I was lucky to attend a portion of Marx Fest in Manhattan, celebrating all things Marx Brothers. The area itself is of significance to the brothers and there were numerous interesting events held throughout the Manhattan portion as well as the later Coney Island part of the festival.

At the 3 West Club, attendees were treated to the event kickoff and a fabulous presentation by Katherine Eastman, Archives manager of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation. Here, she shared information about Hirscheld’s art, the materials he used, and particularly his depictions of the Marx Brothers. She also delved into the fun of seeking a “Nina” (or several!) in Hirschfeld’s art.

It was also such a delight for me to meet Noah Diamond in-person, who coordinated this event and is also an active preservationist of all things Marx. Noah portrayed Groucho in a special revival of I’ll Say She Is. In addition, he has been a fabulous resource to me regarding the Marx Brothers’ time in Chicago.

Next, author and editor Adam Gopnik presented about the personal and professional connection between Groucho Marx and S. J. Perelman.

Following Gopnik’s presentation was a conversation with Kevin C. Fitzpatrick and Christopher Hart, son of Kitty Carlisle and Moss Hart. Hart focused mostly upon discussing his parents and their impactful work in the theatre, in addition to promoting the revival of Hart’s Merrily We Roll Along.

Finally, John Tefteller offered a delightful multimedia presentation of unheard Marx Brothers rarities from his collection of rare records. Tefteller worked as an audio engineer and archivist for Groucho Marx, offering especially interesting anecdotes and extremely rare audio and video clips.

Finally, I had the joy of seeing Duck Soup (1933) at the United Palace–an absolute gem of a theatre. Enjoying the legacy of laughter that the Marx Brothers left behind is, in my opinion, best celebrating by enjoying their output the way it was meant to be seen–on the big screen and in the thick of an audience roaring with laughter.