JN Entertainment

A Friend's View

A Television Producer's View

Alan Zweibel, one of the original
"Saturday Night Live" writers who
fine-tuned Radner's characters Emi-
ly Litella and Roseanne Rosean-
nadana, recalls his 14-year
friendship with the comedian, first
in a book and later in a play, Bunny
Bunny.
`The audiences laughed and cried,
and I watched them sitting emotion-
ally sapped after the play ended,"
Zweibel said of the recent New York
run. "That's the effect writers want.
"I did this for closure and found it
all reopen. I thought I was going to
complete a circle, but it kept her
alive and redefined closure."
Since becoming close to Radner,
Zweibel has visited Detroit and es-
tablished enduring ties with the co-
median's family. When she was
alive, he accompanied her to parties.
After her death, he came to speak
and raise funds for Gilda's Club, Gilda Radner as Roseanne Roseannadana:
which also benefits from play pro- "It just goes to show you. It's always something."
ceeds.
"I wouldn't have proceeded with
it a relationship and find that a person
the play without the family's blessing," doesn't really die even though that person
said Zweibel, who has had inquiries from is dead."
nine theater companies interested in stag-
While Zweibel has moved on to other
ing Bunny Bunny, the title coming from projects, including the recent ABC televi-
Radner's favorite good-luck phrase.
sion special about early childhood devel-
"I wanted it to be honest, sensitive and opment made with Rob Reiner, the play
capture a spirit shared by two people. Be- is being published and made available for
sides being a tribute to Gilda, I think it's production by Applause Books in New
beneficial to anybody who needs to revis- York.

Detroiters who may have known Gilda
Radner personally and others who ap-
preciate her humor can gain more insight
into the comedian's personality and life
style by watching a segment of "True Hol-
lywood Stories," which will air 8 p.m. Fri-
day, Oct. 17, on the E! cable network.
"Radner proved that a woman can be
smart, funny, silly and sexy all at the same
time," said co-producer Sandra Edson.
"She was very daring, imaginative and
loving. The most special thing that touched
me was how much her friends loved her."
Edson and her crew spent four days in
Detroit, filming the house where Radner
grew up, the schools she attended and peo-
ple who knew her. They went on to places
where Radner settled after Michigan, and

Women of Comedy View

The Motor City Women of Comedy have
opened their ranks to men for their new
production, 'The Lion Laughs Tonight,"
which debuts as their fourth annual ben-
efit for Gilda's Club 7:30 p.m. Sunday,
August 24, at the Royal Oak Music The-
atre.
"Besides being male, the added enter-
tainers had to be able to make audiences
roar, crack up and cry with laughter," said

Alyce Faye, who co-founded the troupe.
This year's show features the stand-up
comedy of Elliot Branch, Leo DuFour, Jim
McLean, Norm Stultz and Jennie Mc-
Nulty.
"Gilda Rddner was our mentor," re-
membered Mary Miller, the other co-
founder of the troupe. "She lived to make
people laugh. She was the inspiration for
so many women and men to venture into
comedy and devote their ca-
reers to laughter. In sickness,
she saw how vital laughter
was to healing and survival.
"Gilda's Club was her
dream. It is our honor to help
build this place for Detroit."
Joyce Bichler, Gilda's Club
executive director, reminds
the community that the or-
ganization is for men, women
and children with all types of
cancer and their families.
"Having men as part of the
annual Motor City Women of
Comedy benefit reinforces our
commitment to providing a
place for all those in our com-
munity who have cancer,"
Bichler said.

e

The Motor City Women of Comedy ... and a Few Good Men: Elliot
Branch, Alyce Faye, Leo DuFour, Jim McLean, Norm Stutz, Mary
Miller and, not pictured, Jenny McNulty, will perform 7:30
Sunday, Aug. 24, at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in a benefit for
Gilda's Club.

"The Lion Laughs
Tonight" starts at 7:30
p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24, at
the Royal Oak Music The-
atre. For information, call
(248) 851- 6557.

taped reminiscences of celebrities who lat-
er became friends.
From the early years, there are con-
versations with Judy Gluclich Levy, Pam
Katz and Emilie Palef. Among those rep-
resenting the successful show business
times are Martin Short and Madeline
Kahn.
Michael Radner gives his thoughts as
he shares home movies.
"There's a common thread among the
people close to Gilda, and that has to do
with their being fun and having good
hearts," Edson said. "These were all peo-
ple I would have chosen to be my friends."
An unrelated radio tribute airs Mon-
day, Sept. 22, when WJR-AM 760 broad-
casts Gilda remembrances.

A Volunteer's View

Marcia Gershenson and Gilda Radner
lived in California at the same time and
for similar reasons. While Radner was
pursuing on-camera career opportunities,
Gershenson's husband, Steve, was work-
ing as a writer for sitcoms such as "Bar-
ney Miller."
The two women met through The Well-
ness Community in California, where
Radner was coping with her illness and
Gershenson was seeking support in
dealing with her husband's cancer.
Although the two women did not know
each other personally when they lived in
Michigan, they found ties as they dis-
cussed their backgrounds.
Gershenson moved back to the Detroit
area after her husband's death 11 years
ago and became a volunteer helping oth-
ers whose circumstances were similar to
hers.

"I am a big advocate of this kind of or-
ganization and have been doing support
work," said Gershenson, whose husband's
therapist, Joanna Bull, also worked with
Gilda Radner. "I feel nobody can under-
stand quite like the person who has had
this experience."
Gershenson has written three suc-
cessful grant proposals to raise money for
the Royal Oak Gilda's Club.
Temporarily located in Farmington
Hills, Gilda's Club administrators are
looking forward to having a facility that
is freeway accessible and noninstitution-
al in appearance.
`The Michigan Women of Comedy have
done some fabulous programs for us," Ger-
shenson said about her fellow volunteers.
"They idolized Gilda and came to us. Get-
ting to know all the members has been
great."

Tie One On

Gene Wilder, Katie Comic, Ja-
son Alexander and Bob
Goen have expressed
their love for Gilda
and their concern
for cancer patients
by designing neck-
wear to benefit Gil-
da's Club.
The line of neckties

and scarves is being sold exclusively at
Sears with 10 percent of proceeds do-
nated to Gilda's Club to support the
expansion to more cities around
the country.
The silk neckties, manu-
factured by Stonehenge
Ltd., are priced at

Dates To
Remember

More information on the following
events can be obtained by calling Gil-
da's Club at (248) 851-6557:

Aug. 24: Live Comedy at the Royal

Oak Music Theatre

Sept. 22: WJR-AM Tribute

Sept. 28: Gilda's Club Family Walk

& Block Party at Cobo Center

Oct. 17: E! Biography

$20. The women's scarves, produced by C/3
=
Cejon Accessories Inc., are priced at $10 cp
and $12.

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