volume 30, issue 2 30, volume 2019 november “ Why LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR? by David Cecsarini Twenty-one years ago, HE COULD DO ANYTHING as we were preparing our Sid Caesar was a tall, strapping, staged reading of Neil Simon’s rubber-faced acting powerhouse LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR, whose bottomless comedic in- I was introduced to the singu- vention found expression through lar and colossal comedic genius, fluid movement and superb vocal Sid Caesar. Simon was a rookie acrobatics. Sifting through the writer for Caesar in 1953, and his many video recordings of Your play is a loving tribute to the cra- Show of Shows or Caesar’s Hour, ziest writers’ room in television. the breadth and depth of his cre- I had some vague notion of who ative talents are simply astonish- Sid Caesar was and that he did ing. Though his natural Brooklyn a 90-minute live comedy broad- accent colored many of Caesar’s cast, Your Show of Shows, back Sid Caesar characterizations, he was also a in early TV. But the immersion fokkers vas Messerschmitts!” I master of other accents, includ- course of specific study, as often can remember us watching the ing the utterance of approximate happens in our business, brought 60s TV comedy Hogan’s Heroes, foreign languages known as dou- Isaac Sidney Caesar into full fo- with wonderful actors John Ban- ble talk. French, German, Italian, cus, context and prominence ner and Werner Klemperer taking Russian, Japanese: he could carry within the pioneering world of it on the chin for the Luftwaffe. on in the veneer of most any for- television in the 1950s. Harry also loved to play the Ger- eign language, adding in an oc- man, French, Irish or British DJ, casional English word, phrase or And as I have come to know him reference for the punch-line. a bit better, I’ve fallen under his making cassette recordings for spell. Also, somehow, I felt as if I my two sisters, Linda at UW-Mad- Though Caesar was the franchise had met this man before. ison and Lois at U. of Iowa. talent on the Your Show of Shows and Caesar’s Hour teams, CLOSE TO HOME Learning more about Caesar, it fi- nally made sense: my dad must he was by no means a one-man My dad, Harry Cecsarini, was ed- band. Producer Max Liebman ucated as an engineer but a part have taken great pleasure and of him retained a love for creative inspiration from Sid Caesar and Continued, next page theatrical expression: singing, those early days of miraculous Harry Cecsarini storytelling, voices and mimic- 1950s television. My mom backs ry. When at his best, he enjoyed me up on this theory, as far as telling a good joke or story. The saying, “Oh yes, we watched ones he told most required ac- Your Show of Shows religious- cents. And I think the accent he ly on Saturday nights.” Dad and liked best was German. He loved Sid even shared the same birth the “shpitzes” and “dumkopfs” year, 1922. So, here was a really and that one crazy fighter plane funny guy on a brilliant come- punch-line that made no sense dy show, same age, similar look, in German: “Fokkers? Ya, dem doing things that Harry Cecsari- ni enjoyed doing naturally, in his Continued, page 2 own world. You might say that Inside This Issue my connection to Sid Caesar was Who Will Buy This Wonderful Feeling? 3 almost hereditary. Join the Clean Plate Club! 3 The Geniuses of Your Show of Shows 4 Teaching Shakespeare’s Language 6 LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR is generously sponsored by With a Sardonic Eye 7 Sheldon & Marianne Lubar Why LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR continued Who Will Buy This Wonderful Feeling? by Jane Flieller understood that Sid needed good writers and act- He understood that his writers gave him an infinite ing colleagues to supercharge his innovative skills array of platforms from which to launch brilliant Who really wants another fruitcake? Perhaps you’d like to consider a gift to Next Act and bring to life their collective ideas of what live journeys into unexplored comedic territory – they Ugly sweater?? Talking doorknob??? How about the Theatre. There are several ways to help: TV comedy could be. Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner were his life blood. perfect gift? The one that can be kept forever? An Consider a tax-deductible donation in any and Howie Morris formed the tight-knit troupe who experience they’ll never forget! Consider giving the amount. