The pair cobbled together
a committee, which included
Bob Ricken, Vicki Mazel, Claire
Levitan, Gloria Beck Judith Tane
and Board Member Fred Chernow
and began knocking ideas around,
trying to determine exactly what
their first project would be, what
they’d present to the Board for
the approval required to get what
would become “NST Live on Tape”
off the ground. As is common with
any new venture, emotions and
excitement can easily obfuscate the
realities of its undertaking, most
notably encapsulated by the famous
film trope, born from the mythical
silver screen quote (that was never
actually uttered) “My uncle has a
barn; let’s put on a show!”, which
arose from a series of films, starring
Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland
film, starting with 1939’s “Babes
in Arms.” In each, just as the pair
have run out of luck, Rooney comes
up with the idea of putting on a
show, serving as the turning point
after which a huge musical seems
to magically appear.
With more than a half century of
television production experience,
Wershba knew better. Mounting
a show, whether staged, filmed or
televised, is hard work, even with
a professional studio and film crew
(like that at CBS) at one’s disposal.
Despite the talents and commendable
work of Towers Video
Productions stalwarts, John Virga
and Marty Ragusa, the pair were
already spread thin, covering the
many weekly NST events and handling
the daily updates of the public
information screens in the building
lobbies and Arcade, among many
other responsibilities. Work on any
new projects would be limited to
what little time remained within
their prodigious schedules, utilizing
their office space and equipment.
Even the worthiest of ideas would
be doomed to failure if too grandiose
in scope.
Keeping this in mind, Wershba
proposed a re-examination of the
subject matter for a story she produced
in 1987 during her stint on
“60 Minutes.” Reported by correspondent
Diane Sawyer, “Smile,
Darn You, Smile!” discussed the
positive effects of humor on the
immune system. The title of the
piece was inspired by a 1931 song,
“Smile, Darn Ya, Smile!”, introduced
by a singing fox in a Merrie
Melodies cartoon of the same name.
The study of healing through
laughter has continued, since the
program’s initial airing, as has
Wershba’s interest in the subject.
Her familiarity with producing such
a piece would bolster any misgivings
or lack of confidence fellow
committee members may experience
during production. Plus, the
theme was one with which anyone
could speak without feeling overwhelmed
and had a good chance
at being likeable and accessible to
the most critical of viewers.
With unanimous approval
from the Board, Special Projects
Chair Bob Ricken enthusiastically
took the project under his
purview. Though, not appearing
in “Laughter,” Ricken contributed
to its earliest exploratory sitdowns,
as the show’s format was
being defined. Originally, Wershba
envisioned filming in the Arcade,
hoping to elicit passers-by to stop
and partake in the discussion on
humor. Unfortunately, too few people
in the Arcade and even fewer
willing to participate made this
idea untenable, as did the lenient
schedule under which videographers
Virga and Ragusa had at their
disposal. Thus, a format more in
keeping with such small-screen
talk shows as “The McLaughlin
Group” was adopted with a moderator
overseeing a quartet of
commentators.
“Laughter” made its debut
last month, featuring Executive
Producer Wershba as Moderator
and Vicki Mazel, Judith Tane,
Danny Appel and Fred Chernow
as commentators. Though sleek
at little more than thirty minutes,
it surpasses its forebear by about
20 minutes. And unlike its “60
Minutes” predecessor, it incorporates
more than a single reporter’s
POV, including a firsthand personal
experience of humor and healing
by Mazel, who also contributed
one of her signature raps to introduce
the show.
Marty Ragusa had more than an
hour of tape to edit. When Wershba
saw the rough-cut, she was pleasantly
surprised to find the talented
videographer had not only included
clips from the original “60 Minutes”
segment by which “Laughter” was
inspired, but also additional curated
and interwove TV and movie clips.
From “The Jack Benny Show” to
“Seinfeld,” as well as moments from
today’s stand-up comedians, the
clips serve to exemplify and enhance
points of discussion and create a
more robust viewing experience.
Wershba, Mazel, Tane and Phyllis
Teplitz all helped in shaping the
final cut, trimming the discussion
and media clips where necessary.
“Make ’em Laugh,” the iconic
paean to laughter from “Singin’
in the Rain,” was one Ragusa was
reluctant to cut, though Wershba
and her crew felt it too long. The
solution came from Wershba, who
suggested running the show credits
during the long song clip. It proves
the perfect coda to the piece and
ensures viewers will remain glued to
their sets until the end, allowing the
people responsible for the inaugural
“NST Live on Tape!” show to get
the credit they deserve.
“So far, we have a hit on our
hands,” Wershba said of the
response she’s received since
“Laughter” made its debut. Viewers
especially liked the comedic clips,
a practice Wershba intends to carry
over to future productions. “People
like the nostalgia—things which
remind them of how things used
to be and how they are today. How
the world has changed.”
She intends to keep the tone
of “NST Live on Tape!” light, not
heavy-handed, and always strike a
balance of men and women on the
panels. “I’d like organic shows with
rotating members.” To that end,
she’s already started recruiting for
her next episode, which will explore
the history of news, another subject
with which Wershba is intimately
familiar. “From tom-toms to ‘fake’
news,” she explained.
Newcomer Ralph Edwards has
been pegged to research news in the
‘40s and ‘50s. As the Chair of NST
Men’s Club’s Book Club, Edwards
was originally approached on a
possible episode exploring these
havens for bibliophiles. Wershba
also plans on looking at language;
how certain words and phrases
originate, become popular, then
fall out of favors from generation
to generation, as well as a similar
study on different foods.
Meanwhile, the work on her history
of the news continues apace
with spring as its target airing. “I
would love to have a new program
once a month, but I don’t think
that’s practical given the current
limitations. I’d like to see more
participation and for it to continue
to be a hit show.”
Even decades removed from
retirement, Wershba’s never lost
her itch for journalism. “I still love
it and I still miss it.
Make ’em Laugh
Test filming for "Laughter" began in April 2017; (l. to r.) Producer Shirley Wershba, Danny Appel and
Vicki Mazel Photo by Stephen Vrattos
March 2018 ¢ NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER 13