Hey, friends and comedy lovers!
Get ready for a groovy night of gown up fun! If you’re planning to go to the show, please check in at:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1624593977821359/
For tickets, go to the iO West Box Office at:
http://ioimprov.com/west/show/the-vic-paul-dana-show-2015-11-20/2015-11-21/
Thanks, everybody!
Filed under Art, Comedy, Improvisation
My wife Victoria and I have known Dana Olsen since our days at Northwestern University in the late 1970’s. Dana was a damned funny guy then – and he’s gotten even funnier over the years.
While Victoria and I worked on the stage and then in television, Dana focused on screenwriting. Among the many films he’s written are The Burbs, Memoirs of an Invisible Man and George of the Jungle.
Vic and I have remained close with Dana since graduation – and in the past few years we’ve been performing together again. The last time was when we joined Dana and other friends for Mr. Olsen’s New Year’s Rockin’ Neighborhood on New Year’s Eve 2013 at 27 Live in Evanston, Illinois – the college town just north of Chicago where we all first met in 1976.
For the past several months, we’ve been getting together with Dana whenever he’s in town – or we’re in Chicago – to brainstorm and improvise comedy sketches (which is just about our very favorite thing to do in this world). And, golly, the world’s been giving us some great subject matter this year!
Then, two great musical friends agreed to join the party: our longtime Practical Theatre Company musical director and Whiskey Lounge impresario, Steve Rashid — and drummer Rockin’ Ronny Crawford, who’s hit the skins for Lisa Loeb, Anna Nalick and The Rockme Foundation, among many others.
Thus comes “The Vic & Paul & Dana Show” — an improv sketch revue featuring music, comedy and a few cocktails. Baby Boomers by birth, we’re all wading chest-deep through middle age. But blessedly, our sharp taste for humor and irony – and a neat Manhattan — has not been dulled. Our show is a toast to grown up fun amid the craziness of contemporary life.
“The Vic & Paul & Dana Show” will play for just three nights – from Thursday, November 19 to Saturday, November 21 at the iO West Theatre in Hollywood, CA. All shows at 7:30.
Come out, enjoy a beverage or two — and share some well-earned laughs with us.
Here’s a gallery of shots from our photo session with Bradford Rogne. (He’s really good, folks.)
Photo by Bradford Rogne Photography
Dear Comedy Lovers,
Can you solve this comedy equation?
VIC + PAUL + DANA x (STEVE + RONNY) x 11/19 + 11/20 + 11/21 @ iO West = ?
The answer is soon to follow…
Filed under Art, Comedy, Improvisation, Music
With opening day for The Los Angeles Dodgers today, the Chicago Cubs playing their first game of the season tomorrow, and my hometown Cleveland Indians opening their 2015 campaign tonight — baseball prognosticators are saying great things about the potential of all three of these clubs. My fellow Cubs and Indians fans know not to get too excited too early (or ever) — but opening day is all about possibilities, optimism and renewal. So, here’s to an Indians vs. Cubs World Series.
And in celebration of Opening Day, here’s a re-post of a piece from 5 years ago, featuring a bit of satiric verse.
——
I’d like to celebrate the first flowering of the MLB baseball season with a re-print of a poem I wrote many years ago. Full credit must be given to my wife Victoria (who was not yet my wife at the time) who managed in 1988 to get my satiric take on Ernest Lawrence Thayer’s “Casey At The Bat” published in the Baseball Bible, The Sporting News.
I still remember being at the wheel of our car when Victoria told me that some sports publication called “the sporting something” was going to publish my poem. “Is it The Sporting News?” I screamed at her, pounding the steering wheel! “Are you talking about the Baseball Bible? The Sporting News??” Victoria was a cool, impossibly groovy girl — but she had no idea how absolutely perfect a publication she’d landed. And, as a relatively good South Side Chicago girl, she could not fully appreciate how I felt when I saw that the legendary Mad Magazine artist, Jack Davis, illustrated my poem.
UPDATE: Before I published this article, I wrote to The Sporting News to confirm the identity of the artist. In September 2010, I finally heard from Sporting News archivist Bill Wilson that is was he — and not Jack Davis — who illustrated my poem. “I hate to disappoint you,” writes Wilson, “but the ‘prominent artist’ who illustrated this piece was none other than me. I’ll take the compliment, however, as well as the comparison to Jack Davis—it is an apt one, as he was one of the biggest influences on my style. I was with TSN as everything from a staff artist and cartoonist to creative director between 1981 and 2008.” Ultimately, I’m not disappointed. The very talented Bill Wilson did a great job.
Here then, in honor of Spring Training 2010, is my poem — first published in The Sporting News on January 5, 1988.
