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Start spreading the news! The hilarious live evening of comedy Worst Audition Ever is headed to the Big Apple for a night of big laughs! After a successful year-long run in Hollywood (six versions and about a dozen shows), Worst Ever Productions is proud to present its first installment of the cult-hit evening of comedy Worst Audition Ever in New York City at Joe's Pub - produced by the talented creator Christine Lakin (Step by Step), the equally talented Alec Ledd (aka Alaa Khaled), along with Daniel A. Miles and Corri English. The ticket proceeds from this performance of Worst Audition Ever will be donated to The Actors Fund. Christine Lakin tells us, "New York was something we always wanted to do to represent actors from the other coast. I couldn't think of a better cause to conjoin with it than The Actors Fund. I'm also a board member of the Hollywood SAG-AFTRA so it seemed fitting." The night of laughs in New York is this Monday (June 18, 2012) at 9:30PM. More info is below but Christine tells us "doing it in New York is a totally different beast because the way people audition in New York is so different than the way people audition in Los Angeles. New York is primarily theater based and LA is very much a film and television world. The things people are asked to do in a musical theater audition can feel so outlandish to somebody who makes their living in film and television and I think that is what a lot of this crowd in NY is going to really impart with their stories."

So what is this show about? Forget the terrible auditions on reality competition shows like American Idol, this show has stories of true auditions from known artists and they are funnier without bashing anyone. Worst Audition Ever is an evening of comedy about a group of artists (actors, directors, dancers, etc.) telling their real stories about the all too familiar audition process. The format is simple - a blank stage with one microphone - making the shared stories truly intimate and personal. For anyone who has ever had an embarrassing moment "putting themselves out there" in the name of art, Worst Audition Ever presents a wry and candid evening of some of the most awkward moments in artistic vulnerability – because pain is best served funny and with cocktails. The show was conceived around a circle of friends drinking beer and telling war stories about their artistic lives. The darkly funny, off-the-wall material that ensued is what conceptualized the show. Some of LA's funniest comedians have graced the stage revealing their awful, hysterical tales. Painfully true, mutually hilarious and completely cathartic, Worst Audition Ever has built an underground following playing small clubs in Los Angeles and building a viral fan base since April 2011.

Many celebrities have done the show in Hollywood over the past year including Danielle Fishell (Boy Meets World), James Denton (Desperate Housewives), Kelly Stables (The Exes), Matt Moy (2 Broke Girls), Autumn Reeser (ABC's upcoming Last Resort), Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and director Andy Fickman (You Again). The stories they share are hilarious and at the same time easy to listen to! Danielle Fishell shared her audition stories for the horror movie Cabin Fever and the soap The Bold and the Beautiful--on the same day and two genres she requested never to do! Kelly Stables shared a comical story about an audition on the short-lived sitcom Cavemen where she had to play... a cave boy! And director Andy Fickman shared stories of auditions he witnessed including a mom filling in for a sick eight year-old for the part of an eight year-old...gotta love stage moms. Priceless fun!

Future plans are already underway for the show, as Christine tells us, "we are currently developing a TV pilot around the idea. And I would ultimately like to do two big shows a year in LA and two in NY. If people want us to come somewhere and put on a show, we're very open to that." The possibilities and laughter are endless for Worst Ever Productions! But for now, don't miss out seeing the show in person. As mentioned earlier, if you're in the New York metro area, your chance to see this entertaining and comical show is this coming Monday (June 18) at 9:30PM (doors open at 9) at Joe's Pub at 425 Lafayette Street near Astor Place. The New York show will have a New York/theater feel to it with the show being hosted by Daniel Reichard (Jersey Boys original cast, The Midtown Men). Christine says, "theater, as any actors knows is probably one of the most brutal industry in some way--it's physically demanding, it's over and over every night, it's relentless, but people do it because they really really love it." And reciting their worst auditions ever for the NY themed show will be: Tyler Maynard (Altar Boyz, Little Mermaid), Kevin Duda (The Book of Mormon, Les Liaisons Dangereuses), Jena Friedman (writer for Late Night With David Letterman), Jenna Leigh Green (Wicked, For the Record: Baz Luhrman), John West (The Drowsy Chaperone, Newsical the Musical), Cheryl Stern (La Cage Aux Folles, Candide). Directing for the evening will be Kristin Hanggi (Rock of Ages, Surf the Musical). As a preview to this evening in NY, Christine says, "there is a story this time around for an actress who did a part for over a year and then was asked to re-audition...for her part! This was a part she did for many many performances on Broadway, and then was asked to re-audition and then didn't get it. It's so unfathomable that you can't even believe people go through that kind of pain, which is why we have to laugh at it." It's certainly going to be a night of New York style fun, so come out and watch! I think for those who have seen the show in LA, know it is really cool and they wouldn't want to miss any show!

