PlanetElana Comedy

"Whew. I'm here. I'm finally here. I made it. I finally made it. Oy, what a shlepp."

(A quote by a member of my family upon arriving at my home for a visit)

"blog shmog" Coming Soon!

Photo Gallery

Elana with The Emeril Live Band (from left to right) Cliff, Teddy, Charles, Doc, and Lewis

With Joe Ganascoli "Vito" from The Sopranos on the Emeril set

On the Emeril Live set: With Maggie, Jeff, and the Radio City Rockettes; With Ron Poole and Santa in a moment of elfdom

at New York Comedy Club.

This and That

Elana has been a comedienne since she was a little girl mimicking members of her family around the dinner table. When she was in highschool she was a classclown, mimicked her teachers, and failed math---all in Hebrew.

Elana studied ballet until a back problem forced her to quit. On a dare from a friend, she joined her junior highschool drama group. From that point on, she decided to wear legwarmers only as a fashion statement. Granted, that was a poor choice, but she also shredded all her sweatshirts so she could look like Jennifer Beals in FLASHDANCE, "Oh, what a feeling." She also liked to pretend she was a cast member from FAME, "I wanna live forever/I want to learn how to fly...High." She was a member of the Bamat Esrei theater group and of the YMCA's Musical Theater Workshop where she studied with Madalene Roden and performed in Jerusalem. In her teens, she appeared as an extra in GOLDA with Ingrid Bergman and LOVE AND REMEMBERANCE with Kirk Douglas. She was so starstruck she kept dropping the rose she was supposed to hand him in her scene. In case you were wondering, he was very gracious about it. And the rose was very thorny.

Back in the US she continued her acting studies in NYC at Hunter College with Claire Brown, HB Studios with Edward Morehouse, and with Ruth Nerken at The School for Film & Television. She started her NY-based comedy work with Stephen Rosenfield of The American Comedy Institute, and has also studied and worked with the funny and fabulous Ron Poole. Elana studies improv with the brilliant and amazing Christine Turner and is a member of Turner's improv group, "Improvination" seen at Don't Tell Mama. She is a member of the Manhattan Association for Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) and New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT). She holds a BA in Creative Writing and the Performing Arts. Actually, it is framed and hanging on the wall. Periodically she throws sugar at it.

Elana has been an audience warmup comic at Emeril Live on TV Food Network for six seasons where she has worked with a wonderful crew and fun audiences in NYC and Toronto. Elana has performed at Carolines, the multi-award winning "Poole Party" at Don't Tell Mama, The Duplex, Standup New York, and New York Comedy Club. She has performed and hosted private and corporate events in the tri-state area, in Israel, and in her family's living rooms and kitchens around the world. Occasionally she plays narrow hallways, basements, and store checkout lines.

Elana's favorite activity is napping with her cat, Ringo.

Elana's workshop, "Find the Funny and Laugh Your Way Through Life" is available for presentation by appointment and she also offers individual counsultations. Elana's focus is working with people living with chronic illness, their families, caregivers, and medical professionals, but anyone interested in finding ways to bring humor and laughter into their life is welcome and encouraged to be in touch.

what some people have said about Elana's comedy work

"I am a fan of Elana! There is such a likableness and affability that the camera picks up on, and she definitely has her very own style of communicating her essence on camera. I think we have another Julie Kavner!"

---Ruth Nerken, Actor and Teacher

"Your vulnerability also informs the joy you exude; it shines so bright---and so do you."

---Christine Turner, Improvisation Artist and Teacher

"The show last Friday was so good. It really felt like a family there producing the whole thing, and you were there at the top, setting the comfortable, cheerful tone all the way through. Your presence is very valuable on the show, with orchestrating the whole thing, relaxing the audience, and making us loosen up. We started giggling at your jokes...A brilliant moment, that set the stage for more unexpected and enjoyable things to come. It's a happy memory for both of us to share."

---S.C.

"The staff was great and kept their word, the first in line was me. They wheeled me to a special spot where everything I'd see. They were so friendly and so kind they put me quite at ease. But deep inside I had the urge to shout, Bring Emeril Please! It came time to film the show, to the studio we went and once again they took me first, the staff was heaven sent. The warm up crew was lots of fun, the girl was such a ham, she got us clapping and charged up, then made us shout out, Bam!"

---Excerpt from "Ode to Emeril Live" by B. Suter, an audience member at Emeril Live

"You do a great job!"

"You're so funny, thank you!"

"You were the best part of the show."

"You must love your job."

"Where do you get your energy?"

---Miscellaneous fan comments made upon exiting tapings of Emeril Live

Elana hosted the First Annual"Planet Andy Comedy Ball!" on Wednesday, April 6th, 2005 at

"Don't Tell Mama Cabaret and Piano Bar NYC"

Proceeds from the evening were donated to the NYC chapter of the National MS Society.

Special Thanks To Our Talented & Fabulous Friends:

Carol Ann Doner, Courtney Knowles, Sidney Myer, Lisa Nunn, Ron Poole, and Nancy Witter

The comics were hilarious, Planet Andy rocked on piano, and Aunt Rita won the t-shirt contest.

Team Planet Andy walked the 7.5 mile route in downtown NYC on April 17, 2005 and raised over $7,500, landing in the top 100 ranking, and winning a Top Fundraising Team award!

The Planet Andy logo was designed by Elana Halberstadt and Lyndon Lorenz

For more about Planet Andy please go to: www.planetandy.com

For more about Multiple Sclerosis:

The National MS Society: www.nmss.org

The NYC Chapter of the NMSS: www.msnyc.org

Montel Williams MS Foundation: www.montelms.org

Voices of MS: www.voicesofms.com

Contact Elana

email: webmaster@planetelana.com

Please put Planetelana Comedy in the subject line of your email