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organiza- IT’S ABOUT THE PEOPLE could support Sid in all the crazy sketches churned gift of live theatre! Here are three good reasons: tion, Next Act Theatre relies on the generosi- Neil Simon’s LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR is a out from the writers’ room. ty of our patrons, foundations, and sponsors celebration of this family of comedic crazies, as An experience will last a lifetime. Next Act is as ticket sales only cover about half the cost DREAM TEAM remembered from his very junior position in the committed to producing stories that encourage of producing great live theatre. Every penny And what writers! Mel Brooks, Neil and broth- writers’ room at NBC in the early 1950s. We catch discussion, stirring the heart and mind. Take counts, but did you know that $1,000 or more er Danny Simon, Larry Gelbart, Mel Tolkin, Woody them at a critical time, as TV tastes (according to someone – send someone. puts you right in the heart of our Producer’s Cir- Allen, Selma Diamond (all would have great writ- the corporate big shots) are changing, and pres- It’s affordable. Next Act offers the best prices cle, earning you rewards like a special invitation ing careers), Reiner and Caesar too: they formed sure is applied from on high to dilute their exquisite in town for live, professional theatre. to an annual reception and sneak peek of the a fiercely competitive, highly-pressurized comedy zaniness to run-of-the-mill humor that the “whole fall show! laboratory that produced 90 minutes of live materi- country” can understand. Through these trials, Si- Buy a gift certificate to be redeemed for al every week, for seven seasons. They wrote smart mon’s Sid Caesar stand-in, Max Prince, stands up tickets to any performance. Didn’t use AmazonSmile! If you shop online at comedy, long sketches that could incorporate cliché for the show and his team, to fight for what they the whole amount at once? No problem! Amazon, you can raise money for Next and bombast along with subtlety and wit, always all believe is good, and right. It’s a noble struggle, We’ll keep your line of credit open until Act Theatre! From your browser, go to with an eye toward what Mel Tolkin called, “the hu- firmly rooted in the human condition, which is why the certificate expires. And the certifi- Smile.Amazon.com/ch/39-1553360 (for ease, man condition.” They competed with and against Simon’s play is both very funny and deeply touch- cate is good for twelve (12) months from bookmark it on all your devices). Amazon will each other for their sketch ideas, for Caesar’s favor, ing. And that’s why LAUGHTER has made it once date of purchase, even if it falls in the fol- donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible Ama- for status in the room; but mostly, they compet- again to the Next Act stage. lowing season! zonSmile purchases to Next Act. AmazonSmile ed together to do the best show possible, week in has all the same items that Amazon does, so I’m pretty sure it’s a play that Harry Cecsarini would Don’t forget – we offer student and and week out. Above the fray, they were one crazy, when you shop, shop for Next Act! enjoy. I’m hoping you will too. senior discounts, too! comedy family. Nothing supports us more See you at the theatre. Live theatre is unique and fun. Nothing beats Come to a show! Despite his tremendous talents and on-screen ce- gathering with other folks and sharing stories than our audience. We’re committed to bringing lebrity, Sid Caesar remained a humble, generous that are immediate and engaging. No two per- you the best in compelling theatre produced in and grateful man who appreciated his colleagues, formances are quite the same and the ephem- an intimate setting, featuring the best of local, their talents, and their contributions to the work. eral nature of live theatre creates a one-of-a- professional talent. Plays are chosen with the kind experience. intent to stimulate thought, foster the exchange of ideas and promote new perspectives and un- derstanding. Come for a Personal Preview or stay for a Talkback. Enjoy a delicious beverage from our full-service bar and take in the vari- ous visual arts exhibits in the lobby. And bring a friend! Happy Holidays from all of us at Next Act Theatre. We wish you a peaceful and productive 2020. Join the Clean Plate Club! Next Act Theatre is teaming up with the Hunger Task Force this holiday season, and we need your help! The Hunger Task Force tells us they are in need of certain items this year, so here’s what you can do: NEXT ON TAP... Melms Brewing Company When you come down to Next Act to see LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR, we encourage you Saturday, November 30, 2019 • 7 pm to bring a couple cans of low-sodium vegetables for our food drive.