BOBBYWOOD: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BOBBY THE BELLBOY?

Talk about a story that sets a mood! Ratner's killer promo voice--backed by the jazzy stylings of piano wizard Jonathan Menchin--leads us through this Hollywood tale that is one murder shy of full on noir. The tragic tale of stardom gone sour is all too familiar, but Ratner weaves his yarn with such nuance and wild details, it feels fresh and alive. He deftly mixes his voice with varying degrees of whiskeyed rasp and tired cynicism to create the multiple characters, especially the marvelously complex Uncle Bobby. Added treats included juicy gossip about "I Love Lucy" and a very "different" perspective on famed Hollywood landmarks. Some of the references went over the head of this ignorant 30-something, but Ratner tells the tale SO well ... full review

Billywood Thankyou for the visceral journey into the heart and root of hollywood culture and past times.. I now wish I could have spent time with bobby the bellboy The story was shared so generously it conjured up the moments picture perfectly Billywoods storytelling ways added so much dimension to each one of the characters I felt like I may have been related to the family by the end ... It was a super treat ... full review

Another inspired and heartfelt showbiz saga from a truly gifted raconteur. Bill is the man of a thousand voices and a million stories. He's a gifted mimic, but inventive enough to create his own original characters and personalities with humor and pathos. Here he constructs a narrative around his Uncle Bobby, an elusive relative who was never more than a bit player on the vast Hollywood stage. But thanks to this loving portrait and bittersweet tribute, Bobby achieves a kind of immortality that few could dream of and fewer still actually attain. And if he helped inspire and motivate Bill in his own creative endeavors, that's a legacy of which anyone would rightly be proud.... full review

Three days after seeing the Saturday evening performance of Mr. Ratner's play, I am still resonating. Billy's honest performance and kickass vocal skills, coupled with fun music equals future Tony's and Oscar's. Much better than the movie it will eventually become. ... full review

Bill Ratner, you rock! your voices and stories are still vividly dancing through me. Such a wonderful form of entertainment, your storytelling is!Thanks for a journey back in time and for memorializing Bobby the Bellboy so candidly. ... full review