Cocktails at Table 7- Inside New York’s Joe Allen

Lucie Arnaz has had an extremely diversified career spanning over 50 years in show business. She has starred on the New York stage in They’re Playing Our Song (Theatre World, LA Drama Critics and Outer Critic’s Circle Awards), Lost in Yonkers, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Pippin and Grace and Glorie; in the London premiere of The Witches Of Eastwick; in the Coconut Grove Playhouse premieres of Once Removed and A Picasso; in national tours of Pippin, Seesaw, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Social Security and My One And Only (Sarah Siddons Award); and in regional theatre productions of Wonderful Town, Master Class, Cabaret, The Guardsman, Annie Get Your Gun, I Do! I Do!, Educating Rita, Vanities, and Mack And Mabel, to name just a few. Lucie has appeared on television in The Lucie Arnaz Show, Sons And Daughters, The Black Dahlia, The Mating Season, Who Gets The Friends?, Washington Mistress, Death Scream and six seasons of Here’s Lucy; on the big screen with Neil Diamond and Sir Laurence Oliver in The Jazz Singer (Golden Globe Nomination), Down To You, Second Thoughts, Billy Jack Goes To Washington, The Pack, Wild Seven and has lent her voice to the new animated fantasy about the NY Yankees, Henry And Me. Lucie has performed the opening number on the Academy Awards (1981) and at The White House several times. She was Executive Producer of the I Love Lucy 50th Anniversary Special (Emmy nomination), and Lucy & Desi: A Home Movie (Emmy winner 1993). She produced two CD ROMS. She recorded her first album for Concord Jazz, "Just In Time," and her newest CD, "Latin Roots," is a celebration of just what the title says. Lucie has been traveling the country and the world with her various concerts for over 20 years. With her brother, Desi, she manages Desilu, too, LLC. With her husband, actor Laurence Luckinbill, she manages five grown children. Lucie invites you to visit her online at luciearnaz.com.

Lee Wilkof is a Tony, Obie, and Drama Desk nominated actor, perhaps best known for originating the role of Seymour Krelborn in the original off-Broadway production of the cult classic musical, Little Shop of Horrors. Additional off-Broadway highlights include: originating the role of Samuel Byk in Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Assassins (Drama Desk Award nomination), The Present Tense (Obie Award, Drama Desk Award nomination), Broadway credits include: The Odd Couple; Democracy; The Boys from Syracuse; Kiss Me, Kate (Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations); She Loves Me; The Front Page and Sweet Charity. Mizlansky/Zilinsky or Schmucks, The Underpants and June Moon. He has appeared regionally in productions at Yale Repertory Theatre, Baltimore Centerstage, McCarter Theatre, the Goodman, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Film credits include The Grey Zone; The School of Rock; This Boy’s Life; Private Parts; Xanadu, and Sidney Lumet’s Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. He also directed the feature film No Pay, Nudity with a cast including Nathan Lane, Gabriel Byrne, and Frances Conroy Additionally, Mr. Wilkof has amassed over 100 appearances in episodic television and movies of the week, including Law & Order; The West Wing; Ally McBeal (SAG Award); Max Headroom; Curb Your Enthusiasm; An Early Frost; Cop Rock; Hart to Hart; The Tonight Show, and The Gong Show.

