Marx Brothers’ expert Noah Diamond to return to Freedonia Marxonia

For Freedonia Marxonia 2021, author, performer and Marx Brothers expert Noah Diamond will return virtually in a sequel to his 2020 presentation “Home Again: The Marx Brothers and New York City.”

With this year’s theme, “The Marx Brothers: Coast-to-Coast,” the brothers’ history expands geographically beyond New York City, where the Marx brothers were born and started their careers, to additional places in the nation where they resided, performed on stages, filmed movies and appeared on radio and television shows.

On Friday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m., Mr. Diamond’s “There’s Nothing Like Liberty: The Marx Brothers and America” will debut as a free live stream event from Diamond’s home in Manhattan. All are welcome to view this program about the Marx Brothers’ experiences across the United States. As the date gets closer, the streaming link will be available on the Freedonia Marxonia website - fredonia.libguides.com/marxonia

Freedonia Marxonia is an annual festival at the State University of New York at Fredonia that celebrates the connection between the Village of Fredonia and “Freedonia,” the fictional setting of the 1933 Marx Brothers’ movie “Duck Soup.” The Marx Brothers were comedic stars of vaudeville, Broadway, movies, radio and television in the first part of the 20th century. In 1987, Fredonia student Doug Canham spearheaded the creation of Freedonia Marxonia: Marx Brothers Film Festival and Symposium.

There will not be a reception or other in-person group activities this year, but there will be the annual art contest and a small display in Fredonia’s Reed Library. The display, to run from Wednesday, Sept. 28 through Sunday, Oct. 17, will consist of a sampling of previous years’ art submissions and all submissions from 2020 and 2021. 

In 2014, Diamond, who has vast knowledge of the Marx Brothers, was one of the organizers of Marxfest, a city-wide, month-long celebration of the Marx Brothers in New York City. He was the creative force behind the 2016 Off-Broadway revival of the Marx Brothers’ 1924 musical “I’ll Say She Is,” in which he also performed in Groucho’s role. Diamond is currently a co-host of the Marx Brothers Council Podcast.

Diamond is the author of the books “Gimme a Thrill: The Story of I'll Say She Is, the Lost Marx Brothers Musical, and How it was Found;” “Love Marches On” and “400 Years in Manhattan.” He has also written several essays, such as “Anatomy of a Moustache,” included in “That’s Me, Groucho! The Solo Career of Groucho Marx,” by Matthew Coniam. He is the writer and performer of “400 Years in Manhattan,” an award-winning show at the 2019 United Solo Theatre Festival in New York City.

Freedonia Marxonia has been honored to have Diamond as guest speaker twice. In 2017, he was in Fredonia to give a presentation of his illustrated lecture “The Marx Brothers on Broadway: 1924-1929” at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House. In 2020, he was the virtual guest speaker with “Home Again: The Marx Brothers and New York City,” which remains available for viewing on YouTube. (“Home Again” is the name of one of the Marx Brothers’ vaudeville acts; “There’s Nothing Like Liberty” is a line from their 1929 movie “The Cocoanuts.”)

All ages and skill levels are welcome to participate in the art contest, using any medium (including items found around the house or in nature) to create renditions of one or more of the Marx brothers. Artwork can be realistic, stylized, caricatured, etc. It can be drawn, painted, sculpted, constructed or formed in any original way. Entries (along with those submitted in 2020) will be eligible for cash prizes: $100 first prize, $75 second, $50 third, and will be part of the display running from Sept. 28 through Oct. 17 in Reed Library. Artwork is due by Sept. 28

Diamond’s program is made possible through the support of the Fredonia College Foundation's Carnahan Jackson Fund for the Humanities and the Hahn Family Freedonia Marxonia Fund. The art contest and the continuation of Freedonia Marxonia are supported through the Hahn Family Freedonia Marxonia Fund.

For the third year, Founders Day is partnering with Freedonia Marxonia. Founders Day was initiated in 2017 to foster appreciation of the legacy of the village residents whose vision and significant financial backing helped establish a Normal School in Fredonia in 1867. There is a link to a virtual exhibit about the founding of the university on the Freedonia Marxonia website. The exhibit is curated by Amanda Shepp and Pat Cummings-Witter of Reed Library’s Special Collections & Archives Division. 

For more information and questions about artwork submissions, go to the online guide, or contact Cindy Yochym, the event’s coordinator/organizer, via email.