Career

His club Julius Monk's Downstairs opened March 4, 1956 with Four Below, labeled as "the first legitimate cafe revue in New York City" by James Gavin, author of Intimate Nights, The Golden Age of New York Cabaret.

Four Below was a huge success, and Monk continued to stage annual revues that established the standard for New York cabaret over the following decade: Son of Four Below, Take Five, Demi-Dozen (1958), Pieces of Eight (1959), Dressed to the Nines (1960) and 7 Come 11 (1961). In 1962, he moved his troupe to a new nightclub, Plaza 9, at the Plaza Hotel, named for its phone number (Plaza 9-2000 ) and continued with revues such as Dime A Dozen, Bits & Pieces, Baker's Dozen and his last revue, Four In Hand (1968). Many unknown performers in Monk's cafe revues—including Ken Berry

Ken Berry

Kenneth Ronald "Ken" Berry is an American dancer, comedic actor and singer. He began on stage as a dancer and later starred in television sitcoms.-Life and career:...

, Ruth Buzzi

Ruth Buzzi

Ruth Ann Buzzi is an American comedienne and actress of theatre, film, and television. She is especially known for her performances on the comedy-variety show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In from 1968 to 1973.-Early life:...

, Nancy Preiser, Mary Louise Wilson

Mary Louise Wilson

Mary Louise Wilson is an American stage, film and television actress.-Stage:Broadway* Hot Spot — 1963 as Sue Ann* Flora, The Red Menace — 1965 as Comrade Ada* Lovers and Other Strangers — 1968 as Bernice...

, Liz Sheridan

Liz Sheridan

Elizabeth "Liz" Sheridan is an American actress.-Background:Sheridan was born in New York City, the daughter of Elizabeth Poole-Jones, a concert singer, and Frank Sheridan, a classical pianist. Sheridan began her career as a dancer working in New York City in nightclubs and musicals. There, she...

, and Dorothy Loudon

Dorothy Loudon

Dorothy Loudon was an American comedy actress and singer. She won the 1977 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Miss Hannigan in Annie.-Early life and career:Loudon was born in...

—went on to varying degrees of fame.

In the 1960s, Mad

Mad (magazine)

Mad is an American humor magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952. Launched as a comic book before it became a magazine, it was widely imitated and influential, impacting not only satirical media but the entire cultural landscape of the 20th century.The last...

published "The Agony and the Agony" (a parody of the film The Agony and the Ecstasy

The Agony and the Ecstasy (film)

The Agony and the Ecstasy is a 1965 film directed by Carol Reed, starring Charlton Heston as Michelangelo and Rex Harrison as Pope Julius II. The film was partly based on Irving Stone's biographical novel of the same name. This film deals with the conflicts of Michelangelo and Pope Julius II...

) with the plotline moved from Renaissance Rome to present-day New York City. The film's antagonist, Pope Julius II

Pope Julius II

Pope Julius II , nicknamed "The Fearsome Pope" and "The Warrior Pope" , born Giuliano della Rovere, was Pope from 1503 to 1513...

(a real historical figure), was updated by Mad as nightclub entrepreneur Julius Pope, a satire of Julius Monk.

Monk wrote his autobiography, Baker's Dozen.

The recording of Demi Dozen came out in the same year as the production and had some memorable songs that would bring back a bit of history of a NYC much changed from the time it came out. Given the topicality of the recording.