Rosie O’Donnell is a beloved comedian, celebrated actress, and talk show legend. Despite all these professional accolades, it is perhaps her generosity of spirit, her tireless advocacy on behalf of children and families, and her heartfelt commitment to the health of the American theater that most definitively define her impact on popular culture. Born in Commack, New York on March 21, 1962, Rosie O’Donnell embarked on a career as a standup comedian right out of high school, and in short order found herself enjoying a five show winning streak on the iconic television series, “Star Search” Shortly thereafter, she scored additional major appearances on television, including a regular role as Maggie O’Brien on NBC’s popular sitcom, “Gimme a Break” and a high profile run as a VH1 VJ In 1992, Rosie was cast alongside Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Geena Davis in the smash hit “A League of Their Own.” She went on to further success on the big screen, starring in twelve films between 1992 and 1996, including 1993’s “Sleepless in Seattle,” 1995’s “Now and Then,”and 1996’s “Beautiful Girls.” Her most monumental break came by accepting NBC’s offer to host a variety daytime television show, “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” in 1996. Rosie’s innate love of all things show business and her easy rapport with the celebrities she had grown up idolizing translated into a unique and hugely popular TV phenomenon. “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” ran for six seasons and went on to win a variety of Emmy awards, leaving a memorable mark on American television before ending production in 2002. In the past 20 years, Rosie’s dedication to her artistic endeavors and charitable interests have continued unabated. She has been a regular fixture on television, on Broadway, and, in recent years, has gotten rave reviews for her powerful performances in Showtime’s “SMILF” and HBO’s “I Know This Much is True.” She can currently be seen in the Showtime original series, “American Gigolo.” -bio adapted and edited from Rosie.com

Danny Burstein is a seven- time Tony Award nominee for The Drowsy Chaperone, South Pacific, Follies, Golden Boy, Cabaret, and Fiddler on the Roof, who won a Best Supporting Actor in a Musical Tony in 2021 for his performance as Harold Zidler in the stage adaptation of Moulin Rouge! He has also won two Drama Desk Awards, four Outer Critics Circle Awards, and received three Grammy Award nominations. His other Broadway credits include The Seagull, Saint Joan, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. On television, Burstein appeared as different characters in six episodes of the original NBC drama series Law & Order and recurred as Lolly Steinman on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. Other TV appearances include: Fosse/Verdon, The Good Fight, Evil, and Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. Film roles include: Transamerica, Deception, The Family Fang, Nor’Easter, Blackhat, and Indignation. (Revised bio courtesy of BroadwayWorld.com)

Matthew Broderick is currently appearing opposite his wife, Sarah Jessica Parker, in the hit Broadway revival of Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite. He made his stage debut at 17 in Horton Foote’s On Valentine’s Day (opposite his father, James Broderick), and quickly became one of the most respected and beloved actors of his generation. Broadway credits include Brighton Beach Memoirs (Tony, OCC, Theatre World awards), Biloxi Blues, How to Succeed in Business... (Tony, DD, OCC awards), Night Must Fall, Taller Than a Dwarf, The Producers (Tony, DD, OCC nominations) The Foreigner, The Philanthropist, The Odd Couple, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Sylvia and It’s Only a Play. Off-Broadway, Mr. Broderick has appeared in The Seafarer, The Closet, Evening at the Talk House, Shining City (Obie Award), Torch Song Trilogy (OCC, Villager awards), The Widow Claire, and in the recent London production of The Starry Messenger. Selected film and television credits include: Max Dugan Returns, WarGames, ’Master Harold’...and the Boys, Ladyhawke, On Valentine’s Day, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Biloxi Blues, Glory, The Freshman, A Life in the Theater, The Lion King, The Cable Guy, Infinity, Election, You Can Count on Me, Wonderful World, The Music Man, Margaret, Tower Heist, Rules Don’t Apply, Manchester by the Sea and To Dust. Mr Broderick will next be seen in Painkiller for Netflix. Photo credit: Tawni Bannister

Jesse Tyler Ferguson made his Broadway debut at the age of 21 as Chip in George C. Wolfe's revival of On The Town, and later went on to originate the role of Leaf Coneybear in Second Stage’s Tony Award®-winning Broadway musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Drama Desk Award, "Outstanding Ensemble Performance"). In 2017, he won the Drama Desk Award for Best Solo Performance for his 40-character turn in the Broadway production of Fully Committed. He has worked extensively with The New York Public Theatre's Shakespeare in the Park in such notable productions as The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, The Winter's Tale, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Comedy of Errors where he performed alongside Al Pacino, Sam Waterston, Jesse L. Martin, Martha Plimpton, Hamish Linklater and Lily Rabe. Other theatre credits include Sir Robin in Spamalot and Leo Bloom in The Producers, both at The Hollywood Bowl. He is a five-time Emmy nominee for his role as Mitchell Pritchett on the long-running, Award-winning ABC comedy Modern Family. A longstanding advocate for marriage equality, Ferguson co-founded Tie The Knot (now PRONOUN) in 2012 with his husband, Justin Mikita, where they design limited edition bow ties and clothing, with all the proceeds going to various organizations that fight for LGBTQ equality around the world.