Written by Paul Barrosse
With apologies to Ernest Lawrence Thayer, a tongue-in-cheek look at baseball today…
It looked extremely hopeful for the Mudville nine that year, The Spring was full of promise, and the fans were full of cheer. Then came the news by UPI that hit home with such clout,The star would not report that Spring — Mighty Casey would hold out!
Casey was the MVP on last year’s Series Champ, And all the writers in the land pitched tents in Casey’s camp. ‘Twas “Casey this!” and “Casey that!” and features on TV,Now when they came to interview, no Casey did they see.
The Mudville General Manager, his Stetson hat askew, Bellowed “I’ll make Casey hold his breath until he turns bright blue!” Casey’s agent, Morton Zucker, raised a challenge in the press,“No Pay — No Play,” read headlines, “We Want Millions — Nothing Less!”
The season ticket holders soon stopped calling to renew,
As Casey held out six long weeks, and then another two!
Spring training almost over, and the lineup nearly set,
The name of Mighty Casey was not written on it yet.
On Op’ning Day the Mayor threw the first ball out with shame, Not a fan inside the ballpark dared to whisper Casey’s name. The players took the field and paused to hear the Anthem played,A little boy sat crying, Mighty Casey was delayed.
The fans were growing restless, Mudville started 0 and 10, And rumor was that Mudville would not see Casey again. But when Casey’s agent Zucker sought an arbitration hearing,Every Mudville heart believed a blessed settlement was nearing.
The Mudville G.M. cried with rage, “This business reeks of greed! If Zucker wants to arbitrate, then we’ll make Casey bleed! Ev’ry error he’s committed, every drunk post-curfew spree,Will be laid before the arbitrator — bare for all to see!”
The hearing lasted five long days, as both sides thrashed it out, Some devoted fans of Casey’s were no longer so devout. “He has problems with his back,” his trainer testified to all,“He’s drunk so often, sometimes he can’t even see the ball!”
“Casey never hits for average,” Mudville’s G.M. pointed out, “And let’s not forget the day that ‘Mighty Casey had struck out!'” The arbitrator ruled that Mudville pay nine hundred grand,But Mudville brass weren’t buying and they made their own demand.
“If Casey wants his money, we demand he do his best, And since he can’t be trusted, he must pass a urine test.”
Casey’s test results were positive; all Mudville was in pain,
When Casey was suspended for dependence on cocaine.
Casey rehabilitated while the season passed him by, Mudville fell into the cellar while he hung out to dry. There were stories in the paper, graphic photos told the tale,Of how Casey got into a fight and spent the night in jail.
This was not the season for which Mudville hearts had hope, The greatness overcome by greed, the dream done in by dope. By All-Star break, with Mudville’s pennant promise all but faded,It was announced that Mighty Casey would be reinstated.
Casey soon was reassigned to Triple A Des Moines, First time up he hit a triple, ran too hard, and pulled his groin. On a minor league Disabled List, laid low by wear and tear,Mighty Casey waited for his body to repair.
July was nearly over, Casey wasn’t yet in shape, If Mudville had a chance in hell, they could no longer wait. The day at last arrived when Casey showed up, bat in hand,And was penciled in the lineup for the final pennant stand.
Casey stepped into the box, a hush was heard to fall,
With Mudville on its feet, he tore the cover off the ball.
It smashed against the outfield fence, a triple in the gap,
And Casey, charging hard for third, paused just to tip his cap.
The throw from left was right on line, and Casey had to slide, But Casey’s legs did not react, he could not find his stride. The baseman put the tag down from the fielder’s perfect peg,Before the dust had settled, Mighty Casey broke his leg.
A silence gripped the faithful when they heard that fateful crack, And realized that Casey was not ever coming back.
They bundled him with air-splints and they trundled him away,
No Mudville man nor boy alive will e’er forget that day.
Somewhere children sing and laugh and play with simply joy, Somewhere in ev’ry Baseball Play’r still lives the little boy, Somewhere there’s a place where Baseball’s just a joyous game, But there is no joy in Mudville — Mighty Casey pulled up lame.
Author’s Note: Of course, if this had been written in the last decade, cocaine would have been replaced by HGH and steroids — and Tiger Wood’s peccadillos would have loomed large. In many ways, my 1988 Casey got off easy.
Our very funny daughter Emilia is just beginning her second year in the challenging world of standup comedy. My wife and I have always been sketch comedians, getting our laughs onstage behind the façade of a series of characters. But not Emilia…
Emilia goes it alone, as herself, microphone in hand – with nothing but her own wit to rely on. She’s a brave girl. And she’s getting pretty damn good at this standup thing.
Emilia’s first year behind the mike has been busy. In Southern California, she’s played all three rooms at The Comedy Store, The Formosa Café, Leche Lounge, Café HaHa, and Flappers in Burbank, among others. She’s also played several clubs in Chicago and NYC.
