"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel": Marvelous Trivia Trivia Quiz - Comics and Locations | Television

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Most of the entertainers and venues mentioned in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" are real or based on real people and places. Midge (Mrs. Maisel) goes on a drunken, bawdy rant at the Gaslight Cafe. She ends up returning and hones her comedy craft there. In both reality and the show, where is the Gaslight located?

Answer: Greenwich Village, Manhattan

The Gaslight Cafe (aka the Village Gaslight) was a coffeehouse which opened in 1958 in Greenwich Village, a neighborhood in the lower part of Manhattan. It is famous for hosting beat poets such as Allen Ginsberg and folk musicians including Bob Dylan. Later in the 1960s, notable performers included Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton.

A bar called Up & Up is now at the Gaslight location but old signage was put up and the actual location used for outdoor shots entering the club.

2. Midge says that she has always dreamed of going to a particular college. Which college does she attend?

Answer: Bryn Mawr

Bryn Mawr is located in Pennsylvania and is traditionally considered one of the Seven Sisters group of historically women's colleges. It is one of fifteen colleges in the U.S. founded by Quakers. Katharine Hepburn is perhaps its most famous alumna. The other three colleges are also part of the Seven Sisters.

3. As Midge and Susie start planning for her career, they frequently meet at which delicatessen that actually existed in Manhattan a few blocks from Carnegie Hall until 2012?

Answer: Stage Deli

The Stage Deli opened in 1937 and served a multitude of celebrities over the years. Many of its dishes were named with Broadway show or celebrity names including the "Mamma Mia!" sandwich and the Dolly Parton. It had a long-standing rivalry with the Carnegie Deli.

4. Joel loves to make Midge laugh. Early in their relationship, in order to expose her to the latest in comedy styles, he takes her to see which notorious comic who Midge later bails out of jail?

Answer: Lenny Bruce

Lenny Bruce, portrayed brilliantly by Luke Kirby, broke the mainstream comedy boundaries by satirizing politics, religion, and sex often with vulgar stream-of-consciousness humor. He was arrested numerous times and convicted on obscenity charges in 1964, but this helped turn the tide toward freedom of speech rights in the US. "Rolling Stone Magazine" rated him the third-best stand-up comic of all time in 2017.

5. Joel believes he has a future as a comedian. He begins performing at the Gaslight. He does a routine based on a fictional conversation between President Lincoln and his press agent copied from which comic's record?

Answer: Bob Newhart's

Bob Newhart became nationally popular in 1960 when he released his album "The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart" which reached number one on the Billboard Pop Album chart. The Abe Lincoln routine is on this record. He was a regular on several TV shows in the 1960s including "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Dean Martin Show" and as guest host on "The Tonight Show." "The Bob Newhart Show" ran from 1972-1978 and "Newhart" ran from 1982-1990.

6. Susie discovers Midge at the Gaslight club when she observes Midge's rant on stage about her life crashing down around her. Which other pioneering comic does Susie later say is the only previous one she has seen with that kind of talent who she knew would be a star?

Answer: Mort Sahl

Morton Sahl is credited by "Time Magazine" and others as being the first modern comedian. He poked fun at and satirized current events and politics often improvising rather than telling jokes. He appeared in movies and many TV shows including "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Tonight Show."

7. Midge gets her first big break when renowned singer Shy Baldwin asks her to open for him on tour. Which is the first out-of-town city where they perform?

Answer: Las Vegas

These episodes were not filmed in Las Vegas. The interior shots of the casino were filmed in a catering hall in Queens while a small section of the Las Vegas Strip was recreated at an airfield in Brooklyn. The Sands, the Dunes, and the Riviera were among the Las Vegas hotels that featured the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Elvis Presley in the 1950s and '60s.

8. In order for Midge to learn some of the subtleties of comic performance, Susie takes Midge to the Copacabana Nightclub (aka the Copa) to see which colorful comic, who in real life had his/her own variety show from 1951-1971?

Answer: Red Skelton

Red Skelton started in entertainment at the age of ten. He entered vaudeville entertainment in 1934, radio in 1937, and movies in 1938. He was the recipient of Emmy Awards in 1952 for Best Comedian and Best Comedy Program.

