# Beyond Vaudeville

Beyond Vaudeville is a New York City public-access television show that ran from 1986 to 1996. 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, 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.

## Cast

* Rich Brown as host Frank Hope
* David Greene as himself
* John Walsh as Joey the Dancing Monkey

### Recurring guests

* Lady Betty Aberlin (Mr. Rogers)
* Izzy Fertel (singer)
* Professional nose-whistler Jim Grosso
* M. Vinson Hayes (Marilyn Monroe conspiracy expert)
* Sci-fi expert Ronald Held
* Sci-fi collector Leslie Holcomb
* Suzanne Muldowney (interpretive dancer)
* Dee Nack the Female Elvis Impersonator
* Red Lightning (singer)
* Stryker (singer)
* Arthur Tracy (singer)
* Chairman Steve (poet)
* Tiny Tim (musician)
* Trayman (performs with trays)
* Austin Velez (singer)
* Neil Connie Wallace (comic)

## Episodes

Extended content :
| Episode Number | Date Recorded | Guests | Notable Information |
| 1 | December 9, 1986 | Mason Reese, Underdog dancer Suzanne Muldowney, Kevin & His Friend Bub | |
| 2 | March 2, 1987 | 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 | |
| 8 | February 25, 1988 | Sammy Petrillo (Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla), former Burt Reynolds love interest Sen Tuna | |
| 9 | May 9, 1988 | Quentin Crisp, mother-daughter comedy team Coco & Penny, Konstantin Bokov | |
| 10 | June 13, 1988 | Joe Franklin errand boy Chris Deola, Kerima the bellydancer, Dr. Morris Woodley | |
| 11 | July 19, 1988 | Joyce Randolph with husband Richard Charles, comedian Jackie Jason Exit, Samson St. Clair as Joan Rivers | |
| 12 | August 30, 1988 | Arthur Tracy, actor Marshall Efron | |
| 13 | October 4, 1988 | Joe Franklin, artist Konstantin Bokov, elderly stripper Leola Harlow | |
| 14 | November 22, 1988 | Lisa Sliwa, singer/songwriter Stryker, poet Chairman Steve, Austin Velez | |
| 15 | February 27, 1989 | Entertainment journalist Michael Musto, actor Joe Fleishaker, sci-fi collector Leslie Holcomb | 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 | |
| 21 | September 23, 1989 | Ed Herlihy, Lady Betty Aberlin (Mr. Rogers), singer Starlady, T-shirt maker Martin Forro | |
| 22 | October 21, 1989 | Joey Adams, Geoffrey Holder, Mr. Spoons | |
| 23 | October 21, 1989 | Barry Williams, Wavy Gravy, Sukhreet Gabel | |
| 24 | November 18, 1989 | Diver Dan, Rocky Horror Picture Show Fan Club president Sal Piro, nosewhistler Jim Grosso, comic Al Lawrence | |
| 25 | December 6, 1989 | Little Mike Anderson, musical saw player Moses Josiah, UFO expert | |
| 26 | January 20, 1990 | Professor Irwin Corey, Lady Betty Aberlin, female Elvis impersonator Dee Nack, driving instructor Bert Rapp, sci-fi collector Phil Depardo | |
| 27 | February 17, 1990 | Judy Carne, Page Morton Black, cryonicist Curtis Henderson, singer Al Boland | |
| 28 | June 23, 1990 | Taylor Mead, Ethyl Eichelberger, Baird Jones, Jack the Fire, Frank's Home Movies | |
| 29 | July 28, 1990 | Terry Sweeney, Flying Nun Fan Club president, Dracula dancer Suzanne Muldowney, sci-fi collector Leslie Holcomb | |
| 30 | August 18, 1990 | Marie Wallace, Dave Van Ronk, UFO expert Ellie Crystal, sci-fi collector Leslie Holcomb | |
| 31 | September 17, 1990 | Fred Willard, Underdog dancer Suzanne Muldowney, poet Wolf Pasmanik, comic Lou Baccala Cary | First of two appearances by Fred Willard. |
| 32 | October 27, 1990 | Austin Pendleton, Irene the Gong Show Queen of Long Island, singer Ada Love, Marie-Hélène Parent, Lady Betty Aberlin | |
| 33 | December 1, 1990 | Singer and musician John Wallowitch, singer Buddy Clayton | |
| 34 | December 10, 1990 | NYC News anchor Sue Simmons, musical saw player Moses Josiah, actress Martha Greenhouse, psychic Morris Fonte | |
| 35 | January 26, 1991 | Audrey Landers, David Peel (musician), Alan Abel, Al Jolson impersonator Rich Curtis | |
| 36 | February 20, 1991 | Warner Wolf, Tiny Tim, The Chordettes, comic Dave West | First appearance of Tiny Tim. |
| 37 | March 16, 1991 | Shirley Stoler, Ron Fazio, singer Tommy Ritaco, Robert “Harmonica” Stevens, Pieman Aron Kay | |
| 38 | April 20, 1991 | Dan Lauria, Indian Elvis impersonator Nazar Sayegh, comedian Mildred Katz | |
| 39 | June 8, 1991 | Lew “Clarabell” Anderson, Little Mike Anderson, singer Regis Philbin Jr., sci-fi expert Ronald Held, pogo-stick record holder Ashrita Furman | |
| 40 | June 25, 1991 | Carel Struycken, singer Izzy Fertel, toy collectors Pat Bishow and Lance, sci-fi collector Leslie Holcomb | First television appearance of Izzy Fertel, who became a semi-regular on the program and subsequently appeared on Oddville, MTV and Jimmy Kimmel Live. |
