Freddie Roman. (Rob Rich)

New York City - Friars Freddie Roman, Stewie Stone, Irv Welzer, and Dick Capri held a mini roast for Friar Stewart F. Lane to kick off the release of his new book "Jews On Broadway" at The Friars Club on May 18, 2011. "Please buy the man's book, he needs to pay tuition for those kids," shouted Roman as he pointed to Lane's children Leah, Lenny and Frankie Lane. "Books like this, about the Jewish contribution to Broadway and culture need to be written and they need to be read, so now you need to buy it and read it!", stated Stone.

Jewish performers, composers, lyricists, directors, choreographers and producers have made an indelible mark on Broadway for more than a century. "Jews on Broadway" is an historical volume that captures the story of the Jewish emergence from immigrants in ghettos staging Yiddish productions on New York's Lower East Side to their significant social and cultural impact on the stages of Broadway. Lane has been part of the Broadway community for over 30 years, winning four Tonys, and numerous other awards.

Lane took to the podium to read several paragraphs and explain, "The research for the book was a lot of work but the most difficult part was the editing. I had so many more chapters and people to include but the editors would only allow a limited number of pages. I couldn't include everyone. I want to apologize for those left out of this volume and try to include them in the next." Those mentioned in volume one include Fanny Brice, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Barbra Streisand, Alan Menken, Tony Kushner, and many more.

In attendance to support Lane were friends and family including Bonnie Comley, Charles Strouse, Roy Furman, Ted Hartley, Roy Goodman, Tony Walton, Ervin Drake, Don Buchwald, Carol Ostrow, Randie Levine-Miller, Joe Franklin, Lee Harris, Shelley Goldberg, Judy and Rod Gilbert, Paul Kreppel, Ken and Marge Wilpon, Robert Zimmerman, and Jim Murtaugh.

"Jews on Broadway" is available on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.