I hadn't heard from Gabe in years. I was busy writing my screenplays. He called one day and asked me if I'd like to play Chico Marx in the L.A. debut of "An Evening With Groucho," and you owe me a hundred bucks. I did owe him a hundred bucks from something six years before.

I knew Gabe had done a tryout of the show at Pepperdine University, and a very fine actor, Mike Tucci, had played Chico. I asked Gabe why Mike Tucci wasn't doing the part. He said, "I need somebody to torture... and Mike just doesn't get it."

I said, "If you pay me enough, I'll let you torture me." Gabe is a renowned cheapskate. But the opportunity for him to have me to torture as he did in Kotter, was too much for him to resist. So he paid my price and I was on board.

We opened at the Westwood Playhouse to rave reviews, and had a great two month run. I became close with Arthur Marx (one of the writers along with Bob Fischer) during that time. On opening night, Harpo's son, Bill Marx, and Harpo's wife (they called her Mrs. Harpo), Gummo's relations, and Zeppo's ex-wife, Barbara Marx (who was married to Frank Sinatra at the time, attended. Their consensus was, Uncle Chico was alive again. I felt like I was channeling Chico's spirit. He was my favorite Marx Brother, and I just wanted to have sex with every woman I saw. But I didn't.

©2005 Robert Hegyes - All Rights Reserved