A special two-performance run of the new one-woman musical 18 Minutes of Fame, starring Barbara Minkus, plays on August 28 at 7:30 PM and August 29 at 1 PM at The York Theatre Company location of The Theater at St. Jean’s. The work is by Susan Morgenstern (who also directs) and Minkus. Music director is Ron Barnett.
Making her York Theatre debut, Broadway, film, and television singer/actress Minkus shares an intimate performance of personal moments, funny and poignant songs, and remarkable stories of working with such luminaries as Danny Kaye, Merv Griffin, Jerry Lewis and Charlotte Rae. While searching for fame throughout her life, Minkus found a lot more than she bargained for. In her delightfull story, she shares ajourney of love, life, difficult decisions, family dynamics and more, incorporating film, graphics, recordings, and photos.
Minkus began her show business career in NYC in Julius Monk’s review, Bits and Pieces. She went on to touring as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl throughout the United States and played Lucy in the original NY recording cast of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. On Broadway, Barbara starred in The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N, directed by the great George Abbott.
On television, she was a regular for six seasons on “Love, American Style,” played Gittel the Witch in ABC’s “Curiosity Shop” and was the voice of Ms. Pacman in the ABC cartoon series, “Pacman.” She had numerous television appearances over the years on “The Danny Kaye Show,” “The Tonight Show,” and made a record 20 appearances on “The Merv Griffin Show.”
After taking time out to raise her family, Minkus returned to the stage at The Santa Monica playhouse to appear in Funny, You Don’t Look Like A Grandmother. She then brought Picon Pie to the Playhouse, playing Molly Picon and then to Off-Broadway. Her recent regional credits are many, including Grease at the Muni Theatre in St. Louis, as well as Yente in Fiddler on the Roof at both the Muni and the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City.
For more information and tickets, go to www.yorktheatre.org
The Theater at Saint Jean’s entrance is on 150 East 76th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. For elevator, enter on Lexington between 76th and 75th, just south of St. Jean’s.
