ALAN OPPENHEIMER (Jess Oppenheimer) has made countless television appearances that run the gamut—from Nazi colonel on Hogan’s Heroes, to Israeli secret agent on Get Smart, to Klingon cleric on Star Trek: The Next Generation. His regular TV roles include Dr. Rudy Wells—the scientist who put all the bionic stuff into The Six Million Dollar Man, Police Captain Finnerty on Eischeid, Mayor Alvin B. Tutweiler on Mama’s Family, and Candace Bergen’s network boss, Eugene Kinsella, on Murphy Brown, for which he received an Emmy nomination. One of the animation industry’s top voice artists, Oppenheimer has provided the voice of such well-known characters as Mighty Mouse, “Skeletor” on He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, “Ming the Merciless” on Flash Gordon, “Pa Kent” on Superman, and “Vanity Smurf” on The Smurfs. He appeared as Cecil B. DeMille in Andrew Lloyd Weber’s 1994 Broadway production of Sunset Boulevard.

PHIL PROCTOR (Walter Winchell, Desi Arnaz, Jell-O Jingle Singer) is a founding member of The Firesign Theatre comedy group and a 15-year member of North Hollywood's celebrated Antaeus Classical Ensemble, recently playing Giles Corey in The Crucible. He’s appeared on Broadway, off-Broadway, in scores of films, radio, video games and TV shows, and voiced Seahorse Bob in Finding Nemo, the Drunken French Monkey in Dr. Dolittle, Dr. Vidic in the Assassin's Creed game, and Howard DeVille on the Emmy-winning Rugrats, honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He's won Theatre World, LA Weekly and Drama Critics’ awards, and was cited as Best Actor by the LA Free Press. Proctor’s many other voice credits include Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Iron Giant, Toy Story, Spirited Away, Monsters, Inc., and The Princess and the Frog. He is also featured in the independent film, Window of Opportunity.

NANCY TRAVIS (Lucille Ball) is currently appearing in Last Man Standing as Tim Allen’s wife on ABC. She has performed in a number of films including Three Men and a Baby, So, I Married An Ax Murderer, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Internal Affairs and The Vanishing. Her first love remains the Theater, having performed on Broadway in I’m Not Rappaport, at the Geffen Playhouse in Boy Gets Girl, and at the La Jolla Playhouse in My Children, My Africa. She is thrilled to be in such distinguished company for this reading of I Love Lucy: The Untold Story.

WILLIAM SCHALLERT (Hubbell Robinson) is probably best known for his roles as Patty Duke's dad on The Patty Duke Show, Dobie Gillis's wise teacher on The Many Lives of Dobie Gillis, the aged “Admiral” on Get Smart, and “Federation Undersecretary for Agricultural Affairs” on the Star Trek episode “The Trouble with Tribbles.” He has had featured acting roles in such memorable films as The High and the Mighty, Pillow Talk, Lonely Are the Brave, In the Heat of the Night, Twilight Zone: The Movie, and Innerspace. Schallert’s countless TV appearances include such classic series as The Jack Benny Program, Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Perry Mason, Mission Impossible, The Lucy Show, Gunsmoke, and The Waltons, and more recently, How I Met Your Mother, Desperate Housewives, True Blood, and the HBO movie Recount. He served as the President of the Screen Actors Guild from 1977 to 1979.

IVAN CURY (Harry Ackerman) began acting on Let’s Pretend at the age of 11. He appeared on programs such as Cavalcade of America, The Electric Theater, Theatre Guild on the Air, The Jack Benny Program, Mr. President, Dr. Christian and many others. He is perhaps best known as Portia’s son on Portia Faces Life and Bobby on Bobby Benson and The B-Bar-B Riders. After receiving a BFA from Carnegie Tech, and an MFA from Boston University, Ivan began working as a producer-director. His work includes Camera Three’s 25th Anniversary of the Julliard String Quartet, The Harkness Ballet, Actor’s Choice and Soul! as well as The Doctors and The Young and the Restless. He created numerous television commercials, notably for The Men’s Wearhouse. Cury taught at The New School, Hunter and Adelphi Colleges in New York, and at UCLA and Cal State University, Los Angeles. He is the author of two books on Television Production.

