Rich Brown as Frank Hope, David Greene, John Walsh as Joey the Monkey
Country of origin
United States
Original language
English
No. of episodes
75
Production
Producer
Rich Brown
Production location
New York City
Running time
29 minutes
Original release
Release
1986 (1986) – 1996 (1996)
Beyond Vaudeville is a New York City public-access television show that ran from 1986 to 1996.[1] The talk/variety show features amateur talents and nostalgia-inducing celebrities housed within the confines of a crowded, Manhattan-based public access television station. The show was inspired by the likes of The Uncle Floyd Show, The Joe Franklin Show, and Andy Kaufman. The perpetually fidgety and nerdy Frank Hope (Rich Brown) is the host. His co-host is David Greene, a very tall man who is always angry. Greene seems to not want to be part of the show, dislikes Hope, and often looks away in disgust. Greene spoke in the earlier episodes but became more silent in later episodes. This would continue once the show became Oddville, MTV. After a usually awkward live reading of the opening credits, the show begins with host Hope showing various nostalgic or geek culture items he bought at stores or garage sales. This sometimes angers Greene and he reacts with violence toward Hope.
The guests on the show are a mix of various celebrity guests from yesteryear, or outside the mainstream, including the likes of Tiny Tim, Bobby "Boris" Pickett ("Monster Mash"), and Grandpa Al Lewis. Hope's earnest but awkward interviewing style, with Greene's total disinterest and perpetual annoyance, is part of the humor. The show also features amateur singers, dancers, comedians, and other local eccentrics, with the mix of guests, and their reactions to each other, also being part of the humor. Various puppets appear behind the seats of the guests while they are interviewed, sometimes attempting to annoy Greene. For many of the episodes, Joey the Dancing Monkey (John Walsh) would be called on to do a skit or dance toward the end of the show. Joey wears a chimpanzee mask, a long red robe, and oversized gloves. He always begins to annoy Greene which produces a fight, while the guests usually look on in either horror or bafflement.
In 1997, MTV brought the show to cable under the title Oddville, MTV,[2] a fundamentally similar program with the addition of an announcer in Melissa Gabriel and a segment featuring a popular musical act that was played straight. In order to produce the oddness the cable access show was known for, guests and Joey the Monkey dance along to the music.
The show was a strong example of anti-humor due to the humor being produced by its sheer weirdness and many awkward moments. It is also credited with discovering Suzanne Muldowney aka The Underdog Lady, who would go on to be a popular guest on The Howard Stern Show.
Al Lewis, poet Gretchen Weiner, Kevin & His Friend Bub
Significant for Al Lewis’ roast of co-host David Greene.
3
May 4, 1987
Omer Travers (broke into Yoko Ono's apartment), poet Chairman Steve, comedy team Book n Martino
4
July 8, 1987
Psychic Frederick Davies, singer-songwriter Stryker, Glenn & His Friend Flubb
First appearance of Long Island singer and local celebrity Stryker, who featured in the Beyond Vaudeville live shows both before and after the show’s run, and later appeared on Oddville, MTV and Jimmy Kimmel Live.
5
July 22, 1987
Gretchen Weiner, Richard H. Roffman, Body by Bob, Kevin & His Friend Bub, Glenn & His Friend Flubb, Joey the Monkey
First appearance of Joey the Monkey, who became a show regular and featured in every episode of Oddville, MTV, and of the puppets behind the couch.
6
October 6, 1987
Frank Nastasi (White Fang on The Soupy Sales Show), Austin Velez (guest co-host), UFO abductee Gertrude Adams, Cowboy Joe, Glenn & His Friend Flubb
7
January 12, 1988
Tuli Kupferberg of The Fugs, Chairman Steve, Kevin & His Friend Bub, Glenn & His Friend Flub, Joey the Monkey
Host Frank Hope walks off for several minutes in response to co-host David Greene’s outbursts, leading to awkward exchanges between David and Musto. Frank returns later.
16
April 18, 1989
Memory expert Harry Lorayne, Danny the Wonderpony, movie usher Martin Spund
17
May 23, 1989
Billy Dean’s Knockouts Boxing Fighting Revue
Co-host David loses two boxing matches to Foxy Fighters Mariah and Mischa.
18
June 6, 1989
Phoebe Legere, a family of nudists, singer-songwriter Stryker, Underdog dancer Suzanne Muldowney
The only episode in which Frank does not appear. David claims to have locked him in the closet of his apartment and is hosting the show with Stryker as nominal co-host. The set is stripped down to bare walls and David attempts to conduct the program his way, with "The good guest that I got, and then the typical Frank guests here."