If you haven’t seen her perform yet, you’ll have lots of opportunities to catch her act in the Los Angeles area this month.
On April 2, she’ll be hosting an evening of standup comedy at the Leche Lounge, upstairs at Café Malo in Silver Lake.
The rest of her gigs are listed on the poster below.
In fact – here’s a good idea: print the poster and tape it to your refrigerator. That way, you’ll have Emilia’s smiling face to look at as you get milk for your cereal – and you’ll be reminded of when and where she’s playing this month. See you there!
(All Photos by Brad Rogne)
Filed under Art, Comedy, Improvisation
2014 was the fifth year for this blog — and though I have to admit I was a relatively infrequent blogger this year — there were a handful of events I could not let pass without trying to say something. Most important was the loss of two iconic figures who granted me (and many others) the privilege of their invaluable friendship and mentorship. The passing of Sheldon Patinkin and Ray Shepardson made 2014 a year I will always remember.
Paul’s Voyage of Discovery & Etc. has attracted 189,401 viewers since it began — 24,929 in 2014. The busiest day of the year was September 21st with 505 views. The most viewed post that day was O Captain! My Comedy Captain! — my post on the passing of Sheldon Patinkin.
This is not the real subscription sign up box. The real one is further to the right. And up a little…
I continue to be honored that 179 subscribers have now signed on to have my posts automatically delivered to them via e-mail. (And 59 more who follow this blog on Twitter.)
Are you a subscriber?
If you’re not — then look to your right at the photo of the saluting Matey and follow the simple instructions to “Hop Aboard!”
What follows is a list of The Top Ten Most Popular Posts of 2014.
Just click on the title of each post to access the original article.
1. The Top Ten Rock & Roll Singers of All Time
There’s nothing like a Top 10 list to promote discussion on a blog – and this December 5, 2011 post did just that. It’s one of the posts that has generated the most comments. A lot of people feel I’ve left one of their favorites off the list. Check it out – and then weigh in with your own opinion. Just realize that your opinion on rock & roll singing cannot possibly be as informed as my own.
2. O Captain! My Comedy Captain!
I don’t know where my life would have gone if the great Sheldon Patinkin had not walked into a small storefront theatre on Howard Street in Evanston — and took my silliness seriously. Sheldon didn’t just change my life. He changed generations of lives. I will miss him every damn day. But, in essential ways, he will always be with me — and with all of the thousands of creative people whose lives he touched. (Posted on September 21, 2014.)
3. My Book Report: “The Battle of Midway”
What a great book! What an amazing chapter of world history! On January 23, 2012, I wrote this review of a book that captures all the incredible heroism, good luck, and turns of fate that made this epic World War Two naval battle an overwhelming victory that turned the tide of the war against Imperial Japan. In 2013, I wrote another report on an excellent World War Two book, The Day of Battle, about the campaign to liberate Italy. A few weeks after I wrote that post, my family and I visited the American cemetery in Tuscany and paid our respects to the soldiers whose valor, sacrifice and victory are recounted in Rick Atkinson’s fine book.
4.
Farewell to Ray Shepardson, the Visionary Who Saved the Theatres
I honestly had no idea how to headline this tribute to the great Ray Shepardson, who died suddenly and shockingly in Aurora, Illinois in the spring of 2014. The man who saved dozens of great old theatres and movie palaces from the wrecking ball was a man of prodigious energy, drive, and “can do” creativity. He is greatly missed by many. This was posted on April 16, 2014 — my birthday.
Originally posted in 2010 on the anniversary of the “day that will live in infamy” – this post has become an annual event. A lot of military history fans visit this blog, but I think Pearl Harbor fascinates and resonates with Americans whether they have an interest in military history or not. The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks took more American lives – but Pearl Harbor was the shocking opening act in a drama that ultimately made the United States the world’s preeminent superpower.
6. The Occupy Wall Street Movement Doesn’t Need Black Bloc Buffoonery
Though we didn’t hear much about it in 2013, the Occupy Wall Street movement has inspired a lot of posts on this blog since 2011. This post, written on November 2, 2011, has proven to be the most popular. Maybe that’s because people agree that we don’t need a bunch of foolish, immature anarchists screwing up a noble movement that ultimately helped to put Barrack Obama back in office. Without Occupy Wall Street, would Romney’s attack on the 47% have evoked such a profound and spirited response? Without Occupy Wall Street, would the concept of the 99% and 1% have ever entered the Zeitgeist? And can Occupy Wall Street — or something even more effective yet peaceful — please come back in 2o15?
7. Happy Birthday Bill of Rights!
On December 15, 2010 – the 215th birthday of our Bill of Rights – I wrote this basic primer on the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution and it’s become one of the most-read posts in the history of this blog. I guess that’s because Americans still give a damn about their rights and are keen to understand their Constitutional foundation.
