47th Annual
Sunday February 22, 2009
Official Countdown To Telethon 2009:
We THANK our 2007 Telethon National Cast
that came to help our kids!!
From England to Farnham, New York to the Las Vegas Strip and stages around the world..the 8 time Las Vegas Entertainer of The Year is coming home to help the kids of Variety! Clint Holmes is more than a singer. Like a painter with a blank canvas, he makes every performance an original. His powerful voice and magnetic stage presence embrace the upbeat side of life. When Clint is on stage, anything can happen, and usually does!
Holmes, best known for his silky vocal stylings, has also honed his many other talents, which include dancing and a warm comedic touch. Perhaps Clint picked up that comedy know-how from the ever-popular Bill Cosby, with whom he shared a stage.
"I learned a lot from Don (Rickles) and Bill who were both very generous with me when I opened for them," said Holmes. "They never held me back or limited my time on stage. I particularly learned a jazz comedian riffling style from the two of them."
Holmes comes by his tremendous talent naturally. His father is an African-American jazz musician and his mother is a classically trained Opera singer from Great Britain. Clint admits it was the best of two musical worlds, "My mom taught me how to sing correctly, and my dad taught me how to enjoy it."
Casual elegance describes Clint's presence on stage. He has a magical way of filling a room with a warm, comfortable sound. Clint's musical selections range from contemporary to classic, with jazz and opera thrown into the mix. In addition, he has an energy and passion for life and performing that are infectious.
Having spent more than 20 years performing, Holmes has served as Joan Rivers' sidekick and announcer on "The Late Show," as the musical feature and event correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight" and as the host of his own Emmy-award-winning talk/variety show. Holmes freely admits, though, that he loves nothing more than performing before a live audience.
Among his various recordings, Clint had a “Top Ten,” smash hit, “Playground In My Mind (My Name Is Michael).”
Named Atlantic City’s Entertainer of the Year three times, the multi-talented, charismatic Holmes is an American treasure. He starred in “Clint Holmes’ Sophisticated Rhythms,” a dynamic stage show journey through music of the 1940’s through the present. In an overwhelming success, “Sophisticated Rhythms” played to two sold out performances nightly at the Sands Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City.
In July 1992, Clint was honored to be asked to be the featured performer at the Democratic National Convention at Madison Square Garden on the evening of Bill Clinton’s presidential nomination.
To prove he’s popular in both camps, he also appeared at The White House performing for President and Mrs. Bush and Vice President and Mrs. Quayle at “The National Literacy Honors” which aired on ABC.
Since moving to Las Vegas, Clint has quickly become a favorite in the Las Vegas community as well as a rising star in the entertainment arena. He was selected as "Best Kept Secret" by Las Vegas Life Magazine, and "Best Singer" (two years in a row), Best All-Around Las Vegas Performer" and "Favorite Male Las Vegan" by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Additionally, he has been the featured performer and host for the "Best of Las Vegas" Gala for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and host of the "Las Vegas Life Epicurean Awards. Clint was inducted into the Buffalo Musical Hall of Fame and into the Casino Legends Hall of Fame.
He released a DVD of his live performance at the Clint Homes Theater at Harrah's, which debuted nationwide via IN DEMAND on July 7, 2001. In 2006 his PBS special of his Las Vegas Act was aired nationwide. PBS filmed three acts in Las Vegas for airing last year and along with Barry Manilow and Andrea Boccelli, Mr. Holmes, found himself in great company.
In the world of theater Clint is a seasoned performer and writer. Along with Nelson Cole he created the Book, Music and Lyrics for the musical Comfortable Shoes. Clint starred in the World Premiere of this musical at the legendary Papermill Playhouse. The musical had another successful run at the Royal George Theater in Chicago. Clint recently starred as Simon Zealotes in the YouthTheatre America One-Night-Only benefit production of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, Yvonne Elliman, Barry Dennen,. Ben Vereen and Jack Black.
He has just finished writing his latest musical "Just Another Man" with Larry Moss and Bill Fayne. The World Premiere of this exciting new musical starring Mr. Holmes will be presented by the Nevada Conservatory Theater in May and June at the Judy Bailey Theater at UNLV.
Perhaps what has endeared Clint most to people of Las Vegas is his never-ending spirit of graciousness. In a short time, he has become involved with several worthwhile causes in the community such as Candlelighters, ROB Reachout, Shadetree, St. Jude's, and various cultural events. Following a brief battle with Colon Cancer, he is currently serving as a spokesman for the American Cancer Society, encouraging people over age 50 to have annual colonoscopies. He has also taken a special interest in mentoring many young people interested in becoming entertainers by working closely with the Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts. In December 2005, he launched the Clint Holmes Foundation for the Performing Arts, which benefits children in art and music programs in the Clark County School District.
