Community Corner
Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah—The Life & Comedy of Alan Sherman
Legendary
for his Grammy-winning 1963 hit song about a forlorn summer camp kid, Allan Sherman
was a manic, Bacchanalian, and hugely creative Jewish song parodist who had
three albums make the Billboard Top 100. He played Carnegie Hall, befriended
Harpo Marx, discovered Bill Cosby, and sang for Lyndon Johnson’s presidential
campaign.
Hear a
few of Sherman’s long lost recordings and learn
about his tumultuous life from Mark Cohen, author of Sherman’s first biography, Overweight Sensation: The Life & Comedy
of Allan Sherman. Book sales & signing follows talk.
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Presented
by the Osher Marin JCC, in association with Congregation Kol Shofar & Rodef
Sholom
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ABOUT THE BOOK
In time
for the 50th anniversary of "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh," Overweight Sensation: The Life and Comedy of
Allan Sherman is the first biography of the groundbreaking Jewish song
parodist and humorist. Allan Sherman played Carnegie hall, befriended Harpo
Marx, discovered and produced Bill Cosby, and sang for the National Press Club,
the U.S. Department of Labor, and Lyndon Johnson’s presidential campaign.
"Sherman's completely
unexpected and extraordinary success changed American comedy and popular
culture," said Mark Cohen, author of Overweight
Sensation. "For the first time since the end of vaudeville more than a
half-century earlier, Jewish dialect humor spread to mainstream culture and
led to fame and fortune. Ethnicity was back."
Mark
Cohen is the leading expert on Allan Sherman and the author of the liner notes
for My Son, The Box, the 6-CD
definitive collection of Sherman's beloved novelty songs and parodies. Based on
the author's exclusive access to papers and recordings held by Sherman’s son and dozens
of interviews, Overweight Sensation
includes 20 long lost parodies from the great Broadway musicals.
"What
you are about to hear is entitled, 'Goldeneh Moments from Broadway,'" said
Sherman.
"I said to myself, what would have happened, how would it have been, if
all the great Broadway hits of the great Broadway shows had been written by
Jewish people—which they were."