STUFFY SINGER (Don Sharpe), a regular on radio’s Jack Benny Program, appeared on over 700 radio shows, including The Bob Hope Show, The Great Gildersleeve, Suspense, The Lux Radio Theatre, Fibber McGee and Molly, Our Miss Brooks, and Amos ’n’ Andy. He co-starred in Hollywood’s first regularly-scheduled scripted TV series—Sandy Dreams, with Jill St. John and West Side Story’s Richard Beymer, then played “Donnie” on Beulah (starring Hattie McDaniel, then Louise Beavers) and “Alexander Bumstead” on Blondie. Singer’s more than 500 TV credits include Burns and Allen, Lassie, Leave It to Beaver, My Three Sons, Ozzie & Harriet, My Little Margie, The Patty Duke Show, and The Bill Cosby Show. His movie roles include providing the voices of two of the “Lost Boys” in Disney’s Peter Pan. A champion at football, baseball, tennis, table tennis, and handball, Singer was inducted in 1994 into the U.S. Handball Association Hall of Fame.

DICK VAN PATTEN (William S. Paley), best known as patriarch Tom Bradford on TV’s Eight Is Enough, started showbiz as a child actor on Broadway in 1937. He went on to appear in a total of 27 Broadway plays and more than 600 radio shows, including Duffy’s Tavern and The Cavalcade of America. Moving on to television, he starred in the 1949-1957 TV series Mama, and then Eight is Enough in 1977. Patten also appeared in scores of other TV shows, including Sanford and Son, Banacek, Cannon, The Streets of San Francisco, Happy Days, and Arrested Development. He acted alongside Charlton Heston and Edward G. Robinson in the 1973 film Soylent Green, and has appeared in several Mel Brooks films, including High Anxiety, Spaceballs, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. In 1985 he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

TOMMY COOK (Milton Biow) was discovered by the legendary Arch Oboler, who starred young Tommy in such award-winning radio shows as Everyman’s Theater and Plays for Americans. He was Alexander on radio’s Blondie, Junior on The Life of Riley, and Little Beaver on The Adventures of Red Ryder (and the movie serial of the same name). TV credits include Dragnet, The Untouchables, Perry Mason, and CHiPs. His animation voice work includes The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, The Funky Phantom, and Aquaman. Cook won the Photoplay Award for best leading performance for his starring role in the The Vicious Years. His other movie acting credits include Tarzan and the Leopard Woman, Humoresque, and Night Passage, and he wrote the story for the film Rollercoaster. A top-ranked junior tennis player, Cook created a media sensation by signing Bobby Riggs to play Billie Jean King in a match known as The Battle of the Sexes.

TONY DOW (Marc Daniels) is best known for the role of Wally on Leave It To Beaver. He later joined the cast of General Hospital and also appeared on such other shows as My Three Sons, Dr. Kildare, Mr. Novak, Lassie, Emergency!, Quincy, M.E., The Mod Squad, Knight Rider, and Murder, She Wrote. He reprised his role as Wally in The New Leave It to Beaver (1983-1989), and directed several episodes of that series, as well as Harry and the Hendersons, Coach, Babylon 5, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Dow, who was visual effects supervisor for Babylon 5 and the 1996 Doctor Who TV film, is now a serious and respected sculptor—one of his bronzes was chosen for the Salon 2008 de la National des Beaux Arts in Paris. He was one of only two U.S. sculptors selected to exhibit at this annual juried show at the Carrousel du Louvre.

MELINDA PETERSON (Vivian Vance, Telephone Operator) A professional actor for 40 years, Ms. Peterson has appeared at regional theaters across the country. She has received acting honors for her work in Los Angeles productions of The Ladies of the Camellias, Candy & Shelly Go to the Desert, Peace in Our Time, The Illustrated Woman, Fools Die Fast, and The Man Who Had All the Luck. Most recently she appeared at the Parker Playhouse as Agatha Christie in Agatha Christie and the BBC Murders. She is a founding member of The Antaeaus Company, Los Angeles’s premier classical ensemble company, has made numerous guest appearances on television and appears in the soon-to-be-released independent feature I’m Harry Clark. Ms. Peterson writes, performs and teaches radio comedy and technique with her darling husband Phil Proctor, and lives in L. A. with her three even more darling cats.

CAMDEN SINGER (Woman in Jergens Commercial, Betty Garrett, Hubbell Robinson’s Secretary, Jell-O Jingle Singer) has been seen on such television shows as Criminal Minds, Desperate Housewives and The Mentalist. With over 150 TV commercials under her belt, this bicoastal actress is making it happen on both coasts! Camden is thrilled to be sharing the sound waves with her dad, Stuffy.

