Nelson Aspen Thrills at Sold-Out Don't Tell Mama Show, With Special Guest Anita Gillette

Nelson Aspen and Anita Gillette at Don't Tell Mama on October 2, 2015.
Photo courtesy of Nelson Aspen

International entertainment reporter Nelson Aspen performed at Don't Tell Mama in New York City on Friday night for the first time in nearly 30 years. He brought back the music director from his '80s show, Gerry Dieffenbach, and created a fantastic night of music, comedy and showbiz scoops.

From his performances of everything from "Herb the Verb" and "Rhode Island Is Famous For You" to "I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together" and "Love Is All Around" (Theme Song from The Mary Tyler Moore Show), Aspen packed the evening with pop culture references that made the crowd cheer with laughter and joy. The audience absolutely loved singing along to "Three's Company, Too"!

Aspen's special guest was the Tony nominated Anita Gillette (Mona the mistress in Moonstruck, Tina Fey's mother in 30 Rock et al). Three decades after they met working on Search for Tomorrow, Aspen brought Gillette on stage for a story about working with Ethel Merman in "Gypsy" on Broadway, and a showstopping number that proved why she's the best cabaret performer in New York. Note: Gillette will next play Nick Offerman's mother in a Huntington Theatre Company production of "A Confederacy of Dunces" in Boston.

One of the packed room's favorite moments was when Aspen sang "You Take Me Away (to Another World)," with Dieffenbach playing Crystal Gayle to his Gary Morris during the chorus of the Another World theme song. It received extra loud cheers from the large assemblage of former Another World staffers who reunited to attend the show.