19
July 8, 1989
Filk singer Roberta Rogow, Underdog dancer Suzanne Muldowney, singer Ada Love
20
August 18, 1989
Brother Theodore, Uncle Sam impersonator Joe Erdelyi, sci-fi collector Leslie Holcomb
Frank “Large” Dellarosa, World's Fastest Hot Dog Eater; poet Wolf Pasmanik; rapper Larry Love; sci-fi expert Ronald Held
42
July 30, 1991
Fred Willard, singer Izzy Fertel, singer Ada Love, belly dancer Kerima, rappers, comedian Dave West, nose-whistler Jim Grosso
43
August 17, 1991
Remo Pisani, singer Buddy Clayton, “midget comic” Ramon Pena Cartucho, Hawaiian singer Johnny Kai
44
September 21, 1991
Bobby “Boris” Pickett, pierced guy, sci-fi expert Ronald Held, Klingon League of Assault Warriors, singer Austin Velez
45
October 19, 1991
Tiny Tim, Benny Bell, tattoo experts Huggy Bear & Eek, Renaissance Man George Kayatta, Mr. Lucky & Stanley the Pig
46
November 9, 1991
Sammy Petrillo, sci-fi expert Ronald Held, comic Mikhail Bleyckman, bowling alley expert Bill Newman, horror expert John Link, sci-fi collector Leslie Holcomb
47
December 7, 1991
Christmas Special. John Wallowitch, Bill Gaines, Marilyn Monroe conspiracy expert M. Vinson Hayes, sci-fi collector Leslie Holcomb, The Public Access Choir
One of the last interviews Gaines gave before he passed away in June 1992. The Public Access Choir was a group of hosts of other New York public access shows, who came on set and sang “The Twelve Days of Christmas”
48
January 11, 1992
Bern Nadette Stanis, comic Mikhail Bleyckman, filk singer Roberta Rogow, songwriter Stryker, Tiny Tim goes bowling
49
March 27, 1992
Joey Faye, sci-fi expert Ronald Held, actor Joe Fleishaker, Marilyn Monroe conspiracy expert M. Vinson Hayes
50
June 4, 1992
Pat Cooper, FDR Impersonator Ellsworth Barthen, Madonna impersonator Queerdonna, Trayman, Walt Paper
51
July 16, 1992
Arthur Tracy, sci-fi expert Steve Maurer, Ice Bears Rabbi Abraham Abraham, Marilyn Monroe conspiracy expert M. Vinson Hayes, Trayman
52
August 15, 1992
Underdog dancer Suzanne Muldowney, William Brown, singer Alan Chusid, Trayman
Rick Derringer, comic Marty Gangursky, Three Stooges Fans Harold, Lucille, and Robert Gurau, Chinese opera singer Mr. Chen Tsun Kit, Austin Velez
Rick Derringer's toddler daughter Mallory wanders onto the set and spends most of the show ambling around or sitting on Derringer's lap. David manages to sit through the entire program without a violent outburst.
Thanksgiving Special. Underdog dancer Suzanne Muldowney, Kenneth Keith Kallenbach, rapper/granny Fruity Nutcake, Marilyn Monroe conspiracy expert M. Vinson Hayes
67
March 25, 1995
Imogene Coca, poet Chairman Steve, “Quiz Show” legend Herb Stempel, singer Buddy Clayton, comic Neil Connie Wallace
68
April 29, 1995
Jack Riley, Pat McCormick, comic Neil Connie Wallace, raconteur Leonard Ben Meyer, Red Lightning
69
May 13, 1995
Tom Arnold, comic Neil Connie Wallace, Underdog dancer Suzanne Muldowney, raconteur Leonard Ben Meyer
70
July 11, 1995
Soleil Moon Frye, “The Singing Cowgirl from Queens” Lorraine Roof, Marilyn Monroe conspiracy theorist M. Vinson Hayes, comic Neil Connie Wallace
Singer Joey Marlowe, poet Bingo Gazingo, comic Neil Connie Wallace
74
December 13, 1995
Tiny Tim, Arthur Tracy, Izzy Fertel, poet Chairman Steve
75
May 25, 1996
Super Special KISS Tribute Spectacle Program Show. KISS Collector Bill Baker, poet Bingo Gazingo
76
July 1, 1996
Lady Betty Aberlin, Freddie Sez Schulman, Florence Miller Dancers, comic Neil Connie Wallace, Rich Curtis, Gaylord
Live Stage Shows
Extended content
Date
Title
Venue
Host
Guests
March 20, 1982
Beyond Vaudeville
NYU Eisner & Lubin Auditorium
Hugh Fink and the Hugh Fink Orchestra
David Greene as “Thomas Paine,” Stryker, Rescue #1, Cinti Laird, Dean Zerbe, A/K/A, Ben Brody (13-year-old comic), Ed Rollin, Rob Harari, Herd Cooper, Joseph Erdelyi as Uncle Sam, Vault, Nancy Heller, Andy Friedman