RABBI MORLEY FEINSTEIN (Second Announcer, Richard Denning, Jell-O Jingle Singer) grew up on the Westside of Los Angeles and attended Beverly Hills High School. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with Highest Honors from UC Berkeley. Ordained in 1981, he was the Assistant and first Associate Rabbi of Temple Beth-El in San Antonio, Texas. From 1987 to 2002, he was Senior Rabbi of Temple Beth-El in South Bend, Indiana. During his tenure there he received Indiana’s highest citizen honor by the Governor for his efforts in promoting peace and justice. He is beginning his twelfth year as the Head Rabbi of University Synagogue.

LANCE KINSEY (First Announcer, Ralph Levy, CBS Executive) is an alumnus of Chicago's famed Second City Theatre, where he wrote and starred in several consecutive revues and was nominated for two Joseph Jefferson awards for writing and acting in an ensemble. He is probably best known to audiences as “Proctor,” the supercilious sidekick of Commandant Mauser and Captain Harris in the Police Academy film series. Lance’s other film credits include Hero, National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1, and Krippendorf’s Tribe, among others. He has taught acting and improv at high schools and colleges including Vanderbilt University and Columbia College, as well as at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre. Lance's writing career began when the first screenplay he wrote was awarded first prize in the prestigious American Cinema Foundation Screenwriting Competition. He has written and produced for television and film and just completed production on the comedy feature All-Stars, which Lance wrote, directed and produced.

GREGG BERGER (Third Announcer, Bob LeMond, Eliot Daniel, Martin Leeds) was named by Animation Magazine as one of the “Top 15 Voice Actors of the New Generation.” He’s voiced many iconic animated characters, including “Odie,” “Squeak,” “Harry,” and “Herman” on The Garfield Show on Cartoon Network, “Cornfed Pig” on Duckman, “Agent K” on Men In Black, “Grimlock” on Transformers, and “The Gromble” on Ahhh!!! Real Monsters! He once even had a blind date with “Judy Jetson” as “Curly Quasar” on The Jetsons. Berger’s on-camera TV credits include St. Elsewhere, Becker, The Drew Carey Show, Wings, L.A. Law, Quantum Leap, Night Court, and Perfect Strangers. His feature film credits include Dreamgirls, Police Academy: Mission to Moscow and Spaced Invaders. He has appeared on stage with The Groundlings, in Loose Lips (Los Angeles and New York), and in Repertory Theater.

DORA PEARSON (Merce, Chock full o'Nuts Jingle Singer, Jell-O Jingle Singer) has an extensive background as an actress and musical comedy performer touring worldwide. Dora’s credits include a featured role in the first national tour and other companies of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas alongside Alexis Smith and Edie Adams. She was a singing showgirl and an original cast member of Hello Hollywood Hello at the MGM Grand, and later starred in a musical revue aboard The Golden Odyssey, cruising the Mediterranean. As the first female performing member of Sha Na Na, Dora toured worldwide and appeared in music videos as well as on TV shows, including Solid Gold and The Fall Guy. She was also nominated for an Atlas Award for her performance in An Inspector Calls at San Diego’s legendary Old Globe Theater.

CANTOR JAY FRAILICH (Jell-O Jingle Singer, Stagehand) has made University Synagogue his home since 1974. He is a graduate of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Fostering a sense of spirit, excitement and appreciation for Jewish music and worship, Cantor has been responsible for commissioning more than 30 major liturgical works and dozens of single pieces during his tenure here. He is also a gifted teacher who brings his unique blend of knowledge, humor and vision to both children and adults. In addition to his teaching duties at the Synagogue, he is a professor of Liturgical Studies at the Academy of Jewish Religion.

GREGG OPPENHEIMER (Playwright, Director), son of I Love Lucy creator-producer-head writer Jess Oppenheimer, began his “comedy career” at age four, when his father introduced him to Lucille Ball on the set of I Love Lucy. Kneeling down, a smiling Lucy asked Gregg, “Where did you get those big brown eyes?” His deadpan reply: “They came with the face.” Lucy nearly fell over laughing. In 1996 Gregg gave up a successful career as partner in the international law firm of O’Melveny & Myers to complete his late father’s unfinished memoir, Laughs, Luck…and Lucy. He produced the award-winning I Love Lucy DVDs for CBS and Paramount Home Entertainment, and has directed scores of radio plays on both coasts, including his own I Love Lucy: The Untold Story (based on his father’s memoir). Broadcast nationwide on SiriusXM Radio, the play is now available on iTunes and Amazon.com.

return to event page