Mal Z. Lawrence, whose defiantly old-school Borscht Belt stand-up comedy delighted audiences and happily surprised critics when the Catskills on Broadway revue became a hit in 1991, died Monday at a hospice facility in Delray Beach, Florida. He was 88.
His death was announced to The New York Times by his talent agent Alison Chaplin.
The comedian Marilyn Michaels, who co-starred in Catskills on Broadway, wrote in a Facebook tribute, “The passing of Mal Z Lawrence is cause for great sadness, as he was a terrific talent and a very funny guy.. A true Bon Vivant. Attention must be paid! …RIP Mal Z.. you are making the angels laugh.”
Born Manny Miller in the Bronx, Lawrence became interested in comedy during an early-1950s Army stint. Performing for other soldiers as half of a duo patterned on Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin, Lawrence soon played the Jewish resorts of New York’s Catskill Mountains and then other clubs and casinos across the country.
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In 1991, Lawrence, along with fellow comics Michaels, Roman and Dick Capri, opened Catskills on Broadway, a show that was exactly as its name suggested. Each of the four comics brought a finely tuned 30 minute set to the stage of the Lunt-Fontanne Theater, where for more than a year the show played to audiences of longtime fans and newcomers charmed by a comedy style that seemed – but clearly was not – long past its expiration date.
After New York, Catskills on Broadway embarked on a successful tour and was recorded for a film adaptation in 1993.
Lawrence returned to Broadway in 1997, when he took on various supporting roles in a revival of Candide directed by Harold Prince and starring Jim Dale and Andrea Martin.
Lawrence’s film credits include Rounders (1998), A Walk on the Moon (1999), Isn’t She Great (2000) and Boynton Beach Club (2005).
He is survived by wife Patty.
