Vicki Abelson's Broadcast: The Road Taken

“Isn’t life fun?” Asks George Shapiro, mega manager of talent in the business of show. It sure is when he’s around. This BROADcast comes with a funny back guarantee. Stories, stories, stories, songs, cheers, accents, impressions––but it’s the stories––his partner, Howard West, friends since they were children; his uncle Carl (Reiner) coming home from the war, George’s hero for his service, before fame and the funny; his own military service as a trained killer (say what?!?) to saving a WAC; Carl with Mel Brooks, being Carl and Mel: his biggest regret; his worst negotiation; the mailroom at William Morris, agenting to breaking away, following Bernie Brillstein in personal management; Andy Kaufman, the unabridged story; Taxi, Tony Clifton, the contract (s), Elvis, Robin Williams, his extreme act of friendship and fun; Milos Forman, this show a love letter to Jim Carrey for bringing Andy back to life; Jerry Seinfeld, “When you see a comedian you like, it’s the closest thing to falling in love.” The career they

Giving thanks for an awe-inspiring chat with Emmy Winning composer, Snuffy Walden. With 13 nominations, 50 + BMI Awards, a lifetime achievement award, being the subject of Mark Maxey’s documentary, Up to Snuff, starring Martin Sheen, Aaron Sorkin, and Eric Burdon, currently kicking ass on the awards circuit, and garnering 21 of them to date––the secret to this man’s success seems to be in the “Yes.” He says it, does the work, and gains richly deserved acclaim. Over and over again. Playing with BJ Thomas at 14; fronting Stray Dog, rocking like hell, and opening for Emerson, Lake & Palmer around the world; drinking and debauchery, recording Songs in The Key of Life with Stevie Wonder, earning a platinum record, and being in the passenger seat when Stevie drove––oh yes, he did; playing with Dave Mason at the peak, Chaka Kahn when she was breaking I Feel For You, touring with Eric Burdon and having an epiphany which would change his life. Sobriety. “I really feel like God took a damaged soul out of me and put i

Jimmy Vivino Live On Game Changers With Vicki Abelson by Vicki Abelson

It’s Always Sunny with Pee Wee’s Miss Yvonne, Lynne Stewart. When have I laughed this hard for this long… is there anyone cuter… more good-natured… with more fun stories? From Ricky (Richard) Dreyfuss who proposed in the 4th grade, to junior college BFF Cindy Williams, all three going on to do American Graffiti with another pal, Harrison Ford, hello… auditioning for an uninterested George Lucas, meeting Candy Clark and MacKenzie Phillips, cheerleading for Jack Nicholson, very early days at The Groundlings with Tracy & Laraine Newman, Sandy Helberg, Paul Reubens aka Pee Wee Herman, who would change her life; Phil Hartman, and their years-long working and playing relationship; Robin Williams, Laverne & Shirley, Garry Marshall, Penny Marshall, Jumping Jack Flash, Harry Anderson, his daughter, Comedy Bang-Bang, Bridesmaids, Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy. Maya Rudolph, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia; how to cry. how to keep working, and, with Lynne around, how to stay laughing. What a time ’tis was! Lynne S

No matter how many times I sit down with Filmmaker Henry Jaglom, he’s always got a slew of new and stupendous stories to tell. This time he shared more than a few which he said he’s never told before, and they’re doozies. Raised by sophisticated, successful parents, Henry’s mother encouraged his love of theatre, nurturing his creative, empathetic nature, in contrast to his father’s keen business acumen. Showbiz called. First as a comedian with his pal, Ritchie Pryor, then as an actor (Gidget, The Flying Nun). He gave up comedy when Richard was funnier and acting when his friend________ scored the part he was up for. I can’t ruin it… it’s too good. He was asked by Bert Schneider to do an edit on Easy Rider. How that came to be, and who his editing partner was, is, well, great stuff. There are girlfriends Georgia Brown, Karen Black, Brenda Vaccaro, Tuesday Weld, Natalie Wood… a first told story about his meeting Dudley Moore and then introducing him to Tuesday. Meeting Orson Wells. How their friendship b

I came into tonight a huge Amy Aquino fan. I left loving her a gazillion times more. How is that even possible. We started with Bosch. If you’ve yet to watch this stupendous Amazon series, pick up your remote right now. Well, after you check out Amy here… lots of behind the scenes there… here, and everywhere. From Working Girl, Moonstruck, Freaks & Geeks, Brooklyn Bridge with Marion Ross, who’s celebrating her 90th and will be doing so with us at Tuesday’s Women Who Write, and, hopefully. If Amy can slip away from filming, she’ll be with us, too… From PA to Harvard, pre-med, I know, to Yale grad school with Courtney B. Vance and Patricia Clarkson to MN, to non-stop working actor… stage and screens large and small. The girl who was too busy killing school and life to watch TV, Amy’s not just guested on dozens and dozens of shows, she’s had recurring roles on just about all of them, four at once, at times. From ER, Picket Fences, Everybody Loves Raymond, Felicity… on and on and on. From SAG vice-president to as

