marx brothers

Making Their Marx

Bill and Gregg Marx, both related to the legendary comedy troupe The Marx Brothers, headline a special fundraiser for ACT for MS on July 25.

Staff Report Attractions, Current Digital

marx brothers

Bill and Gregg Marx will share stories of their legendary family featuring the Marx Brothers (from left) — Harpo, Zeppo, Chico, Groucho, and Gummo — at the upcoming Act for MS fundraiser.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY BILL MARX

Pianist Bill Marx, son of the late Harpo Marx from the comedy troupe The Marx Brothers, and Gregg, an Emmy-winning actor and grandson of Gummo Marx, will headline a special fundraiser for ACT for Multiple Sclerosis on July 25 at Bellatrix at the Classic Club in Palm Desert.

Individual tickets at $150 each include hosted cocktails and appetizers; live performance followed by buffet dinner, and a tax-deductible donation, per IRS guidelines. Cocktails start at 4 p.m., performance starts at 5:15, followed by buffet dinner around 6:15. VIP tables of 8 in the front row go for $1,500.

Tickets are available online at ACTforMS.org or by calling the office at 760-773-9806 and leaving a message. The non-profit ID number for ACT for MS is 33-0880635. You may also mail a check made out to ACT for MS to ACT For MS, 73710 Fred Waring Dr. #118, Palm Desert, CA 92260.

greggmarx

Gregg (top) and Bill Marx.

Bill and Gregg Marx will perform songs from The Great American Songbook. They will also engage in unique anecdotes about the famous Marx family of vaudevillians and film stars.

Bill attended Juilliard School of Music for composing. He has a full repertoire of compositions for theatre, ballet, chamber music, symphonies, TV and film scores. He has also toured with many jazz artists. Once Bill moved to the Coachella Valley in 1993, he began playing at local clubs and restaurants. Bill started the Jazz It Up summer series for ACT for MS in 2008, and has been on the board of directors since the organization’s founding.

Gregg recently moved to Palm Springs from the Los Angeles area. He ihas appeared on Days of Our Lives, As the World Turns, Doogie Howser, MD and more. As a singer, Gregg has appeared in some of the most celebrated cabaret venues in the country, including the world-famous Hollywood Cinegrill, Herb Alpert’s Vibrato, Catalina Jazz Club and The Gardenia in Los Angeles, The Rrazz Room at The Nikko in San Francisco and The Metropolitan Room in New York.

ACT for MS provides assistance for Coachella Valley residents living with multiple sclerosis. Founded in 1999 by well-known local journalist and TV host Gloria Greer after daughter Norma was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, the organization offers free programs which enhance clients’ quality of life. Programs offered free include strength training and massage; mobility aids such as wheelchairs, walkers and scooters; adaptive yoga; aquatics; wellness education; peer support activities and electric bill assistance for low income clients during the hot summer months. Quarterly luncheons and a resource center round out the free programs. All funds raised are spent here in the Coachella Valley.

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