Donna McKechnie received the Tony Award for her performance in A Chorus Line. Other Broadway shows include How To Succeed...,The Education of Hyman Kaplan, Sondheim-A Musical Tribute,(which she also choreographed) On The Town, Promises, Promises, Company, and State Fair, for which she received the Fred Astaire Award. She has starred in numerous productions in London’s West End as well as Paris and Tokyo. Donna has also guest starred extensively with Symphony Orchestras throughout the country, as well as on television and in film. Ms. McKechnie’s memoir, TIMESTEPS- My Musical Comedy Life, was published by Simon and Schuster. For more information check out: www.donnamckechnie.com

Victor Garber is a four- time, Tony Award nominated actor who originated roles in the Broadway productions of Deathtrap, Sweeney Todd, Noises Off, Lend Me a Tenor, Arcadia, and Art. Additional Broadway credits include: They’re Playing Our Song, Damn Yankees, Present Laughter, and most recently, as Horace Vandergelder in the hit Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly! opposite Bernadette Peters. He also originated the role of John Wilkes Booth in the seminal, off- Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim & John Weidman’s Assassins. Film credits include: the Academy Award winning best pictures, Titanic and Argo, as well as, Sicario, The Town, Milk, Legally Blonde, The First Wives Club and Sleepless in Seattle. Television credits include: Alias (three Emmy Award nominations), Frasier (Emmy nomination), Will & Grace (Emmy nomination), Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (Emmy nomination), Damages, Glee, The Orville, Web Therapy, Schitt’s Creek, Family Law, and many, many others

The Ghost of Christmas Past visited us this time around! Take a trip down memory lane as we chit-chat with the staff about some of our favorite memories in the restaurant. We also wanted to share this episode as a tribute to the man who started it all, our boss and inspiration, Joe Allen, who passed away this past February. Yes, it's last year's episode, but it's been a year since we've heard it and it's just as fun now as it was then. Happy Holidays!

KRISTEN ANDERSON-LOPEZ and ROBERT LOPEZ are the Oscar, Emmy and Grammy award winning, married songwriting team behind the Disney animated films, Frozen and Frozen 2. Together they also wrote the Oscar winning song “Remember Me” from Pixar’s Coco, songs for Marvel’s WandaVision, and the Obama-produced We the People. Their adaptation of Frozen for the Broadway stage earned them a Tony nomination. Robert co-conceived and co-wrote the hit musicals Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon, both earning him Tony Awards. Kristen’s show In Transit made history as the first all a cappella musical to run on Broadway, after earning recognition at the Drama Desk, Drama League and Lucille Lortel Awards for its Off-Broadway run. Lopez and Anderson-Lopez have written for television, film and stage, including Finding Nemo: The Musical; songs for “The Wonder Pets” (two Emmy Award wins) and the Winnie the Pooh animated film. Lopez and Anderson-Lopez both serve on the Dramatist Guild Council. Graduates of Yale University and Williams College, respectively, they now reside in Brooklyn with their two daughters.