Candy Clark Of American Graffiti Live On Game Changers With Vicki Abelson by Vicki Abelson

Bob Cowsill Live On Game Changers With VIcki Abelson by Vicki Abelson

We could’ve talked all night and I’d still have wanted more. Thoughtful, generous, revealing, insightful, and oh so fun, legendary, Grammy Winning bassist, Will Lee, took us on a thrill ride through his stellar, illustrious and industrious, career… growing up in Texas, seeing The Beatles on Ed Sullivan and that very night blowing the dust off his untouched drums and deciding he was going to be a musician. For Life. He made good on that choice. From playing his first gig in a parking lot and getting paid $6 to do it; playing in six bands a night, six days a week, to landing his first major gig with his dream come true, Dreams––alongside Billy Cobham… to playing Bette Midler’s first tour with theretofore unknown Barry Manilow; playing with Ace Frehley, Chaka Khan, the late, great, Hiram Bullock; alongside Paul Schaffer, from the from the very first Late Night with David Letterman to the very last Last Show… some of his favorite Letterman memories: singing a featured MacArthur Park, backed by a full orchestra a

We were Live with The Goddess of Love. The Petite Flower, The Aphrodite of the Accordion, The Fashion-Plate Saint, The Princess of Panty Shields, The Empress of Elvis Impersonators, The Judy of Judyism, Judy Tenuta... and she was HYSTERICAL! Judy talked about Ladies of the Night which she did with Paula Poundstone, Rita Rudner and Ellen Degeneres, who back then said, "I want to do TV." Now that's manifesting! She talked Emo Philips, Jay Leno, Steven Wright, Sam Kinison, and Arsenio, who were there in the early days. And Tom Dreesen who walked her through it. George Carlin who took her out on the road to open for him, Diet Dr. Pepper, oh the money! Winning the first American Comedy Award, thank you George Schlatter; Joan Rivers whom she adored, Dr. Ruth, Cher, Donnie and Marie, Olivia Newton John, Susan Lucci, Katherine Hepburn, James Stewart, Walter Cronkite, and Mohammed Ali... he's who made her starstruck. Coming up a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Fame, November 7th, on her scorpio birthday; and indepe

Bernard Fowler On Game Changers With Vicki Abelson by Vicki Abelson

Fun doesn’t get funner. Cathy Ladman may be on I’m Dying Up Here, but she’s anything but. Whether she’s talking about her trip to Israel and her first boyfriend, the smitten Jerry Seinfeld, whom she convinced should try his hadn’t at stand-up, or, when on his set, she spontaneously broke into a Nichole and May routine with Mike Nichols; doing The Tonight Show multiple times and getting panel with Johnny…Arsenio, Dick Cavett, writing on Roseanne, being a regular on Caroline in The City, Larry Miller, Judy Orbach, George Wallace, Jimmy Brogan, Carol Leifer, Richard Belzer, The Comedy Store, Modern Family, White Oleander, Michelle Pfeiffer, Renee Zellweger… currently appearing in Jews, Christians and Screwing Stalin at The Matrix Theatre in LA with 5 performances remaining, (https://bit.ly/2p40gRJ) Monday a benefit for beloved comedian, Carrie Snow… and, Does This Show Make Me Look Fat, Cathy’s one-woman show about her struggles with anorexia. A shoutout to our good friend Ed Crasnick, doing his best to assist h

We went Live on location with Marion Ross of Happy Days at The Happy Days Farm (it's embroidered on the towels!) and boy was it a happy day. What a exuberant, joyful, animated, articulate, observant, resilient, inspiring, determined, passionate, lovely, funny, and oh, so fun powerhouse of a woman! Marion talked The Fonz, Ron Howard, Anson Williams, Donny Most, and, Tom Bosley (not so happy). How Garry Marshall used softball to unite, unify and promote the cast; Audrey Hepburn, Cecil B. DeMille, Jack Lord (also not so happy), Dick Sergeant, Alaska, Germany, Minnesota, finding true love at 60 (yes!), and her mother, who encouraged supported, and nudged Marion to go be an actress. Wonderful stories told by a delightful storyteller bathed in wisdom and conviction. Her memoir, My Days, Happy and Otherwise executed with David Laurell is available here https://amzn.to/2MJZHe1 and she’ll be sharing tales from that front, Clark Cable, Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, oh my, at Women Who Write on Oct 30th. Can’t wait for mo

Michael Lally On Vicki Abelson's The Road Taken Part 1 by Vicki Abelson

I knew Michael Lally was an award-winning poet, a screenwriter, playwright, TV and movie actor, an author of now 30 books ~ his latest, Another Way to Pay, a collection of his poems from 1960-2017 (with a cover photo shot by Gus Van Sant), and, a documentary, Michael Lally: I Want To Call It Poems, currently being shot, including during tonight's show. I knew Michael was a hipster when it was cool to bel, knew he knew the coolest of the cool and was counted amongst them, knew that pretty much all of the artists I know regard him as the greatest living American poet... that he's sober, and created a space for writers which I've been a direct beneficiary of. What I didn't know is that upon our first meeting (earlier tonight) it would feel, seem as if, we'd known each other forever. Michael's ease with himself and others, his self-effacing self-awareness, his life, his stories... would transfix throughout the broadcast, and through a Part 2 due to a freakish tech glitch. He talked about love... two out of three

