A Night At The Opera

Before we get to the meeting of the minds, what about the Brothers, or as they were later known, Minnie’s boys, in honor of their mother. Minnie came from a performing family, was the sister of vaudevillian Al Shean, and guided their early career. Minnie’s emigree family moved to NYC and she met and married Sam Marx, so the Brothers were Jewish lads with a mixed French and German background. Minnie and Sam had several male children: in order, Leonard “Chico” Marx, Adolph “Harpo” Marx, Julius “Groucho” Marx, Milton “Gummo” Marx, and Manfred “Zeppo” Marx. Minnie managed Al Shean and the boys were also guided into vaudeville, first as a singing group. Chico was self-taught on the piano, Groucho played the guitar, and Harpo was self-taught on several instruments, including, of course, the harp. Gummo never spent much time in the act and became the head of a talent agency which later repped the Brothers. The singing act travelled the circuit, then one night in either Nacadoches TX, Ada, OK, or Marshall TX, depending on who you believe, the crowd had rushed out to view a disturbance in the street during their act. This infuriated Harpo, who steadily insulted the audience when they returned. The audience loved it. Voila! The comedy troupe of the Marx Brothers was born. 

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