I’m Marty Schmelky…revered in the New York entertainment world as the producer extraordinaire of such box office smashes as The Phantom of the Banana; Annie Get Your Banana; Fiddler on the Banana; The Best Little Banana in Texas; Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Banana; and Gentlemen Prefer Bananas. Now I’m taking it over the top to create my latest show, Banana Shpeel at the Beacon Theatre. With my outrageous style and “anything goes” attitude, Banana Shpeel is under new management and heading in new creative territory. Come back soon because I’ll be sharing secrets from behind the scenes.

Schmelky here with information about my latest show, Banana Shpeel at the Beacon Theatre. We’ve mixed many different ingredients together, I’m a bit overwhelmed, and now I realize Banana Shpeel needs more time to ripen. The truth is, my friends, that the bananas are still a little green. I’ve been in this business a lot of years and one thing I know for sure… this show must be just like me: bold, wacky and colorful. So, come back often and I’ll let you know what’s happening at our rehearsals as we prepare for the first preview performance on April 29 at the Beacon.

Now that I’m in charge of Banana Shpeel, the cast is working extra hard to impress me with their best moves…no one is safe from the chopping block! Rehearsals are humming along with lots of dance, comedy and circus arts. Here’s a few shots snapped by my peeps.

These guys not only perform the funny stuff in Banana Shpeel, but one of them will be forced to marry my sister.

Today is Fast Food Friday at Banana Shpeel. After spending the week eating at fancy schmancy places on the Upper West Side, we let ourselves go on Fridays. Today, it was the Shake Shack over on Columbus and 77th. Sure, I love filet mignon and foie gras, but sometimes a guy needs a simple burger and milkshake.

If you have complimentary tickets that were given away at the Open House for the cancelled shows on March 18, 19 and 20, here’s how you get new tickets: Starting Monday, March 15, go to the Beacon Theatre box office between 11am and 7pm, hand in your old tickets and you will receive new tickets (you must bring the original tickets). Tickets must be exchanged on or before the original performance date. The Beacon Theatre box office is located at 2124 Broadway (between West 74th & 75th streets)

I’m excited to share an impressive part of Banana Shpeel as a sneak peek.

On Wednesday morning, the beautiful Foot Juggler Vanessa Alvarez will be featured on the Univision morning show “Despierta America” with an amazing performance and interview.

I’ve got to start the week looking good as we move forward on Banana Shpeel. The cast and crew had Sunday off, which was a gorgeous spring day in New York. Now, it’s a rainy Monday morning, but I’ve always got to look dapper, so I get a little help from my friends.

The dancers are busy working on new material and it’s hot, hot, hot. But, even they need a break to recharge and refuel. During lunch, dancers Robyn and Kassie relax at the Viand Café next to the Beacon.

Ya know what they say…Idle hands are the devil’s workshop. So, I keep my hands busy with stogies and my magic banana. That banana has been my lucky rabbit’s foot for years and has helped me produce the best shows in the Big Apple. Just one wave of that banana, and amazing things can happen.

I’ve been in this business for a long time and I’ve seen a lot of crazy things…but if you want to drive YOURSELF crazy, bring together a group of wacked-out comic characters, put them in a blender and push the “hyper speed” button…and then stand back, way back and get ready for comic anarchy. They look calm now, but it doesn’t take much to get them going.

As the producer of Banana Shpeel, I’m like the conductor of an orchestra making all the music come together in perfect harmony. With this show, it’s been a challenge, I tell ya. With lots of ideas swirling around, I’ve got to mold the perfect mix of dance, comedy and circus arts. Sometimes it’s easy like working with soft clay…and sometimes it’s like breaking concrete with a toothpick. But, I’m a perfectionist, and that’s what we do.

Getting ready for Banana Shpeel is not just about the non-stop rehearsals from dawn to dusk everyday…I do run a tight ship. I’m a great producer AND a great promoter. So, we’re spending the whole day shooting a new TV spot at the Beacon. And I’m the star, of course. No one looks as good as me. My assistant Margaret is there to help keep everything moving, including her mouth. Whew! That woman can talk.

I’m bursting with anticipation until we open the Beacon Theatre doors for my adoring fans to experience Banana Shpeel. The cast and crew have their noses to the grindstone as we put the finishing touches on my latest banana-flavored show. It all starts on April 29…can’t wait!

How much time do you think it takes to film a 30-second TV commercial? I was surprised to find out it takes all day…and I mean AAALLLLLL day! Although I love to be in front of the camera and be a star, this TV shoot took a lot of patience; luckily they serve good snacks!

What is Banana Shpeel? Watch this video and you’ll get a taste of the fun, the color, the craziness. Check out the extraordinary talent I’ve assembled from around the world to create this new show. Banana Shpeel previews performances start tonight so come check out the excitement!

My assistant Margaret is an effective, yet annoying, necessity of my busy life of Banana Shpeel performances. Most people carry cell phones, I carry Margaret. She’s a good woman, but what’s with that hair and the those pencils and the coughing…that voice of hers could make Canadian geese change their flight path.

Our neighbors at the famed Magnolia Bakery are celebrating our show with the most perfect gift…Banana Shpeel Pudding! On Wednesday, May 12 at 11am, I’ll be at their Upper West side location (Columbus & 69th) to officially unveil this luscious banana pudding, made with layers of vanilla wafers, ripe, fresh bananas and creamy vanilla pudding. Come by Magnolia Bakery to say hello!

You know how much I love to be in front of the camera and be a star. Margaret and I were on a photo shoot to capture promotional material for Banana Shpeel. This “On-The-Scene” photo shoot was shot all over Columbus Circle, Central Park and the upper West Side while we were spreading the word about Banana Shpeel!

We had a great time with our friends at Magnolia Bakery on the Upper West Side. The unveiling of the Banana Shpeel Pudding was a delicious event. Margaret and my dancing girls had fun meeting our fans and hangin’ in the ‘hood. I finally found a way to stop my assistant Margaret from her non-stop chatter. Keep feeding her pudding.

Like this:

What a serene moment before the show, right? WRONG. The things you can’t hear in this picture are Margaret’s nagging, some clown’s preshow ritual of listening to songs about tigers’ eyes and my own booming voice telling that guy (a dancer named DeWitt Fleming, Jr.) he better hurry up, I don’t care what kind of “precision” is necessary for mascara, I got a curtain to lift!

You know what my quiet time is? When it’s not quiet! I like the roar of the crowd, the sound of the popcorn, the nervous chatter before a show — if I could get some honking horns and sirens to play every time you visit this page, I would!

If you wanna contribute to the sounds around Banana Shpeel, show me your laugh here — you could win a trip to see the show. You’re welcome!

I don’t know what all you louses do for a living, but I can’t ever find time to be on the internet! Starting now, you can follow my adventures over at the Banana Shpeel Facebook page – where I’ve staffed some folks to update FOR me! What do you mean, “the sound tech says that’s not in his job description?”

Marty Schmelky is revered in the New York entertainment world as the producer extraordinaire of such box office smashes as The Phantom of the Banana; Annie Get Your Banana; Fiddler on the Banana; The Best Little Banana in Texas; Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Banana; and Gentlemen Prefer Bananas.