April 6, 1983
Beyond Vaudeville II
NYU Eisner & Lubin Auditorium
Mary Samford (street singer), Lizalotta Valeska (Miss Finland 1930), Irv Bruder, philosopher Joseph Feldman, Stryker, David Greene as “Thomas Paine”, Bert Bedell, Irene & John Weidenberner
March 30, 1984
Beyond Vaudeville III
NYU Pub
Frank Moshman
Stryker, ventriloquist Anthony Thomas, Max Sofsky, Joseph Erdelyi, Jr. as Uncle Sam, Gerry Schwartz, David Greene as “Thomas Paine,” Bert Bedell, Irene Weidenberner, and “A Debate on the Existence of God” by Joseph Feldman and Robert Sharf
Stryker, Patsy Margolin, Lance Venture, Mildred Budwal, Delta Blues, David Greene as “Thomas Paine,” Bert Bedell, Dee Nack the Female Elvis, Michael Kaufman, Billy Jacket, Irene & John Weidenberner, philosopher Mr. Feldman
Stryker, Suzanne Muldowney as Underdog, Joseph Erdelyi, Jr. as Uncle Sam, Gretchen Weiner, Bert Bedell, Dee Nack the Female Elvis, poet Chairman Steve, Irene & John Weidenberner, Omer Travers, Lance Venture, David Greene as “Thomas Paine,” philosopher Mr. Feldman
Mother-daughter comedy team Coco & Penny, John & Irene Weidenberner, Gretchen Weiner, Stryker, poet Chairman Steve, Dee Nack the Female Elvis, Dr. Lawrence Biris, Omer Travers, philosopher Mr. Feldman, comedy team Book N Martino, Suzanne Muldowney as Vlad the Impaler, David Greene as “Thomas Paine”
Suzanne Muldowney as Supergirl, Stryker, philosopher Mr. Feldman, Dee Nack the Female Elvis, David Greene as "Thomas Paine," John & Irene Weidenberner, Kerima the Bellydancer, Tuli Kupferberg, Gretchen Weiner, Sammy Petrillo, Bert Bedell, Wally Haughey, Coco & Penny, Chairman Steve the Poet Laureate of Greenwich Village, Konstantin Bokov
Stryker, Kerima the Bellydancer, David Greene as "Thomas Paine," Ada Love, Danny the Wonderpony, Dee Nack the Female Elvis, Suzanne Muldowney as Underdog, mother-daughter comedy team Coco & Penny, poet Chairman Steve, philosopher Mr. Feldman
Stryker, Kerima the Bellydancer, David Greene as "Thomas Paine," Michael J. Anderson, Danny the Wonderpony, Dee Nack the Female Elvis, Suzanne Muldowney as Underdog, Professional Nosewhistler Jim Grosso, philosopher Mr. Feldman
Stryker, Kerima the Bellydancer, David Greene as "Thomas Paine," Moses Josiah & His Musical Saw, Suzanne Muldowney as Underdog, Wolf Pasmanik, Dee Nack the Female Elvis, Joey the Monkey, Danny the Wonderpony, Professional Nosewhistler Jim Grosso, Irene Weidenberner
Stryker, Moses Josiah & His Musical Saw, David Greene as “Thomas Paine,” Suzanne Muldowney as Underdog, Izzy Fertel, Joey the Monkey, Danny the Wonderpony, Little Mike Anderson, Dee Nack the Female Elvis, Professional Nosewhistler Jim Grosso, poet Chairman Steve
Stryker, Suzanne Muldowney as Catwoman, Moses Josiah & His Musical Saw, Trayman, Jimmy Del Rio, Izzy Fertel, Dee Nack the Female Elvis, Benny Bell, Professional Nosewhistler Jim Grosso, Queerdonna
Suzanne Muldowney as Spectrum the Ghost King, Red Lightning, Professional Nosewhistler Jim Grosso, Jimmy Del Rio, Stryker, Filksinger Roberta Rogow, Dee Nack the Female Elvis, Moses Josiah and his Musical Saw, Joey the Monkey, Benny Bell, Trayman, Izzy Fertel and Tiny Tim
Red Lightning, Professional Nosewhistler Jim Grosso, banjo playing priest George Swanson, Suzanne Muldowney, granny rapper Fruity Nutcake, Stryker, Joey the Monkey, Irene Weidenberner, Kenneth Keith Kallenbach, opera singer Chen Tsun Kit, Margarita Pracatan, Dee Nack the Female Elvis, Moses Josiah and his Musical Saw
April 22, 2017
Beyond Vaudeville Live
PhilaMOCA
Frank Hope & David Greene
Suzanne Muldowney as Underdog, strongman Stanley "Stanless Steel" Pleskun, singer-songwriter Milo Turk (While listed in credits as "BEYOND VAUDEVILLE Episode 75," this was a live stage show recorded in front of a live audience at Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art.)