| 41 | July 20, 1991 | 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 | The first of six appearances by William Brown, billed as "Renaissance Man." |
| 53 | September 15, 1992 | Alison Steele, Chauncey Howell, anchor Marvin Scott, William Brown, bagpipe player Dan Armstrong, comic Dave West | In a 2023 interview, William Brown revealed one reason why he danced wildly in the middle of the studio, upstaging Joey the Monkey in the process, when Dan Armstrong played a tune on the bagpipes: to prevent mayhem between Joey and David Greene from breaking out during that number. |
| 54 | October 17, 1992 | Ron Palillo, William Brown, Trayman, Champ the Wonderdog, sci-fi expert Ronald Held | In 2001, William Brown would star in an independent short feature film, Lefty-Right. His boss in the movie was played by the son of Champ the Wonderdog's trainer and owner. |
| 55 | December 22, 1992 | Barton Heyman, William Brown, movie collectors Mike Tower and Arthur Ritzer, dancer Jimmy Del Rio | |
| 56 | February 27, 1993 | Kitty Carlisle Hart, William Brown, Trayman, The Greater Gotham Gaylaxians, songwriter Stryker | |
| 57 | July 6, 1993 | Singing nun Sister Mary Beata Gerrity, Cuban singer Margarita Pracatan, artist Hoop, sci-fi collector Leslie Holcomb, Austin Velez | |
| 58 | August 7, 1993 | Virginia Graham, Monti Rock III, artist Hoop, Frank Sinatra fan Bernice Perry, singer Tommy Ritaco | |
| 59 | September 11, 1993 | Kaye Ballard, Lara Jill Miller, William Brown, singer Red Lightning, comic Arthur of New York | The last of William Brown's six appearances. He would never appear on Oddville, MTV, but would appear in a crowd scene in Times Square in an edition of Jimmy Kimmel Live. |
| 60 | November 20, 1993 | Larry Storch, Banjo-Playing Priest George Swanson, nose-whistler Jim Grosso, Louise Grosso, Trayman, inventor Jack Marchand | |
| 61 | December 18, 1993 | Kim Hunter, Chauncey Howell, singer Margarita Pracatan, singer Red Lightning, angel expert Eileen Freeman | |
| 62 | January 8, 1994 | Actor Michael Berryman, married couple actress Katy Dierlam and artist Ned Sonntag, sci-fi expert John Link, sci-fi collector Leslie Holcomb | |
| 63 | March 7, 1994 | Shirley Jones, Marty Ingels, Trayman, Red Lightning | |
| 64 | April 13, 1994 | 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. |
| 65 | July 16, 1994 | Jimmy Breslin, poet Chairman Steve, Yankees fan Freddie Sez, Al Jolson singer Rich Curtis, actor Marty Gangursky, Kenneth Keith Kallenbach | |
| 66 | October 29, 1994 | 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 | |
| 71 | September 5, 1995 | The Del Rubio Triplets, comic Neil Connie Wallace, comic cabbie Albert Mustakoff, Groom Tiny Tim, Bride Miss Sue | |
| 72 | September 15, 1995 | Johnny Whitaker, Billy Barty, raconteur Leonard Sragow, poet Chairman Steve | |
| 73 | November 27, 1995 | 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 |
| April 18, 1985 | Beyond Vaudeville IV | Speakeasy NYC | Mason Reese | 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 |
| April 30, 1986 | Beyond Vaudeville V | NYU Eisner & Lubin Auditorium | Danny Bonaduce | 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 |
| April 20, 1987 | Beyond Vaudeville Live | NYU Eisner & Lubin Auditorium | Al Lewis | 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” |
| April 15, 1988 | Beyond Vaudeville Live | NYU Eisner & Lubin Auditorium | Adam West | 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 |
| April 11, 1989 | Beyond Vaudeville Live | NYU Eisner & Lubin Auditorium | Sukhreet Gabel | 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 |
| April 19, 1990 | Beyond Vaudeville Live | NYU Eisner & Lubin Auditorium | Peter Tork & Quentin Crisp | 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 |
| May 6, 1991 | Beyond Vaudeville Live | Stand Up New York | Little Mike Anderson | 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 |
| May 11, 1992 | Beyond Vaudeville Live | Carolines on Broadway | Ron Palillo | 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 |
| April 26, 1993 | Beyond Vaudeville Live | Carolines on Broadway | Barbara Feldon | 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 |
| October 28, 1993 | Beyond Vaudeville Live | Carolines on Broadway | Pat Cooper | 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 |
| December 5, 1994 | Beyond Vaudeville Live | Carolines on Broadway | Carol Shaya | 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.) |