18 MINUTES OF FAME Opens in July at Theatre West

18 Minutes of Fame is subtitled A Musical Journey with Barbara Minkus. You've seen her ---a lot: On stage, on screen and especially on television. Other than the fact that she never became actually famous, she's had what most performers would consider an enviable career. Because she started out as, and remains, an accomplished singer, her show business memoir is a musical one.

Her road hasn't always been an easy one. She faced physical challenges. She had to conceal her stage mother's ongoing infidelities. Aspiring early on to sing opera, Barbara found her audiences steering her in the direction of musical comedy. Gaining a foothold in national media, she worked with the show business greats. She appeared 25 times as a raconteur and singer on The Merv Griffin Show; Appeared on TV with Danny Kaye and Jerry Lewis; 27 episodes of Love, American Style as a variety of characters; stints on Tosh O; Getting On; The Tonight Show.

Her stage career has included the touring company of Funny Girl (as Fanny Brice); a starring role on Broadway in The Education of Hyman Kaplan; Off-Broadway roles in Picon Pie (as Molly Picon); Don't Leave It All to Your Children; Rondelay. She starred locally as Jennie Grossinger in Saturday Night at Grossinger's. She also had roles in eleven feature films.

Along the way, she found true love. A trip to Israel with her husband brought her closer to her Jewish roots.

Susan Morgenstern is director and co-writer of 18 Minutes of Fame. Susan previously directed Barbara in Saturday Night at Grossinger's. Susan has also directed Happy Days: A New Musical at Cabrillo Music Theatre; three shows at the Falcon Theatre; and numerous other shows in Los Angeles. She is currently the producing director of Jewish Women's Theatre in Santa Monica, and also works as a show director for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts.

If you like show business stories with great musical numbers and insider anecdotes about the giants of the biz, then I8 Minutes of Fame is for you. In any case, you're in for a great time.

WHAT: 18 Minutes of Fame: A Musical Journey with Barbara Minkus. A show business memoir with songs. An Official Selection of Solopalooza 2.022.

WHO: Written by Susan Morgenstern and Barbara Minkus. Directed by Susan Morgenstern. Produced by Matt Aaron Krinsky and Diane Baroni. Starring Barbara Minkus.

WHERE: Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, in Los Angeles, CA 90068.

WHEN: July 22-24, 2022. Fri. & Sat. at 8:00. Sun. At 3:00.

ADMISSION: $35 in advance, $40 at the door.

RESERVATIONS: (323) 851-7977.

ONLINE TICKETING: https://theatrewest.org

ESTIMATED RUNNING TIME: 75 minutes.

Suitable for general audiences.

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