Christina D'Angelo - Art director, graphic designer, illustrator and writer with a drive for smithing big ideas from concept to execution. I've created collateral across all forms of media internationally — small gigs to corporate — from cabaret shows at Joe’s Pub in New York to foreign exchange stores in Panama, menus in Paris, and theatrical campaigns in Dubai. With a background as a painter and writer (as well as studies in art history, US presidential history, cinema studies, and typography — plus extensive travel) I get a thrill every time I am able to meld both references and skills into arresting visual solutions; the more arrows in your quiver, the better your chances at hitting the bullseye. I live in Manhattan with my husband and our beloved son Jimmy Carter McPickles (a grey tabby) who apparently loves when I’m “singing” along to Blossom Dearie on Spotify or he’s wishing he could call the police. CONTACT christinasworld@gmail.com — INSTAGRAM — LINKEDIN — MEDIUM. JAMES B. RUBIO is a composer/lyricist currently living in Queens, NY. Works for Theatre: The Day Boy and the Night Girl, with book and lyrics by Katie Baldwin Eng (George MacDonald Award for Charity, Daryl Roth Award, NAMT finalist, Richard Rodgers Award finalist, workshop production at Indiana University, production at the Spirit of Broadway Theatre in Norwich, CT); Show People, with book and lyrics by David Caudle (New Harmony Project semifinalist, Anna Sosenko Assist Trust grant recipient, concert of scenes/songs presented by The Actors Fund in conjunction with the Ziegfeld Society); The Dwelling Time (book, lyrics and music); and Grotesquerie Lake (book, lyrics and music), which had a series of readings at Zeiders American Dream Theater in Virginia Beach (2018) and will be receiving a semi-staged workshop production at Zeiders Theater in October 2019. B.M. in Music Composition from Virginia Commonwealth University and MFA from the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, NYU. Contact: jbrubio.com

Peter Gallagher has delivered critically-acclaimed performances in such films as Sex, Lies and Videotape, American Beauty (SAG Award), The Player, Short Cuts (Golden Globe), The Idolmaker, While You Were Sleeping, and Center Stage. Selected television credits include: “Grace and Frankie”, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” “The OC,” “Covert Affairs," “Rescue Me,” and "Californication." Gallagher has worked with some of the industry's most respected directors including Mike Nichols, Robert Altman, Steven Soderbergh, Sam Mendes, Nicholas Hytner, Jonathan Miller and Hal Prince. His Broadway credits include award- winning Broadway productions of Guys and Dolls (receiving a Drama Desk nomination), Long Day's Journey Into Night (with Jack Lemmon, receiving a Tony Award nomination), The Real Thing (Clarence Derwent Award), The Corn Is Green (Theatre World Award), Noises Off, and The Country Girl. -edited from bio posted on broadwayworld.com

Adrienne Barbeau began her career in 1963 with the San Jose Civic Light Opera. After graduating high school, she traveled with a musical comedy revue, entertaining our servicemen on Army bases throughout Southeast Asia. In 1965, she moved to New York where she made her Broadway debut as Tevye’s second daughter, Hodel, in Fiddler on the Roof. A Tony nomination and a Theatre World Award for her creation of Rizzo in the original Broadway production of Grease led her back to California and the role of Bea Arthur’s daughter, Carol, in the hit series Maude. Since then she has become a best selling author, a recording artist, and the star of numerous features, films for television, concert performances, musicals and plays. Movie fans know her best for her performances in The Fog, Escape From New York, Creepshow, Swamp Thing, Back to School, and Cannonball Run. She appeared in the Academy Award winning ARGO. Recently released are the golf comedy The Eagle and the Albatross with Dan Lauria and K-Pop star Amber Liu, and the ecological horror film Unearth, starring Marc Blucas. Adrienne has a Golden Globe nomination and over 450 screen performances to her credit. She starred as Ruthie, the Snake Dancer, on HBO’s fascinating series, Carnivale. She was Oswald’s mom on Drew Carey, Victoria Grayson’s mom on Revenge, and Venus’s mom on Sons of Anarchy. Daytime viewers know her as Suzanne Stanwyck on General Hospital. Her recent television appearances include Criminal Minds, Grey’s Anatomy, the Netflix series A.J. and the Queen, starring RuPaul, and American Horror Story. Having starred in over 25 theatrical productions in the U.S. and Canada, Adrienne spent most of 2015 playing Berthe, Pippin’s grandmother, in the National Tour of Pippin, singing “No Time At All” as she hung upside down from a trapeze. Off camera, Adrienne is the voice of Catwoman in Batman, The Animated Series, Ms. Simone in Scooby-Do on Zombie Island, and Scooter’s Mom in the 3-D animated film Fly Me To The Moon. She can be heard in a myriad of video games: God of War, Halo 4, and Fallout 76 among them. She also provides video description for the visually impaired on many films, documentaries, and television series; it’s one of her favorite forms of voiceover work. Adrienne is the author of four books: the best-selling memoir There Are Worse Things I Could Do; the urban fantasy Vampyres of Hollywood and its comedy romance sequels, Love Bites and Make Me Dead. Adrienne is currently at work co-writing Grease- Tell Me More, Tell Me More! for release next summer to honor the 50th anniversary of the Broadway musical. Published by Chicago Review Press, proceeds from the book will go to The Actors’ Fund. ©- Adrienne Barbeau

