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| Joan Jaffee, Age 4 |
"All that glitters is not gold - but make sure before you
throw it out."
Happy Tuesday,
I'm very excited to be writing about my dear friend Joan Jaffe today. Joan is nominated for a 2012 MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs). The award ceremony takes place on March 29th at BB King's.
Joan is nominated in the category of Musical Comedy Performer/Impersonation/Characterization. I'm thrilled that Joan is nominated. She already is a winner in my book. She is sharing this category with drag artist Hedda Lettuce and last year's Bistro Award winner, Colleen McHugh. I never thought I would hear Joan Jaffee and Hedda Lettuce in the same sentence, then again, NOTHING about Joan is conventional.
I have known Joan and her late great husband Hal for some time and my life is the better for it. I'm thrilled to celebrate her today and introduce her to new audiences.
Let's go back to the beginning...
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| Joan and Hal in the movie, The Savages |
When Joan was in the 1st Grade - age 6 - the elementary school class in the little town
of Coatesville, was taken to Scott High to see a play performed by adults who
were real actors.
How exciting it was for young Joan to be inside the high school! How
exciting to see a live performance! (They didn't have TV then - only movies
in the only movie theatre.) She had been in dancing school recitals with
other children - but these were adults on the stage!
They were so big! -
and they had sets and costumes. Their dancing school recitals only had
costumes. She KNEW this was the world for her.
I asked Joan who her favorite entertainer is and why.
Billy
Crystal - he's smart, funny, clever, intelligent, inventive - embraces his
audience - he's warm, loves life and what he does and is never
condescending - he seems to always be growing in his craft.
What
have you learned about making your relationships in the industry more solid and
resourceful?
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| With Tamara Jenkins: Writer/Director The Savages |
Be
honest, assertive and sharing.
Your
thoughts on Arts in Education
Parents
and schools have to expose kids to more than TV and iTunes. We
need more arts training in the public schools - some schools don't even have a piano.
Arts programs are always the 1st to be cut back or cut entirely.
More after school arts program should be initiated.
Have
you ever felt like you were born in the wrong era? What other period of time do
you relate to and why?
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| with Billy Bush (Access Hollywood) |
I
think I must have been in Vaudeville in my life before. Maybe it's because I'd been
on the road so much and I stayed in so many
hotel rooms decorated by Ray Charles. My hotel room in Chicago had a
Murphy Wall Bed. Every night I was afraid to go to sleep - I was afraid
the bed would fold back up again. I played so many restored theatres.
Some still had the old call boards backstage. One theatre had a
dumb waiter that went from my dressing room to the stage - was it for
transporting props and costumes or actors?
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| with Colin Farrell |
I'd just played Mae in Bye Bye, Birdie in Michigan in a restored vaudveville house - I came back to New York and was cast as George M. Cohan's mother. I so identified with the character and the
era - I swear Nellie Cohan's ghost stood over me helping me decide what earrings I
should wear in the show.
Your
thoughts on Carol Channing (All my blogs focus on Carol Channing’s Foundation
For The Arts)
I’m
campaigning for Carol Channing to receive the 2012 Kennedy Center Honor in
2012. If you agree that she should receive this honor, can you say why you
think this should happen (See below on how YOU can help!)
Carol
Channing is an American icon and should be honored during her lifetime
for her contributions to the Arts.
Most
recent appearance
Besides
cabaret appearances, I did a staged reading of a wonderful new play VEILS by
Nadine Bernard. Just finished filming Alex Tressor's
documentary A Few STEPS Beyond The Horizon.
Next
appearance
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| Joan as Richard Simmons on Late Nite with Conan O'Brien |
Next
week we begin filming another documentary about Parkinson's Disease. As
you know, I've been directing cabaret shows and am set to begin another new
project shortly. In the meantime, I'm working on
expanding my show Joan Jaffe's
MAN-ha-ha-ha-TAN into a full length
show to be presented in theatres. All I need now is a theatre and a
producer. I had a terrific contact who just sold their theatre to a
Korean church.
