Sunday, July 3, 2011

The Catskills Come Alive Again in "Pastrami on Rye with Mayo"


In November 2009, shortly after we started this blog, we wrote about a new comedy show called "Pastrami on Rye with Mayo" that was making its debut in a single performance at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in downtown New York City.

The show follows the onstage and offstage antics of the last four comedians working the Catskill hotels and bungalow colonies. It features the comedy ensemble of Corey Kahaney, Dave Honig, Tom Cotter, and Ross Bennett.

We lost track of the show after that, but we just discovered a nine-minute excerpt that was posted on YouTube last month. It's a good slice of the performance, and packs a lot of the classic one-liners into a short video that we think you'll enjoy.

11 comments:

  1. YOU HIT THE JACKPOT WITH THIS ONE - THANK YOU!

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  2. I saw this show at Century Village in February. Have not laughed this hard since I went to Grossingers when I was a teenager!

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  3. As a musician who played many years at the Concord and the Raleigh I thought this was very good entertainment but made me very sad that it's all gone. I played trombone at Grossingers in 1971,(always during the summer) The Raleigh (1972 and 73) the Concord show band in 1974 and then from 1976 through 1984 two other bands. I had a ball and still have the memories. I still remember playing for Tony Orlando and Dawn July 1974 and the 5th Dimension. Hope to hear from others who can share with me.

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  4. I spent every summer, then YEARS in the Catskills........WHEN they were STILL the Catskills!!!!
    These 4 jokers are the few of the last people to prostitute themselves, trying to portray the Old Catskills Entertainers, (of which my Father, Joe Mauro, was a stand-up comedian there for MANY YEARS in that beautiful area!)...I myself have worked in the Resort Hotels such as the Concord, Grossingers, the Raleigh, Kutcher's, Brown's, Nemerson, Tamarack, Homowack, Nevele, Fallsview, The Granit, Brickman's, the Pines, the Laurels, etc. etc.......not to mention all the smaller hotels and the THOUSANDS of "Bungalow Colonies" (with their maurauding "Bungalow-Bunnies").....All the "Kibbutzers" who worked the hotels...keeping the wives "entertained" during their summer stays while their husbands went "back" to NYC to "work week"!!!! What a concept!!!

    It totally broke my heart to watch these places disappear, putting people like myself, especially my father, (it KILLED him), others like Dick Capri, Mal Z. Lawrence, Freddy Roman, Bill Bernardi, Lenny Bruce, Lenny Schultz, Vic Arnell, Sal Richards, Cavril Payne, Joyce Thorne, Mitzy McCall, Allen & Shane, Tony Darrow & Donna Cellini, and way to many more to name!!!!

    And to "Anonymous, above", who played Trombone at the Concord & the Raleigh.....I was working there at the same time, so I'm SURE you know both myself & my Dad...(During the early 80's, I was the M.C. at the Granit (lastly called "The Hudson Valley Resort and Spa")

    All this did was bring back memories of what was.....and how AWFUL it got toward the end!!!!!!

    The ironic part is....NONE of the "portrayers" in this "show" bore ABSOLUTELY NO RESEMBLANCE OR SIMILARITIES TO WHAT THE CATSKILLS ACTUALLY WERE!!!!!

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    1. I was just speaking about your father with another entertainer yesterday about how much we enjoyed your fathers act.
      I opened for him a couple of times doing corporate dates. I was a comedy juggler.
      The other gentleman was a magician who spoke with high regard for your father as well
      I remember hearing about his passing, and a feeling of sadness that he was gone.
      In the end, it's your body of work that matters most. By that, I mean, not what other people think about you, but knowing you did something great with your life by making people laugh, and for that brief moment on stage, they forgot all their troubles

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    2. Do You Remember my Father Joe Bruno who used to get mistaken for Joe Mauro every time he was at the Fallsview .. Is your name Julie Mauro please let me know .. Joe Bruno Jr jobe152@gmail.com

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    3. I remember him well I worked with him in dining room at the fallsview. Its julie mauro

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  5. to whattaconcept- i worked in the Nevele golf shop in the late 60's and early 70's as a teen and your Dad was there regularly in the summer playing golf with other entertainers. He was one of the nicest of the entertainers and always treated us kids working there well. I may have met you as well since i remember him bringing his son to play- and your mom, from time to time. Those were great days. Lots of fond memories.

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    1. Yep, I am his son, Joe Mauro, Jr. I spent many days playing golf with him and other entertainers at the Nevele,the Fallsview next door, the Homowack, Tamarack, The Concord, Grossingers, the Granit, etc. Etc.etc. I could go on and on. .

      Every year, we would do the Catskill Entertainers Open, at a different hotel course each year. .

      If you wanted to play a serious tournament, you didn't sign up for this, as every foursome had an entertainer in it, and you never knew if someone like Mal Z Lawrence would hit a ball into the woods, then come out bare -butt naked!

      Absolutely great times! !

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    2. Yep, I am his son, Joe Mauro, Jr. I spent many days playing golf with him and other entertainers at the Nevele,the Fallsview next door, the Homowack, Tamarack, The Concord, Grossingers, the Granit, etc. Etc.etc. I could go on and on. .

      Every year, we would do the Catskill Entertainers Open, at a different hotel course each year. .

      If you wanted to play a serious tournament, you didn't sign up for this, as every foursome had an entertainer in it, and you never knew if someone like Mal Z Lawrence would hit a ball into the woods, then come out bare -butt naked!

      Absolutely great times! !

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    3. Just ran across this. We're you a drummer in a band called THUNDER????? I think your wife worked in a bank in Liberty????

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