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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – New York, NY - The Crooner and The Comic®, the a
year-long hiatus, creator Matt Macis has reassembled a new, and improved piece to
present to audiences worldwide. Macis explains, “I was offered some very promising
opportunities for the 2010-2011 theatrical season outside of TC&TC, and, while I have
loved the past two years of touring [The Crooner and The Comic®], I am always
looking for chances to grow and stretch my abilities as a performer. In that regard,
these offers were just too good to turn down.” Highlights of the 22 year old entertainer’s
year included traveling in the national theatrical tour of A Christmas Carol, playing Bob
Cratchitt, and performing in other family-friendly musical productions for Theatre IV
America. “But, as much fun as those shows were”, Macis adds, “the allure of putting
together the Martin & Lewis show again was just too exciting an idea.”
The actor Mr. Macis is welcoming into the new production is veteran Dean Martin tribute
artist and master entertainer, Felix J. Deneau, Jr. Mr. Deneau’s resume includes
decades of work as a character actor for various companies – notably he has been with
Universal Studios since their 1990 opening – as well as a long list of corporate and
theatrical clients who have selected him as their “Dean”. Macis first encountered
Deneau at the 2009 Dean Martin Festival in the “Everybody Loves Somebody”-crooner’
s hometown of Steubenville, Ohio. It was that year that Felix won the annual Dean
Martin Tribute Contest, garnering a $1000 cash prize, as well as a performance spot in
the Dean Martin Tribute Concert starring Martin’s daughter, Deana, the following day.
Their partnership began in July 2011, when Deneau offered Macis a ‘surprise’
appearance spot in his show at Central Florida hot spot, D’amato’s Italian Restaurant
and Bar. The duo rehearsed approximately ten minutes worth of scripted material, only
to carry-on for another two hours – receiving three standing ovations at the conclusion
of the performance. “What we did that evening was eerily similar to the story of the first
performance Dean and Jerry ever gave at the 500 Club in Atlantic City. With a bare-
bones idea of what would happen, we just went out there and had a good time with
each other… and the audience joined in, too,” said Felix Deneau, following that evening’
s show. Deneau’s business manager Betsy Bayram also comments, “You could not
write a show that was as genuinely funny and entertaining than what we experienced
that evening at D’amato’s. It was pure joy!” Macis joins in, "Based on the reaction to the
show at D'amato's, any doubts I had about returning to the show were put to rest. Felix
is an extraordinary talent, and I am glad to have the opportunity to work with him from
here-on." The show debuting the initial pairing of Deneau and Macis, as Martin and
Lewis, was such as success; an encore performance was immediately scheduled and
announced to take place at D’amato’s on September 18, 2011.
The new version of the show, Macis notes, will be something audiences will enjoy even
more so than the original. "This new show is true to the old format, in that, it is still a
very true tribute to Martin & Lewis - using their material, songs, and comedy. If you
loved Dean's variety show, or Mr. Lewis' films, their appearances on the Colgate
Comedy Hour - you will love revisiting all those memories. We take it a step further now
by creating a very relaxed and loose atmosphere in our approach, in conjunction with
the skilled choreographed hat-and-cane routines and physical bits. The audience
interaction is expanded, the musical and comedic repertoire is extended... and we've
added a lot of new bits that are HYSTERICAL. Things we could have never done in the
old act," the 22 year old actor explains.
The Crooner and The Comic® pays tribute to the most beloved musical-comedy duo
of all time, Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis. Established in 2008, the show has traveled
across the U.S. for over three years, creating the same hilarity and high-jinx that
audiences half a century earlier couldn’t get enough of! For more information on
seeing The Crooner and The Comic® live in performance, or booking – visit them
online at www.TheCroonerAndTheComic.com.
year-long hiatus, creator Matt Macis has reassembled a new, and improved piece to
present to audiences worldwide. Macis explains, “I was offered some very promising
opportunities for the 2010-2011 theatrical season outside of TC&TC, and, while I have
loved the past two years of touring [The Crooner and The Comic®], I am always
looking for chances to grow and stretch my abilities as a performer. In that regard,
these offers were just too good to turn down.” Highlights of the 22 year old entertainer’s
year included traveling in the national theatrical tour of A Christmas Carol, playing Bob
Cratchitt, and performing in other family-friendly musical productions for Theatre IV
America. “But, as much fun as those shows were”, Macis adds, “the allure of putting
together the Martin & Lewis show again was just too exciting an idea.”
The actor Mr. Macis is welcoming into the new production is veteran Dean Martin tribute
artist and master entertainer, Felix J. Deneau, Jr. Mr. Deneau’s resume includes
decades of work as a character actor for various companies – notably he has been with
Universal Studios since their 1990 opening – as well as a long list of corporate and
theatrical clients who have selected him as their “Dean”. Macis first encountered
Deneau at the 2009 Dean Martin Festival in the “Everybody Loves Somebody”-crooner’
s hometown of Steubenville, Ohio. It was that year that Felix won the annual Dean
Martin Tribute Contest, garnering a $1000 cash prize, as well as a performance spot in
the Dean Martin Tribute Concert starring Martin’s daughter, Deana, the following day.
Their partnership began in July 2011, when Deneau offered Macis a ‘surprise’
appearance spot in his show at Central Florida hot spot, D’amato’s Italian Restaurant
and Bar. The duo rehearsed approximately ten minutes worth of scripted material, only
to carry-on for another two hours – receiving three standing ovations at the conclusion
of the performance. “What we did that evening was eerily similar to the story of the first
performance Dean and Jerry ever gave at the 500 Club in Atlantic City. With a bare-
bones idea of what would happen, we just went out there and had a good time with
each other… and the audience joined in, too,” said Felix Deneau, following that evening’
s show. Deneau’s business manager Betsy Bayram also comments, “You could not
write a show that was as genuinely funny and entertaining than what we experienced
that evening at D’amato’s. It was pure joy!” Macis joins in, "Based on the reaction to the
show at D'amato's, any doubts I had about returning to the show were put to rest. Felix
is an extraordinary talent, and I am glad to have the opportunity to work with him from
here-on." The show debuting the initial pairing of Deneau and Macis, as Martin and
Lewis, was such as success; an encore performance was immediately scheduled and
announced to take place at D’amato’s on September 18, 2011.
The new version of the show, Macis notes, will be something audiences will enjoy even
more so than the original. "This new show is true to the old format, in that, it is still a
very true tribute to Martin & Lewis - using their material, songs, and comedy. If you
loved Dean's variety show, or Mr. Lewis' films, their appearances on the Colgate
Comedy Hour - you will love revisiting all those memories. We take it a step further now
by creating a very relaxed and loose atmosphere in our approach, in conjunction with
the skilled choreographed hat-and-cane routines and physical bits. The audience
interaction is expanded, the musical and comedic repertoire is extended... and we've
added a lot of new bits that are HYSTERICAL. Things we could have never done in the
old act," the 22 year old actor explains.
The Crooner and The Comic® pays tribute to the most beloved musical-comedy duo
of all time, Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis. Established in 2008, the show has traveled
across the U.S. for over three years, creating the same hilarity and high-jinx that
audiences half a century earlier couldn’t get enough of! For more information on
seeing The Crooner and The Comic® live in performance, or booking – visit them
online at www.TheCroonerAndTheComic.com.
| Press |
| RETURN OF ACCLAIMED TRIBUTE SHOW THE CROONER AND THE COMIC® |
