AL JOLSON, EDDIE CANTOR, SID CAESAR: Immigration and the Invention of American Entertainment

At the end of the Nineteenth Century and the beginning of the Twentieth, a wave of poor Jewish immigrants fleeing conditions in Eastern Europe, arrived in New York, to be met with the usual mix of intense hostility and enormous opportunity. And some of the children of those immigrants became major figures in the world of American entertainment. This discussion will focus on three of these: Al Jolson brought a level of emotional intensity and commitment to his performances that was unprecedented and that deeply influenced countless singers that followed him. Eddie Cantor's sly wit, charm, and vivid presence made him one of the most popular entertainers of his day, and he was one of the first entertainers ever to use his popularity for broader social aims--he denounced anti-semitism and played a major role in creating, promoting, and raising funds for, the March of Dimes (and even gave it its name). And, in the words of Mel Brooks, who began his career as a writer for Caesar, "Sid Caesar was a giant, maybe the best comedian who ever practiced the trade."

Discussing these three artists will be Jonathan Segal, one of the most important editors of the last half century, a longtime Vice President and Executive Editor at Alfred A. Knopf, and the editor of acclaimed biographies of both Al Jolson and Sid Caesar; Brian Gari, the grandson of Eddie Cantor and himself a distinguished songwriter--Brian Gari will perform some of the songs made famous by Eddie Cantor; and David Margolick, the author of the acclaimed When Caesar Was King: How Sid Caesar Reinvented American Comedy. The discussion will be moderated by Foster Hirsch, Professor of Film at Brooklyn College.

David Margolick's biography of Sid Caesar, Richard Bernstein's biography of Al Jolson, and a DVD of Eddie Cantor performing his one-man show will be available for purchase.

The evening will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a WHITE WINE AND CHEESE RECEPTION. The discussion will begin at about 6 p.m.

Advance registration is REQUIRED. No tickets will be sold at the door. If you're a dues-paying member of the Autumn Garden Society, make sure you're logged in before you order your tickets, in order to get the reduced Members' price--just $7 per ticket! You'll see the reduced price in your cart after you add the tickets.

IMPORTANT: Only people whose names are on the registration list will be admitted.  If you are bringing guests, please list the names of your guests. If you don't yet know the names, or if they change, it is important that you email us at AutumnGardenSociety@gmail.com so that we can arrange for your guests to be admitted.

Special thanks to SEYFARTH SHAW LLP for generously hosting this event and to GLOBAL ARTISTIC INNOVATION, INC. for their support and sponsorship of this event.