Comedian Freddie Roman, the former dean of The Friars Club and a staple of the Catskills comedy scene, has died. He was 85.
Born Fred Kirschenbaum on May 28, 1937 in Newark, New Jersey, and raised in Jamaica, Queens, Roman got a taste for stand-up comedy early thanks to his family. His uncle and grandfather owned the Crystal Spring Hotel in the Catskills, where Roman started emceeing at age 15.
In “Catskills on Broadway,” Roman commented about everything from his childhood in Queens to his “retirement life” in Florida.The New York Times, in its review of the show in 1991, wrote, “Catskill resorts may be fighting the recession, but Catskill comedy has not lost its flair.” The show, he’d later say, changed his life. It went to Broadway and then toured around the country, and Roman would continue performing for years to come. He was also made Dean of the New York City Friars Club, where he mentored many aspiring comedians and infused the private club with young talent.One of those young comedians was Jeffrey Ross, who said of Roman in 2003 that, “When I was becoming a member, there weren’t many of us who were younger. ...
The stint lasted a bit longer than he expected. Roman joked of his tenure that, “Eleven years ago I became president for two years. I’m like the Fidel Castro of comedians. I’m president for life.” In 2014, he was succeeded by Larry King. But, he told Atlantic City Weekly in 2011, the greatest job he ever had was opening for Frank Sinatra, when his regular opening comedian Tom Dreesen wasn’t available. Roman learned about the opportunity on a layover in Chicago, left the plane and boarded another for Philadelphia to make the show in Atlantic City with just a few hours to spare.“Frank hugged me, and I saw my wife and daughter and they were crying,” Roman said. “It was unbelievable. ... Nothing ever topped working with Sinatra.
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Freddie Roman Dies: Borscht Belt Comedian Who Appeared In Film And TV Was 85Freddie Roman, a Borscht Belt staple whose comedy was long a part of the Friars Club roasts and was a fixture in big nightclubs, has died at 85. He had a heart attack this morning in Boynton Beach,…
Leer más »
Comedian Freddie Roman Dead at 85Longtime comedian and former Friars Club chief Freddie Roman has passed away at the age of 85.
Leer más »
Why Freddie Prinze Jr. Quit Scooby-Doo Movie FranchiseFreddie Prinze Jr. explains why he quit the ScoobyDoo franchise and learning he had to take a pay cut on the sequel so his costars got a raise. 'We made you guys three-quarters of a billion dollars, you can't afford to pay them what I'm making on this?'
Leer más »
Freddie Prinze Jr. Has A Heartwarming Reason For His Acting ReturnFreddie Prinze Jr. reveals the heartwarming reason he returned to acting, citing his daughter's own interest to act. 'Sarah and I deal with everything so differently, this way she could kind of cherry-pick the parts that she felt could work for her.'
Leer más »
Puzzling debate over Roman coin authenticity could determine legacy of 'fake' emperorScientists say they have proven the authenticity of several Roman coins — providing evidence that an emperor disregarded as fake might in fact have been real. But not everyone agrees.
Leer más »