Liberty and I could've both used a cocktail at the top of the show, but we laughed instead. I thought Mercury went direct. Yo. A few tech glitches couldn't stop the force that's Liberty Devitto. Drummer for Billy Joel for 30 years, Lib's been on 150 million albums sold, while between touring and recording with Billy he was running off with Stevie Nicks, The Beach Boys, Karen Carpenter, Phoebe Snow, Meat Loaf, and countless others. Lib shared how Only The Good Die Young did not become a reggae song... thanks for that Lib, and how Moving Out was born. There's a great Steve Winwood yearbook Story. Lots about Ringo who sparked him, and then Dino Danelli, of The Rascals. Liberty took us through his High School band, where meeting girls was the incentive... passing Bill Joe, as he was called then, nightly, aware of each other's bands, but not friends, until Billy requested a New York drummer (rock speak for "hits hard.") Liberty was the man. How he got the gig.. and how he kept it, and then shockingly lost

Jack McGee cameth! Funny, funny, funny... great stories, great storyteller, what fun. Just what the doc didn't order #NoDrugs #BothSober One of my favorite actors, from one of my favorite (maybe my favorite) shows of all time, Rescue Me, was in the house. We talked Dennis Leary, Peter Tolan, Lenny Clarke, and Steven Pasquale, yes, Jack I listened to him sing on YouTube, WOW. Loved him on Rescue Me... and now, this. Touched on The Fighter, talked NYPD Blue, a Broadway audition at age 8 against a 6 yr old redhead named Ron Howard... walking down the exact same alley 61 yrs later to make his Broadway debut opposite Denzel Washington in The Iceman Cometh. We talked about the Bronx, being in the NYFD, practical wisdom about getting agent. We talked Slappy, Jack's bride and true love, and he crooned her a tune. Still smiling... happy time! Shouted out Jimmy Smagula ~Jack wants to take singing lessons! Liberty Devitto, next week's guest, and new friend Pete George, who embodies generosity and kindness. Jack McG

Oh how I loved spending time with James Lee Stanley, a one of a kind, gazillion threat: amazing songwriter, stupendous voice, charming, handsome, smart, funny... fabulous! And, oh the life he's lived. A pro at 16 with a recording contract and friends like Cass Elliot and Peter Tork, before the Mamas and Papas and The Monkees... Henry Dilz, early advocates Les Paul, Bill Graham, a 10 album recording contract with Wooden Nickel (RCA), Jerry Weintraub... starting his own label, Beachwood Recordings, the first artist to record a Stephen Bishop tune, having hits of his own, running around with author Tom Robbins who put him in a book or two, the inside on how Peter became a Monkee, and Graham Nash joined Crosby & Stills, sharing Billboard raves with Queen, Loggins & Messina, and Alvin Lee; opening for Bonnie Raitt, Robin Williams (a mensch), Steven Wright (for 3 yrs), missing opportunities, Seinfeld, Jermaine Jackson, making opportunities, all over the place. An Emmy, Cable Ace Award-Winner, who's always earned h

When Anson Williams comes to call, I’m newly inspired, informed, and fantastically entertained. My years-long mentor, time spent here 'splains why. Anson's all about moving forward, focusing on what we do have, not what we don't; finding the diamond in the rough on the table in front of us and mining it for all it's worth. Throughout the BROADcast, Anson demonstrates through his life experiences, the essence of why I created this show... how to successfully merge creativity and commerce... which, still eludes me. Dammit. But, I'm blessed to have Anson in my corner, helping to steer my ship. A listen here as he guides me through my current travails I trust will inform others, pray tell, you, too. Iffin' you don't need such things, if you're already banking coin, stay for the stories. Not only a Golden Globe Nominee for his work on Happy Days, Anson, a Humanitis award-winning writer, award-winning director, who's amassed major product marketing successes, and, is a mensch to the max. We talked talent... Jules

Jimmy Brogan, consummate comedian, took us through the glory days of stand-up with Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Larry Miller, Carol Liefer, Dennis Wolfberg… what it took to make it his life. Connecting to Hillary Rollins, which connected him to her father, Jack Rollins, who fortuitously became his manager (other clients included Woody Allen, Robert Klein, Letterman,. Billy Crystal - not bad company) and changed his life. He did The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, who was already a fan of his, starred in the ABC sitcom Out of The Blue, where he also guested on Happy Days and Robin Williams kicked off his sitcom. He became closeasthis with Jay Leno, becoming his go-to guy, which landed him a gig on The Tonight Show, working with Jay and booking the comedians, becoming the power broker of TV funny. There was the standoff with Oprah, the battle of wills for a raise, the every Sunday night gigs at The Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach opening for Jay, which he’s done for 26 yrs through to present day. We