Our pal, Lee Wilkof, has been a regular at Joe Allen for decades, almost as long as he has been delighting Broadway and off-Broadway audiences in seminal musical hits like Assassins, Kiss Me Kate, and Little Shop of Horrors. On this, our final episode of “Cocktails at Table 7” of 2022, we enjoy a heartfelt and intimate chat with one of the great New York character actors. We discuss everything from the integral role his wife of 35 years played in his casting as Seymour Krelborn, the recent health crisis that shook up his world and set him on a path of greater health and happiness, his longtime friendship with the late, great, Mark Blum, and the ineffable appeal of that enduring Joe Allen classic, the La Scala “salad”. (*not actually a salad)
Lee Wilkof is a Tony, Obie, and Drama Desk nominated actor, perhaps best known for originating the role of Seymour Krelborn in the original off-Broadway production of the cult classic musical, Little Shop of Horrors. Additional off-Broadway highlights include: originating the role of Samuel Byk in Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Assassins (Drama Desk Award nomination), The Present Tense (Obie Award, Drama Desk Award nomination), Broadway credits include: The Odd Couple; Democracy; The Boys from Syracuse; Kiss Me, Kate (Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations); She Loves Me; The Front Page and Sweet Charity. Mizlansky/Zilinsky or Schmucks, The Underpants and June Moon. He has appeared regionally in productions at Yale Repertory Theatre, Baltimore Centerstage, McCarter Theatre, the Goodman, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Film credits include The Grey Zone; The School of Rock; This Boy’s Life; Private Parts; Xanadu, and Sidney Lumet’s Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. He also directed the feature film No Pay, Nudity with a cast including Nathan Lane, Gabriel Byrne, and Frances Conroy
Additionally, Mr. Wilkof has amassed over 100 appearances in episodic television and movies of the week, including Law & Order; The West Wing; Ally McBeal (SAG Award); Max Headroom; Curb Your Enthusiasm; An Early Frost; Cop Rock; Hart to Hart; The Tonight Show, and The Gong Show.