Rick Siegel

Rick Siegel is a former stand-up comedian who is best known for his legal efforts that made the California Labor Commission change their interpretation of how the California Talent Agencies Act ("TAA")[1] is enforced. Siegel created LaughTrack, a national magazine about stand-up comedy,[2] and later became a personal manager for comic performers, actors and writers. Most recently, he has created several environmentally-friendly products focused on the dry cleaning industry.

He was chosen for induction to the National Conference of Personal Managers Hall Of Fame's class of 2017.[3]

Career

As a personal manager, his clients included Leah Remini,[4] Rondell Sheridan (That's So Raven, Cory In The House); Ian Gomez[5] (2000 American Latin Media Awards Recipient of Special Achievement for being a series regular on three primetime series at the same time: The Drew Carey Show, Felicity and The Norm Show);Reggie Hayes[6] (Girlfriends), Rosa Blasi[7] (Strong Medicine).

He also convinced Craig Ferguson to immigrate to America and represented the Scotsman for over a decade,[8] and he managed Nia Vardalos.[9] Siegel produced her play[10] My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and subsequently helped develop and cause the film My Big Fat Greek Wedding[11] to be produced.[12]

In a case brought by Marathon Entertainment[13] (Siegel's management firm) after he sued Rosa Blasi for unpaid commissions and she then petitioned the Labor Commissioner, asking for relief from her contractual obligations based on his alleged actions as a talent agent without the requisite license, the California Supreme Court found that the Labor Commission had wrongly not been incorporating severance when adjudicating Talent Agencies Act controversies.[14][15][16]

Siegel has written multiple articles related to the TAA that have been published by the Los Angeles Daily Journal, the regional trade paper for the legal field, including one the newspaper titled, "A Generation of Incorrect Talent Agencies Act Rulings"[17] where Siegel showed how the current interpretation conflicts with four California Supreme court holdings.

Rick Siegel founded and edited LaughTrack magazine, which had a 550,000 circulation and was handed to patrons at every major comedy club in the country,[18] similar in manner to how Playbill is distributed to audiences at Broadway Shows.[19] Under Siegel's direction, LaughTrack was the first national publication to write about comic luminaries such as Tim Allen, Larry David, Drew Carey, Ellen DeGeneres,[20] Jonathan Katz, and Bill Hicks.[21]

LaughTrack debuted in March 1989 and that first issue showcased five new comedians (at that time) in its "Breaking Through" column. That list included five-time Emmy winner Kevin Rooney, Bill Hicks, Jonathan Katz (Dr. Katz, Private Therapist on Comedy Central), Drew Carey and Larry David.

In 2008 Siegel and his wife, Jennie Nigrosh, invented[22] a reusable dry cleaning garment bag[23] and began to market the bag under the banner of The Green Garmento.[24][25]

In 2009, The International Housewares Show honored The Green Garmento with its DESIGN DEFINED 2009 designation[26] and the International Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Show nominated The Green Garmento for one of its Editors' Choice Awards.[27] In 2011, Entrepreneur Magazine called The Green Garmento, "One of the 100 Genius Companies To Watch."[28] Siegel and Nigrosh are also co-inventors of the Gargantote (US Patent No. 3369584), a reusable flat-bottomed laundry bag,[29] and the Hawk Hanger, (US Patent No. 9,414,703),[30] a clothes hanger that lowers the carbon footprint, production, shipping and storage costs.

Siegel penned a column about business, "The High Road," which first was carried by American Drycleaner[31] and later by Cleaner and Laundry,[32] two trade publications for the dry cleaning and laundry industries. He has also written several columns published by The Huffington Post about the 2008 Presidential Election.[33]

In 2018 Siegel returned to personal management: among his clients now are Eileen Conn, the head writer of the Nickelodeon series "Brendar the Barbarian" and Paul Conyers, the winner of the 2020 World Series of Comedy.

References
  1. "What Artist and Talent Managers Should Know About California's Talent Agency Act: Part One - Avoiding Disputes | Entertainment Litigation". www.boeschlawgroup.com. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  2. "ComedyNews.Org :: LaughTrack magazine « ComedyNews.Org". www.comedynews.org. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  3. "Home". Personal Managers Hall Of Fame. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  4. BuzzineNetworks (2011-08-29), Rick Siegel - Buzzine Interviews... (Excerpt), retrieved 2017-03-29
  5. Eller, Claudia; Munoz, Lorenza (2003-03-23). "'Wedding' Party Leaves Some Behind". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  6. McNary, Dave (2004-02-13). "Vardalos settles 'Greek' suit". Variety. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  7. "Talent Managers Catch Break In Calif. Ruling - Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  8. Ferguson, Craig (2010). American On Purpose. Harper Collins. pp. Chapter 31. ISBN 978-0-06-171954-7.
  9. "Nia's Big Fat Lucky Break". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  10. "Producer of L.A.'s Big Fat Benefits From Ad Attacking the Press | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  11. "Producer of L.A.'s Big Fat Benefits From Ad Attacking the Press | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  12. McNary, Dave (2004-02-13). "Vardalos settles 'Greek' suit". Variety. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  13. "Marathon Entertainment v. Blasi - 42 Cal. 4th 974, 174 P.3d 741, 70 Cal. Rptr. 3d 727, 42 Cal. 4th 1194a modification S145428M - Wed, 03/12/2008 | California Supreme Court Resources". scocal.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  14. "Talent Managers Catch Break In Calif. Ruling - Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  15. "Blasi v. Marathon: A Solomonic decision? – STEPHEN F. DIAMOND". Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  16. "Siegel Goes To Terminator For Closure". Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  17. ""A Generation of Incorrect Talent Agencies Act Rulings"". Scribd. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  18. Editor, About The Author Sean L. McCarthy; 2007, Publisher Since; News, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily; Herald, Boston; Dailies, Smaller; site, community papers across America Loves comedy so much he founded this (2015-02-19). "The Road to Stand-Up Stardom, circa 1989, via LaughTrack mag". The Comic's Comic. Retrieved 2017-03-29.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. "New Magazine Guide Made For Comedy-lovers". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  20. LaughTrack Magazine, March 1989 edition, Pgs. 26-29.
  21. "New Magazine Guide Made For Comedy-lovers". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  22. U.S. Patent No. 3115959
  23. Wallace, Amy (2010-06-12). "A Reusable Bag for the Dry Cleaners". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  24. "First Impressions: Who Wants Gum? | American Drycleaner". americandrycleaner.com. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  25. "Eco-friendly dry cleaning? It's in the bag". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  26. "27 Products Named 2009 Design Defined Honorees At Housewares Show - HomeWorld Business". HomeWorld Business. 2009-04-23. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  27. Resource, Hotel News. "The Green Guide". www.hotelnewsresource.com. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  28. "The Green Garmento". Women Owned. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  29. "Green Garmento Gargantote | Review". A Mom Less Ordinary. 2014-06-04. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  30. , Levine, Gregg Myles; Guang Yu Gao & Jennie Nigrosh, "Collapsible or stackable garment hanger"
  31. "Right to Represent | American Drycleaner". americandrycleaner.com. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  32. "How Do You Feel About Change?". Cleaner & Launderer. 2013-09-09. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  33. "Rick Siegel | The Huffington Post". www.huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
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