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Freddie Roman has conquered comedy and comedy has proclaimed him the Catskills Court Jester! A master entertainer, Freddie stands at the peak of his comedy profession garnering high praise and huge laughs in any venue he performs.
As the creator, packager and star of the ground-breaking Catskills on Broadway, Freddie subscribed to the adage that if Broadway couldn't come to the mountains, he would bring the mountains to Broadway. The show offered a nostalgic and laugh-packed salute to the upstate New York region whose hotels spawned scores of America's foremost performers, writers and directors. It was a new format for the staid Broadway community and earned Freddie critical and audience acclaim as well as a stint on the Tony Awards broadcast. The show has toured across the United States and Canada, reveling in its plaudits. |
Underscoring his growing presence in the entertainment world, Freddie serves as Dean (President) of the New York Friars Club, the oldest and most influential brotherhood in the world of show business. This prestigious entertainment organization, home of the legendary Friars Roasts, has overwhelmingly embraced Freddie's leadership, due in part to his quick wit and comedic observations.
Freddie started out as a teenage comic in the Catskills and then as a young actor at New York University and various stock theaters in the Northeast. However, with the concerns of supporting a growing family, he was forced to shelve his entertainment aspirations. While he obtained a position, and maintained a successful career, as proprietor of a ladies' shoe store, Freddie still longed to return to the applause he earned during his early years as a struggling comedian and actor. With the support of his wife and family, Freddie returned to the world of comedy and rapidly became a hit in the New York area. His personable style and "everyman's' outlook at the world around him won him both fans and friends. Roman's reputation as a warm and witty monologist began to spread as his skill at relating to audiences grew.
The turning point in Freddie's career came during one of his hysterical performances in which the late Totie Fields happened to be in the audience. By the end of his set he had the great comedienne in tears and by the end of the evening she had offered him the opportunity to join her on her nationwide tour. It was a unique invitation as it was rare to have two comedians on the same show. Freddie soon developed a national following. He has maintained his comedy status throughout the country, performing for audiences in all of the major resorts from Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas to Harrah's in Atlantic City.
Freddie completed a one-year engagement at the Trump Castle in Atlantic City, starring in his own show Tonight Live. He made his motion picture debut in the critically acclaimed Sweet Lorraine, co-starring Maureen Stapleton. He also starred in his own television special The Big Room for Comedy Central as well as his appearances on their televised Friars Club Roasts.
When not performing on the road, Freddie spends time with his wife Ethel in New Jersey. His leisure time is anything but relaxing, however, as he devotes his free time for an inordinately large number of charities. One of which includes hosting his own Freddie Roman Celebrity Golf Classic which benefits area hospitals. His daughter Judi is a former Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney and she and her husband Dr. Serle Levin are the producers of three of Freddie and Ethel's grandchildren - Michael Oliver, Madeline Emma, and Andrew Levin. His son Alan is a TV writer and producer of such shows as Dear John, Anything But Love, Baby Talk, Coach, Yes, Dear and Center of the Universe. Alan and his wife Vicki are the parents of Molly Eve Kirschenbaum.
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