CLINT HOLMES
Returning to the Variety Kids Telethon for her fourth straight year, is ILENE GRAFF. Irene has been a favorite of Variety volunteers and viewers alike when she embraced the Telethon and became “Varietized” in the late 80’s and early 90’s.
Ilene Graff is a Grammy nominated recording artist best known to audiences as Marsha Owens, the mom on the long running ABC comedy "Mr. Belvedere." She made her professional Broadway debut years earlier in the Neil Simon, Bacharach/David musical hit "Promises Promises," and went on to play Sandy for over two years in the Broadway production of "Grease." Her biggest Broadway triumph was creating the role of Cleo in the Cy Coleman, Michael Stewart musical comedy hit "I Love My Wife," directed by Tony Award winner Gene Saks. She can be heard on the show's Original Cast Album. Other theatre credits include "Charley's Aunt" with Charles Grodin, and an ADA Award winning performance in "You and Me" an original musical composed by her ASCAP Award-winning husband, Ben Lanzarone. She had the thrill of performing the role of Mama Rose in a Los Angeles revival of "Gypsy" as well as entertaining Jerry Herman himself at a performance of "Jerry's Girls." L.A. theatre goers also enjoyed Ilene in three productions of Neil Simon's "I Ought To Be In Pictures."
Ilene currently co-stars in the feature film "Loving Annabelle," directed by Katherine Brooks, which is playing to rave reviews and sold-out houses on the festival circuit. She shared the screen with Rodney Dangerfield in the feature film "Ladybugs," and is very proud to have co-starred in the ABC/Disney movie "South Pacific," working with Academy Award nominee and Tony Award winner Glenn Close and Grammy Award winner Harry Connick, Jr. Her latest film, "My Father," starring young Korean-American superstar Daniel Henney, will soon be available inb the US on DVD.
After recently completing a successful singing engagement at Sterling's Supper Club in Los Angeles, Ilene was invited to share the stage with long-time friend singer-actor John Gabriel, at New York's Metropolitan Room. Their sold-out show was a huge hit and they look forward to returning there soon.
Ilene is also an author, and her new book, co-written with Michele Gendelman and Donna Rosenstein, "What The Other Mothers Know," published by HarperCollins, is available online and in bookstores everywhere (www.whattheothermothersknow.com).
Ilene is a native New Yorker who met husband Ben Lanzarone while working in the Broadway production of "Grease," where Ben was Musical Director. Ben serves as Ilene's Musical Director, arranger, co-producer and accompanist. Their Grammy-nominated CD, "Baby's Broadway Lullabies" is a collection of beautiful theatre songs arranged especially for sleepytime and is available on her website, www.ilenegraff.com. Ilene and Ben are the proud parents of daughter Nikka Graff Lanzarone, a musical theatre performer and graduate of the Boston Conservatory.
ILENE GRAFF
Barash joined the cast of General Hospital in October 2007, playing the role of Johnny Zacchara, the brooding, rebellious son of a mob boss who has come to Port Charles to wreak havoc with the town’s residents.
A graduate of the acclaimed theater program at the University of Southern California, Barash quickly amassed an impressive list of television credits including: Tell Me You Love Me, NCIS, 24, Gilmore Girls and The West Wing.
Born in St. Louis and raised in California, Barash currently resides in Los Angeles. In his spare time, he likes to acquaint himself with nature, jump out of airplanes and take solo expeditions to Alaska. In addition, he enjoys photography, singing, writing, listening to music and playing the piano and harmonica. Always up for a competitive game of baseball, basketball or racquetball, he can always partake in one of his favorite pastimes— eating great food!
Look for Brandon to sing his heart out for the kids, answer your questions about General Hospital during the Telethon on Sunday March 2 and sign autographs during the 3rd Annual Concert with The Stars at the Riviera Theatre, on Saturday March 1, and appear at the Galleria Mall on Sunday March 2 from 11:30-1:00
BRANDON BARASH
DEAN, SAMMY & FRANK
DIRECT FROM VEGAS -
THE RAT PACK
From Vegas to Buffalo, Direct from Vegas The Rat Pack® comes back for their third staright year to help the kids of Variety. Most critics consider each performer to be the best in the country and you will hear why. Steve Apple (Dean Martin), Gary Corsello (Frank Sinatra), and Nicholas Brooks (Sammy Davis, Jr.) return you to the early ’60’s to re-create the magic.
