Heilman & Haver - Episode 25 (Guest Frank Ferrante)

Welcome to Heilman & Haver - Episode 25.  We hope you enjoy the show!

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Frank Ferrante

Mr. Ferrante is an actor, director and producer, and recipient of New York's Theatre World Award for 'Outstanding Debut,' a New York Outer Critics Circle nomination, London's Laurence Olivier Award nomination for 'Comedy Performance of the Year,' Washington D.C.'s Helen Hayes nomination and two Connecticut Critics Circle Awards. His international and PBS performances in the title role in Groucho: A Life in Revue received not only acclaim from critics and audiences but from the Marx Family.

Frank is one of the busiest touring performers in theater today with over 3,000 performances as 'Groucho' internationally in 500 cities.  Ferrante was discovered by Groucho’s son playwright Arthur Marx when he was 22 and was subsequently cast to portray Groucho for the heralded 1986-87 production of Arthur's off-Broadway production Groucho: A Life in Revue. 
 
In 1996, Frank starred Off-Broadway in the 'Groucho' role in the Marx musical The Cocoanuts written by George S. Kaufman who Ferrante portrayed in his one-man show By George - which he also wrote.  And three-and-a-half decades onstage, Frank has performed before millions of audience members including some talented friends: Sean Penn, Hal Holbrook of Mark Twain Tonight, Robin Williams, Carol Channing, and Kaye Ballard; each one utterly impressed by his talent.
 
Off stage he has appeared on Children's Hospital and provided voice-work on SpongeBob Square Pants and The Garfield Show.  And along with his acting work, Frank is also the owner of Groucho Marx Productions, Inc. which represents the name and likeness of the iconic performer.  The film of his stage show An Evening With Groucho premiered in March, 2021 in Austin, Texas and on October 19th, of this year, Frank will receive a ‘star’ in Palm Springs, California on the Walk of Stars on Palm Canyon Drive.  Frank joins us from his home in Los Angeles.

Connect with Frank (and Groucho)

Official Show Page:  An Evening With Groucho

Follow the show on Facebook @aneveningwithgroucho

All About Groucho:  GrouchoMarx.com

COMING UP NEXT WEEK:  Robert Bader

Join us next week, Friday April 30th, when we’ll be joined by another Marx Brothers expert, Robert Bader, author of Four of the Three Musketeers: The Marx Brothers on Stage and editor of Groucho Marx and Other Short Stories and Tall Tales.  Robert is also the curator of several important entertainment archives, including those of the estates of the Marx Brothers, Bing Crosby, and Danny Kaye. He also manages the archive of The Dick Cavett Show and serves on the Board of Directors for The Al Hirschfeld Foundation, Marx Brothers Incorporated, and the Film Preservation Society.