Austin Pendleton, a Yale University graduate and ensemble member of the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago, made his Broadway debut in 1964 as Motel in the original Broadway cast of Fiddler on the Roof. Other theatre credits include: Oh Dad, Poor Dad…, The Last Sweet Days of Isaac, The Diary of Anne Frank, Goodtime Charley, and Choirboy. He has made over 150 appearances in television and films including: What’s Up, Doc?, My Cousin Vinny, Mr. & Mrs. Bridge, Finding Nemo, The Muppet Movie, A Beautiful Mind, Catch-22, Skidoo, and 2 Days In The Valley. Pendleton wrote the plays Uncle Bob, Booth, and Orson's Shadow, all of which were staged off-Broadway. As a director, Pendleton has worked extensively both regionally and on and off-Broadway. His direction of Elizabeth Taylor and Maureen Stapleton in Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes garnered him a Tony Award nomination in 1981 and his 2011 direction of the off-broadway production of Three Sisters won him an Obie Award. He currently teaches acting at HB Studio.

Lauren Graham is an actress and author best known for her portrayals of Lorelai Gilmore on the television series Gilmore Girls and Sarah Braverman on the NBC television drama Parenthood. Additional television series include: Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. Selected film roles include: appearances in Bad Santa, Because I Said So, and Evan Almighty. Ms. Graham published her debut novel, Someday, Someday, Maybe in 2013, and in 2016, published a memoir, Talking as Fast as I Can. Her third book, In Conclusion, Don't Worry About It was published in 2018.

One of the theater world's most beloved talents, Len Cariou is a member of the Theatre Hall of Fame and a pre-eminent interpreter of the music of Stephen Sondheim. On Broadway, he has appeared in "Applause," for which he earned a Tony Award nomination and won the Theatre World Award; "A Little Night Music," for which he was also nominated for a Tony Award; "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," for which he won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award; "Nightwatch;" "Cold Storage;" Teddy and Alice;" "Dance a Little Closer;" "The Speed of Darkness;" "The Dinner Party" and "Proof." On television, Cariou has appeared on “Blue Bloods” as the the Reagan family’s patriarch, Henry for eleven seasons. Additionally, he can be seen on "Damages," "Brotherhood," "Murder, She Wrote," "CSI" and "Numb3rs", "Ed," "Law and Order," "The Outer Limits," "The Practice," "The West Wing," and many television films/limited series including “When They See Us” and "Into the Storm,” the latter for which he earned an Emmy Award nomination. Cariou's feature film credits include "One Man," for which he received a Genie Award, "The Four Seasons," "Flags of our Fathers," "1408," "Executive Decision," "Lady in White," "Thirteen Days," "About Schmidt," "Secret Window”, "The Boynton Beach Bereavement Club” and “Spotlight”. In addition, he supplied voice narration for the Academy Award-winning documentary, "The Johnstown Flood” and voiced Uncle Frank in “Bumblebee”. Cariou was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and holds two honorary degrees as well as the Order of Canada and Order of Manitoba. He currently resides on the Hudson River's shore in New Jersey with wife Heather Summerhayes Cariou, author of Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister's Memoir.