Joan feels that HER biggest successes in show business is the
positive reception from audiences and
critics to Joan's cabaret shows and her CD - and her 2nd nomination for MAC - She was
nominated for a 2010 MAC Award in the same category for her 1st show JOAN
JAFFE SINGS FUNNY... (Now her family doesn't think she's a bum!) She was able to incorporate all aspects of her theatrical career and training and call upon all her years of experience in
Show Business and have it all come together successfully.
What
was your lowest low and how did you surpass that?
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| with Colin Quinn and Leo Allen |
I
did stand-up at a Catskills resort - I'm not a Borsht Belt comic and I really
tanked. - How did I surpass that? - I never went to the Catskills again.
What
one change would you like to see in today’s industry?
More
policing and enforcing of copyright laws and decent compensation for
performers.
Are
you happy at the point you are right now in your career?
For
the time being I'm happy being a moon* (*not a star - yet) - but at least I'm
not a satellite.
Do
you feel you have achieved what you set out to do?
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| In the film remake, The Producers |
(To
a certain degree - I've survived in Show Biz all these years - so in that
sense, I've achieved what I set out to do --) When I was a very little
girl - I decided I wanted to be a dancer, a movie star, a writer, a nurse and a
fireman. I started in the Business as a dancer - and I still dance - old
dancers never die - we just lose our tutu's - While I'm not a movie star - I have worked in lots of
films. I've written comedy material and material for cabaret acts, including
my own. I was never a fireman - but I was nurse - on Guiding Light.
What
do you do to remain positive when life's hiccups get you
down?
When
I'm down and out - I lift up my head and shout - SHOP!
How
on earth do you reach theatregoers now
that newspapers are obsolete and there are so many channels on TV you can’t pick the right
ones to advertise on and with the web being so hit and miss.
YouTube,
Face Book - next time I'll try Groupon.
A
genie pops out of the lamp, he grants you three wishes. What are those wishes?
1.
Keep working in the Biz
2.
Have good health
3.
Have more government subsidy of the Arts - but maintain the artistic freedom
that we Americans have.
How
did you get into this business?
When
I was 3 1/2 my mother took me to dancing school - I liked it - so it's
her fault! - After many trips to New York to audition for summer stock. I
finally got a job - I was so excited. I remember I phoned my father
collect to tell him I'd gotten my first Equity job - He said, "Hurry up
and sign the contract before they change their mind."
What is your favorite song? And yes, you can only pick one!!!
God Bless America - written by my late cat Irving Berlin, when he was
a human.
What
is the last stage show you saw. Local or professional.
Assistance
at Playwrights Horizons
What do you do to prepare for your performances?
The
same way you get to Carnegie Hall - PRACTICE!
When do you know it’s time for a Joan Jaffee show?
If
you mean a new show - When the absolutely right idea presents itself - you
know.
Do
you make a living at this or do you have a survival job?
I've
been a professional in Show Business all of my adult life. - Like everyone
else, I've experienced some hard times - in 1980 I didn't audition for summer
stock and decided to stay in town and work in movies. SAG went on
strike - All I knew how to do was sing, dance, act, tell jokes and type 25 words
a week.
A friend suggested I take the training, go down for the test and
buy a Guide License. I love the city, so that summer I worked as a guide.
The dollar was worth nothing. People from all over the world came
to New York City because it was so cheap (for them).
I still maintain my
license but rarely do tours now. - But - that's where I got the idea for my
show Joan Jaffe's MAN-ha-ha-ha-TAN.
What
is your favorite compliment?
"You're
very funny!"
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY!
Tomorrow's blog will be...Hello, Marcia Milgrim Dodge!
Thank you, to all the mentioned in this blog!
Please contribute to the DR. CAROL CHANNING and HARRY KULLIJIAN FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS
This
Blog is dedicated to ALL ARTISTS: Past, present and future and the gifts they give to the world!
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY!
Please do what YOU can to be more aware that words and actions DO HURT...but they can also heal and help!
Tomorrow's blog will be...Hello, Marcia Milgrim Dodge!
Thank you, to all the mentioned in this blog!
Here's to an INCREDIBLE tomorrow for ALL...with NO challenges!
Please contribute to the DR. CAROL CHANNING and HARRY KULLIJIAN FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS
TILL TOMORROW...HERE'S TO AN ARTS FILLED DAY
Richard Skipper, Richard@RichardSkipper.com
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