Here are what just a few have said about this great trio:
The Rat Pack’s back with swagger and stagger. The trio’s tribute to Frank, Dean and Sammy is an intoxicating evening of nostalgia of the swinging 60’s . . . Rat Pack packrats should make reservations immediately.” David C. Nichols, Los Angeles Times
“The Rat Pack is a real gas.” For two hours, audiences are treated to the closest thing you’re going to get to those Sands casino concerts that Frank Sinatra, Dean martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr. gave in 1960, during the time they were shooting the original “Ocean’s Eleven” fim. - Daily Breeze
“Mesmerizing deja vue! I was so impressed. I intimately knew the original Rat Pack, and these guys got it down. Fabulous! They have such beautiful voices, and the body movements are so authentic. I was so delighted and moved by their performance. I mean it sincerely.” Helen Costa, wife of Don Costa, composer/arranger for Frank Sinatra.
STEVE APPLE
AS DEAN MARTIN
DIRECT FROM VEGAS -
THE RAT PACK
“The production truly comes alive with the performance of Steve Apple as Dean Martin. He clearly echoes the sound as well as the mannerisms and body language of this superb crooner in his time.” The Las Vegas Sun. Steve Apple has been performing as an actor/singer for over 17 years. Mr. Apple performed as Dean in the first headliner Rat Pack Show to hit the Las Vegas strip. It became the 6th top-rated show during his engagement. According to critics, “Apple’s impersonation of the King of Cool is flawless as he captures the very essence of Dean’s crooning style, vibrato, charisma, and classic good looks. He interacts with the audience with the charm and grace of the master.” The Los Angeles Times stated, “producer Apple has Martin down cold.
His vibrato is straiter-laced, but his tone and physicality are exactly right, and the audience interaction and self- deprecating humor hammer the illusion home.” Mr. Apple has performed internationally for millions in theaters, performing arts centers, and casinos. He has re-enacted Dean Martin for HBO, the History Channel, E Channel and BBC Television. Esquire Magazine chose Apple for their six-page spread on Dean Martin
GARY CORSELLO AS
FRANK SINATRA
DIRECT FROM VEGAS -
THE RAT PACK
NICHOLAS BROOKS AS
SAMMY DAVIS JR.
DIRECT FROM VEGAS -
THE RAT PACK
THE GURU OF.....OOOOH IT'S SO GOOD!
MR. FOOD
From 7 News at Noon the "Guru of Ohhh It's Soo Good,"MR. FOOD (aka Art Ginsburg) makes his annual appearance for the kids. Mr. Food has been appealing to viewers at home to make those important pledges for the children for 17 years and this Telethon is one of only two events nationally that he makes sure that he does each year. Mr. Food will be anchoring the Corporate Match segments of the Telethon. These segments give viewers the chance to double their dollars as generous WNY companies offer to match up to a certain amount. In addition to his work on the day of the Telethon something’s simmering at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens in Lancaster as everyone is invited to “Lunch with Mr. Food!” on Saturday March 1st at 11:00am. Your $30 donation entitles you to lunch, a Mr. Food cookbook, and lots of prizes. You can win big at the Chinese Auction, and get to meet Mr. Food! Get your reservations before they sell out by calling 854-7577.
Hugely popular and beloved by millions, MR. FOOD is an original. He was the first TV chef to promote practical, "anybody can do it" cooking and food preparation solutions, and, after more than 30 years of sharing his unique brand of quick 'n' easy food tips and recipes with viewers across the country, MR. FOOD continues to find fresh ideas for cooking up fun in the kitchen.
Art Ginsburg developed the MR. FOOD entity that has been a trusted name in media syndication as well as the consumer marketplace for more than a quarter of a century. With beginnings as a butcher with a flair for theatre, Art's "MR. FOOD story" began with his local television debut in 1975. Before long, MR. FOOD burst onto television screens across the Northeast in his self-syndicated, appealing 90-second food vignette. Rave reviews poured in!
By 1982, King World took notice of MR. FOOD and brought him on as a client. (King World now syndicates such well-known television shows as "Oprah," "Jeopardy," and "Wheel of Fortune.") Today, the MR. FOOD vignette is syndicated by CBS/King World to affiliates in more than 130 television markets across the country, including our very own WKBW-TV Channel 7, bringing MR. FOOD into the homes of more than 6 million loyal fans daily.
The broad mass appeal of MR. FOOD led to a cookbook contract with William Morrow & Company in 1989. Now, with a track record of more than 40 MR. FOOD cookbooks, the MR. FOOD group has relationships with publishers HarperCollins, Oxmoor House (a division of AOL Time Warner), and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) — with MR. FOOD diabetes cookbooks ranking among the all-time top-selling ADA consumer books…from
all categories!
With the television food vignettes and the cookbooks, a true American brand was born. In 1993, MR. FOOD went to QVC, where the increasingly popular brand was responsible for more than 25 million dollars in cookbook sales. As a result of the enormous success and growing credibility of the MR. FOOD brand, the MR. FOOD licensing division was launched in 1995. The MR. FOOD image became synonymously associated with quality product endorsements adhering to the no-nonsense "quick 'n' easy" MR. FOOD philosophy.