9. Lenny Bruce is in a bad way having been arrested in Chicago and low on money. He gets a break from a TV host who invites him on his show where Lenny does his "All Alone" routine. Which Host invites Lenny onto his show?

Answer: Steve Allen

Steve Allen hosted "The Steve Allen Show" from 1956-1961. The show helped grow the careers of numerous comic cast members such as Don Knotts and Tim Conway, as well as singers including Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, and Jerry Lee Lewis. He previously hosted "The Tonight Show" starting in 1954. Jack Paar and Johnny Carson followed Allen as host of "The Tonight Show." The "All Alone" routine was wonderfully recreated from a video recording as it was actually performed by Lenny Bruce on the real "Steve Allen Show."

10. Shy Baldwin's tour travels to Miami. The episode opens with a shot of a beautiful fountain, then we see Midge and Susie arrive and enter the hotel's amazing atrium. Some of the funniest scenes of the show are filmed at which historic Miami hotel, including Midge trying to teach Susie how to swim?

Answer: Fountainebleau

The Fountainebleau was built in 1954 and is still considered one of Miami's most historically and architecturally significant hotels, according to its website. Several episodes of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" were filmed at the hotel with decor restored to authentic 1960s.

The stairway to nowhere is real. The Fountainebleau has hosted many renowned celebrities including Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Elvis Presley, and Judy Garland.

11. Manhattan has a number of well-known and historic theaters. To kick off the second half of Shy's tour, Shy and Midge perform at which historic theater in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan?

Answer: The Apollo Theater

The Apollo Theater building was built in 1913. It was initially for whites only and was a venue for burlesque shows. It was renovated starting in 1933 and reopened the following year catering to an African-American audience. It grew into prominence during the Harlem Renaissance before WWII and helped launch the careers of performers such as Ella Fitzgerald as well as hosting swing bands, dancers, comics, and vaudeville performers.

12. Upon arriving at the theater in Harlem for her performance with Shy, Midge is shocked to learn that she has to follow which famous vaudeville-style performer?

Answer: Moms Mabley

Moms Mabley was born in 1894 and ran away to join a traveling minstrel show at age 14. She rose to fame on the African-American vaudeville-style Chitlin' Circuit. She recorded comedy albums and appeared on TV shows, including "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour." Wanda Sykes does a terrific imitation of her for the show.

13. Even though Lenny is counter-culture, he still has establishment dreams. He gets his dream gig when he is booked at which Manhattan venue?

Answer: Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall is a world-renowned concert venue. Its construction was begun in 1889 and it is located in midtown Manhattan. For stand-up comedians to perform at Carnegie Hall is a rare feat. Those who have had the opportunity include Bob Hope, Jerry Seinfeld, Phyllis Diller, and Steve Martin. Because of COVID, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" crew was able to spend more time filming in the space than would usually be permitted. Around 150 extras were used in the crowd for Lenny's performance and the rest were filled in with CGI.

14. Towards the end of the series, Susie has become one of the biggest agents in the business. In order to salute her achievements, she reluctantly attends a roast of her at which club?

Answer: Friars Club

The Friars Club was founded in 1904 and located in midtown Manhattan with most members working in show business. It became famous for its roasts where entertainers make fun of each other. The roasts started in the 1950s and were broadcast on TV starting in the 1960s. Several scenes of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" were shot at the Friars Club.

15. Midge finally gets her big break while working as a writer on the fictitious "Gordon Ford Show." The show is said to be located in a famous Manhattan building/complex which also has a skating rink that is used for a scene in the show. Which building/complex is this?

Answer: Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 buildings in midtown Manhattan. The first building opened in 1933. The complex includes 30 Rockefeller Plaza, nicknamed 30 Rock, which is the headquarters for the NBC television network and contains studios for shows including "The Tonight Show" and "Saturday Night Live." Both interior and exterior scenes were filmed at 30 Rock for the show.

Source: Author andshar

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ladymacb29 before going online.
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"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel": Marvelous Trivia Quiz

Comics and Locations

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