Liz Callaway is a Tony nominee and Emmy Award winning actress, singer and recording artist. She made her Broadway debut in Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, received a Tony Award nomination for her performance in Baby, and for five years, won acclaim as Grizabella in Cats. She has also starred in the original Broadway casts of Miss Saigon, The Three Musketeers, and the off- Broadway musical, The Spitfire Grill, for which she received a Drama Desk award nomination. Other New York appearances include the legendary Follies in Concert at Lincoln Center, A Stephen Sondheim Evening, Fiorello! (Encores!), and Hair in Concert. Ms. Callaway has also established a major career as a concert artist whose extensive US symphony work includes appearances at The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Ravinia, and The Hollywood Bowl. Worldwide, and international engagements in China, Australia, New Zealand, and countless other locales. Liz sang the Academy Award nominated song “Journey to the Past” in the animated feature Anastasia, was the singing voice of the title character in The Swan Princess, and is also the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin and the King of Thieves and The Return of Jafar. She frequently collaborates with her sister, Ann Hampton Callaway, with whom she performed the acclaimed revues, Sibling Revelry and Boom! (a celebration of the music of the 60’s and 70’s). She has also released seven solo albums and, just recently, released her indelible spin on the classic Broadway anthem, “Be a Lion” from The Wiz. www.lizcallaway.com , https://linktr.ee/LizCallaway, @LizGoesOn (Twitter/ Instagram). Cocktails at Table 7- Inside New York’s Joe Allen is produced and hosted by Jason Woodruff, Dana Mierlak and Sean Kent, with music by James Rubio and logo and artwork design by Christina D’Angelo. The Producers would like to extend a special thank you to the owners of Joe Allen, Orso, and Bar Centrale Restaurants.

Jonathan Groff is a two-time Tony Award nominee for his acclaimed performances as Melchior in the hit musical “Spring Awakening,” and as King George III in the iconic smash “Hamilton.” Other stage credits include; the Public Theater’s productions of “Hair” and “The Bacchae,” the City Center Encores production of “A New Brain”, the London revival of “Deathtrap” (with Simon Russell Beale), and the Los Angeles premiere of “Red” (with Alfred Molina). Groff starred in the HBO series “Looking,” the Netflix series “Mindhunter,” and provides the voices of Kristoff and Sven in the Disney’s animated blockbusters, “Frozen” and “Frozen II.” Cocktails at Table 7- Inside New York’s Joe Allen is produced and hosted by Jason Woodruff, Dana Mierlak and Sean Kent, with music by James Rubio and logo and artwork design by Christina D’Angelo. The Producers would like to extend a special thank you to the owners of Joe Allen, Orso and Bar Centrale Restaurants.

Jonathan Groff is a two-time Tony Award nominee for his acclaimed performances as Melchior in the hit musical “Spring Awakening,” and as King George III in the iconic smash “Hamilton.” Other stage credits include; the Public Theater’s productions of “Hair” and “The Bacchae,” the City Center Encores production of “A New Brain”, the London revival of “Deathtrap” (with Simon Russell Beale), and the Los Angeles premiere of “Red” (with Alfred Molina). Groff starred in the HBO series “Looking,” the Netflix series “Mindhunter,” and provides the voices of Kristoff and Sven in the Disney’s animated blockbusters, “Frozen” and “Frozen II.” Jonathon highly recommends his friend Ellen Winter, and we encourage you to give 36 Questions a go.

Stockard Channing is a highly accomplished American stage, television, and film actor, who made her Broadway debut in the 1971 Broadway musical adaptation of "Two Gentlemen of Verona." She is perhaps best known to audiences for playing the feisty Betty Rizzo in the classic film musical, “Grease,” and First Lady Abbey Bartlet on the seminal NBC television drama, “The West Wing.” She originated the role of socialite Ouisa Kittredge in the acclaimed stage and film versions of “Six Degrees of Separation,” for which she was nominated for a Tony and an Oscar. Miss Channing won the 1985 Tony Award for Best Actress for the Broadway revival of “A Day in the Death of Joe Egg,” and has won three Emmy Awards for her work on The West Wing as well as for her performance as Judy Shepherd in “The Matthew Shepard Story.” Other film appearances include “The Fortune,” “ The Big Bus,” Neil Simon’s “The Cheap Detective,” and “Practical Magic.” She also played the recurring role of Veronica Loy on the popular CBS drama “The Good Wife.”