo, Shelly Goldberg, Maria Von Nicolai
Eric Comstock, Barbara Fasano, Cominic Chianese
Tracy, Timothy Laczynski, Jamie deRoy, Haley Swindal
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