Finally, the new Worst Audition Ever website is now up and running and is very well designed. It has all the information you need on this comedic show, with videos of past performances, pictures, and of course a schedule of upcoming shows. There's even a theme song! For a preview of what this show is like, check out a video montage of past performances below.

Tickets for the June 18 show in NY are $20 with a two drink minimum and can be purchased at the Worst Audition Ever website's Tickets section.

Related links:

Worst Audition Ever Official Website
Joe's Pub Official Website
Worst Audition on Facebook
Worst Audition on Twitter
Worst Audition on YouTube
Our Seven Questions Interview with Christine Lakin from August, 2011

Moving on, Todd has a look back at the career of Frank Cady.

Frank Cady, a character actor best known for his role as storekeeper Sam Drucker on Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies, has died. Cady died on June 8 at his home in Wilsonville, OR. No information on cause of death has been provided. Mr. Cady was 96.

Cady's acting career in Hollywood began with appearances in plays in Los Angeles. This led to movie roles in D.O.A., Father of the Bride, The Ashphalt Jungle, When Worlds Collide, Ace in the Hole (aka The Big Carnival), Rear Window, The Bad Seed and 7 Faces of Dr. Lao. Some of his early sitcom appearances included Life with Luigi, December Bride, Private Secretary and The Gale Storm Show. In 1960, he played the town drunk in an episode of Make Room for Daddy that served as the pilot episode of The Andy Griffith Show. Cady played the role of neighbor Doc Williams on The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet in 60 episodes over 12 years.

His best known role was as general-store owner Sam Drucker on Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies. He became the only actor to play a recurring character on three television sitcoms at the same time when he did it in 1968-69. Cady first appeared as Sam Drucker on Petticoat Junction in 1963. He was on the show for the entire 7 season run and appeared in approximately 166 of the sitcom's 222 episodes. In 1965, he began appearing on Green Acres. During the 6 season run of the show, he appeared in 142 or more episodes. His final acting appearance was in the 1990 television movie Return to Green Acres. Cady made 10 appearances on The Beverly Hillbillies in 1968-70. His character operated a bank in the later episodes of the series. Visit his IMDB page for a complete listing of his film and television credits.

Cady's wife, Shirley, died on August 22, 2008, at age 91. They had been married 68 years. He is survived by two children — daughter, Catherine Turk; son, Steven Cady; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. His Sam Drucker character was so friendly and beloved. He has said that he was playing himself, so it seemed like he was a wonderful and genuinely nice man. In addition to his lengthy acting career, he earned a degree from Stanford University and served in the military in World War II. Mr. Cady lived a long and productive life. He will be deeply missed.

As we reported last week, Green Acres is coming to MeTV starting next week. They will air it Wednesdays at 9:00pm & 9:30pm as part of Hillbillies & Hooterville Wednesdays and on Saturdays at 6:00pm & 6:30pm. MeTV already airs The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction, so they have all three of his series covered. They have been paying tribute this week with episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction featuring his Sam Drucker character.

What are your favorite Frank Cady memories? Discuss them on our message board.