The MR. FOOD group now has to its credit a high-profile consumer Web site, www.mrfood.com, offering recipes, information, cookbooks and food-related products adhering to the MR. FOOD no-nonsense food preparation philosophy, in addition to a popular recipe continuity program, produced and distributed by Oxmoor House. The MR. FOOD brand has become well-known to manufacturers and councils desiring to align themselves with a credible, trusted spokesperson who values quality and maintains exceptional standards.
MR. FOOD provides viewers, readers, and fans with the information they need to become heroes in their own kitchens. He knows that busy lifestyles require practical mealtime solutions, and he continues to provide creative ideas and fool-proof, tasty recipes that use only readily available ingredients. Anyone can prepare and enjoy MR. FOOD recipes. That's because MR. FOOD stands for value, great taste, and quick 'n' easy practicality.
MR. FOOD continues to make peopl e's lives easier today, while introducing the food trends of tomorrow. And with his newest venture, Mr. Food no-fuss Meals, open now in the Northtown Plaza in Amherst, New York, MR. FOOD offers consumers even more convenient opportunities to bring their families to the dinner table.
TERRY BUCHWALD returns for his fifth year as a member of the national cast. Terry is a well-known tribute artist and recording artist from Western New York, who has earned the distinction of being named one of the top tribute artists in the United States by the LA Times. Audiences across the nation are astonished by his dynamic voice and striking resemblance to Elvis. By all accounts, Terry has the looks, the moves and the voice of the legendary “King.”
In October of 1991, Terry unexpectedly found himself on stage with a local band, launching what has rapidly grown to be a professionally greater accomplishment that he could have ever imagined.
More than ten thousand scarves later, he has sold over 35,000 CDs and has “opened up” for national acts such as Lee Greenwood, Diamond Rio, Montgomery Gentry, Rick Springfield, Jim Brickman, Sixpence None the Richer, Johnny Rivers, Grassroots and the Charlie Daniels Band, to name a few. Terry has performed for such celebrity functions as: Post Production Party for Disney’s 2005 CBS Elvis Mini-Series; Emmy Award Cast Party for the TV show, Ally McBeal and The Practice in Hollywood, CA; WNY Make a Wish Foundation’s “An Evening With the Stars,” hosted by Kathy Lee Gifford; NYS Governor Pataki’s New Years Eve Ball; Former Buffalo Bills Quarterback, Jim Kelly’s NFL/ESPN Retirement Party; New York City and Boston Marathon post-race parties; Alan Thicke Celebrity Classic; Anheuser-Busch Summer Tour; NFL Superbowl Parties; and NHL All-Star Benefits. These performances have taken Terry to many major cities in the United States and Canada, including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Hollywood, New York City and Toronto. He has also performed in countries as far away as Japan, Puerto Rico and Mexico.
Terry’s national television appearances include: the annual Variety Kids Telethon in Buffalo, New York of which he is part of the national cast; Your Big Break, a Dick Clark production; Doc, a PAX TV hit sitcom starring Billy Ray Cyrus; and U’s Place, a Fox 29 children’s show.
Locally, Terry’s concerts and appearances are broadcast frequently on TV stations in upstate New York and western Pennsylvania. Recently he was the subject of a three part ABC Special on Buffalo’s Channel 7 News. He is also a spokesman, guest DJ and entertainer for Buffalo radio stations, Oldies 104, 97 Rock, Star 102 and Kiss 98.5. Frequently, area listeners hear him on commercials and voice-overs.
Terry takes part in volunteer work, charities, fundraisers and awareness events for organizations such as Variety-The Children’s Charity of Buffalo & Western New York; Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, Make A Wish Foundation, Children’s Miracle Network, United Cerebral Palsy, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Muscular Dystrophy Association, AIDS Rochester and Hospice.
In the past four years, Terry has recorded four CDs which have hit the shelves of 13 Walmart stores, Sam’s Club, Media Play, Borders and Barnes and Noble. He is the first local artist to ever sell CDs in Walmart stores. He has sold 35,000 of his CDs: TCB, Big Hunk ‘O Love, Home for Christmas and Good Rockin’ then and now. His fans are awaiting the release of his fifth CD.
Look for Terry to do some of his famous Elvis songs and also watch as he performs some pop and soft rock with a little bit of country thrown in. Terry has a heart of gold and will help take care of business for our kids.This page last modified on Tuesday, July 01, 2008
For information on Variety - The Children's Charity of Buffalo & Western New York,
Please call us at (716) 854-7577 or e-mail us at:
vcstaff@buffnet.net
THE BEST ELVIS IN THE WORLD...
TERRY BUCHWALD
Oprah's Big Give
gives $10,000
