Sunday, April 11, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOEL GREY


Happy 78th birthday to one of my favorite all time performers, Mr. Joel Grey. What a sweet and very friendly man. I got to meet him once working for Ritz Camera. Actress Jenifer Grey is his daughter. Joel originated the role of the Master of Ceremonies in the Broadway musical Cabaret in 1966 for which he won the Tony Award. Additional Broadway credits include Come Blow Your Horn (1961), Stop the World - I Want to Get Off (1962), Half a Sixpence (1965),the title role in George M! (1968), Goodtime Charley (1975), The Grand Tour (1979), Chicago (1996), and the role of the not so wonderful Wizard of Oz in the Stephen Schwartz mega hit Wicked (2003). In November 1995, he performed as the Wizard in The Wizard Of Oz In Concert called Dreams Come True a staged concert of the popular story at Lincoln Center to benefit the Children's Defense Fund. The performance was originally broadcast on Turner Network Television (TNT) in November 1995, and released on CD and video in 1996. Dear Joel won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1972 for his performance as the Master of Ceremonies in the film version of Cabaret. His victory was part of a Cabaret near-sweep, which saw Liza Minnelli win Best Actress and Bob Fosse win Best Director, although it lost the Best Picture Oscar to The Godfather. Joel won over front-runner Al Pacino for the Best Supporting Actor while Fosse won over Francis Ford Coppola as Best Director. For that role, Joel also won the BAFTA award for "The Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles" and a Tony Award six years prior, making him one of only eight people who have won both a Tony Award and an Academy Award for the same role. He has performed at The Muny in St. Louis, Missouri in roles such as George M. Cohan in George M! (1970 and 1992) , the Emcee in Cabaret (1971), and Joey Evans in Pal Joey (1983).
Grey appeared as a panelist for the television game show "What's My Line?" in the 1967 season, as well as being the first mystery guest during its syndication in 1968. He was the guest star for the third episode of The Muppet Show in its first season in 1976, singing "Razzle Dazzle" from Chicago and "Willkommen" from Cabaret. In 1991, he played Adam, a devil, in the final episode of the TV series
Dallas (1991). In 1993 he received an "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series" Emmy nomination for his recurring role as Jacob Prossman on the television series Brooklyn Bridge. In 1995, he made a guest appearance on Star Trek: Voyager as an aging rebel seeking to free his (deceased) wife from prison. In 2000, Joel Grey played Oldrich Novy in the film "Dancer in the Dark" and had recurring television roles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer He has appeared on the shows House and Brothers & Sisters (2007), on the latter of which he played the role of Dr. Bar-Shalom, Sarah and Joe's marriage counselor. He appeared as Izzie's high school teacher who needs treatment for dementia in Grey's Anatomy (2009). Mu condolences to dear Hal Holbrook. Hal's wife of over twenty-five years Dixie Carter passed away on Saturday. Dixie used to come in into Ritz Camera all the time. I once found a purse she had drooped at the store which contained all of her and Hal's credit cards! Boy, was she grateful to get that back. The last full week of Easter break crowds will arrive and leave Disneyland today, but the park will remain open until 11pm the upcoming week to accommodate the late Easter Breakers. John and I made our Vermont deadline again and we go on trying to win this competition. It;s expected to rain today after a week of beautifully warm sunny weather.

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