8. Bazooka Joe, Jay Lynch & Me
One of the first posts I wrote for this blog back on January 9, 2010 celebrated my brief but soul-satisfying collaboration with the legendary underground comix artist, Jay Lynch, who gave Vic and me the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to write a series of Bazooka Joe comics. It was one of the coolest chapters in my creative career. The Practical Theatre Company, Saturday Night Live, Behind the Music, The Vic & Paul Show and Bazooka Joe. Classics all. Can I retire now?
9. Paul McCartney & The War of 1812
This was originally posted on June 18, 2012. That day was not just Paul McCartney’s 70th birthday – it was also the 200th anniversary of The War of 1812. 130 years after the young upstart United States declared war on Great Britain, Paul McCartney was born. I thought that was a real fun fact.
As a Cleveland native, I’ve often been asked my opinion of LeBron James leaving the Cavaliers several years ago — and my friends and co-workers are usually shocked that I’m not upset or indignant or jilted, etc. And while the blogosphere hardly needed one more commentary on LeBron James’ move to the Miami Heat, I wrote this post on July 9, 2010 to explain that LeBron James didn’t owe me anything. He’s a professional basketball player who wants to win and be remembered as the best to play the game. The two NBA championships he’s won in Miami since I wrote this post have given LeBron all the scoreboard he needs. in 2014, The King came back to Cleveland, which is doubtless the reason for renewed interest in this post.
So, that’s the best of 2014. Stay connected. Subscribe. And please keep posting your comments!
Here’s to a worthy, adventurous voyage in 2015!
And here are the All-Time Top 10 Blog Posts from January 2010 up to today:
1. Happy Birthday Bill of Rights!
3. The Occupy Wall Street Movement Doesn’t Need Black Bloc Buffoonery
4. The Top Ten Rock & Roll Singers of All Time
5. History & Honeymoon: Part Three
This post was the #3 post in 2010. 24 years ago, my wife Victoria and I went to Gettysburg and other Civil War battlefields on our honeymoon! I needed no other assurance that I had married the perfect woman. On our 20th anniversary, we returned to Gettysburg. Now both students of the battle, we walked the battlefield on July 1, 2 and 3, 2010 on the 147th anniversary of that critical conflict. My four-part account of our battlefield tramping became one of the most popular items on the blog. (Originally posted July 20, 2010)
6. A Childhood Memory of Kent State, May 4. 1970
On the May 4, 2012 anniversary of this very dark day in America history, I posted this personal remembrance of a young Ohioan’s earliest memories of that terrible day. Unlike the Pearl Harbor post, I haven’t re-posted this article every year — but readers still find it. “Tin soldiers and Nixon coming.” The shootings at Kent State should never be forgotten.
I’ve always wondered where singular, epochal, “out of this world” geniuses like William Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci and Bob Dylan came from. So, on January 26, 2011, I wrote this speculation on the possible alien origin of such monumental minds. Evidently, my curiosity (if not my Erich Van Daniken “ancient astronaut” fantasy) is still shared by a lot of people who read my blog in the past year.
8. Growing Up in the Space Age
The last American space shuttle launch inspired this July 14, 2011 remembrance of my personal connection to the Space Age. This popular post salutes my fellow Ohioan, John Glenn, who served as both the first man to orbit the Earth and as a Senator from my home state. I wish that my three daughters had grown up experiencing something half as exciting and inspirational as The Race to the Moon.
9. My Book Report: “The Battle of Midway”
10. Bazooka Joe, Jay Lynch & Me
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/chi-sheldon-patinkin-dies-20140921-column.html
I don’t know where my life would have gone if the great Sheldon Patinkin had not walked into a small storefront theatre on Howard Street in Evanston — and took my silliness seriously. Sheldon didn’t just change my life. He changed generations of lives. I will miss him every damn day. But, in essential ways, he will always be with me. And he’ll be with Victoria and all of the thousands of creative people whose lives he touched.
Sheldon polished our routines, sharpened our satire, laughed when we needed a laugh — and always expected our best.
We worked to meet his expectations because he was Sheldon. And we did not want to disappoint him. His laughter was the coin of the realm.
Sheldon Patinkin was funny and wise and warm and the very best humanity has to offer.
And now he’s gone?
Sheldon would have something funny to say about this.
I am at a loss.
We’ll always love you, Sheldon. And we’ll never forget you.
Filed under Comedy, History, Improvisation
Click CD photo for music & info!
Paul's Voyage of Discovery & Etc. 
Standup with Emilia on Sunday Night!
http://hollywood.thecomedystore.com/event.cfm?cart&id=385657
Share this post:
Leave a comment
Filed under Art, Comedy, Improvisation, Random Commentary
Tagged as comedy, Emilia Barrosse, Hollywood, standup comedy, Sunset Strip, The Comedy Store