SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE THEATRE

I usually don't blog about my personal life, but I had a most interesting and joyous evening at Queens Theatre (formerly Queens Theatre in the Park). I was able to secure a number of tickets to see Paula Poundstone to include both the 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. performances.

I had decided to share most of the tickets with people that I don't see often, the majority of which chose the 7 p.m. performance. Since I am no longer working with the New York Sharks, my basic contact with some of the staff is via phone or email. I asked owner Andra Douglas if she would like to go and bring some of her friends as well. I also asked if Dana...who I have referred to as "second in command" would be willing to schlep from somewhere in New Jersey. Not that Dana isn't one of Andra's close friends...

Second "group". I asked my chiropractor, Dr. Joan Jacobs if she wished to attend. Being both dedicated and excellent at what she does, I felt that I needed to contribute to her empowerment with both entertainment and socializing. I don't assume that she doesn't fulfill her own opportunities, mind you. She brought had adult daughter and her friend Lois...who happened to be the person that started the chain of clients...one friend who told another friend, etc.

Third "group". Jacki sets up and emails out a list of freebies as a hobby. They are free events in New York City that usually include drinks and or food as well. She resides in Queens. I don't necessarily tend the events but look as what she volunteers to do. Oh, it's not as if I haven't been friends with Jacki and her partner for several years. Once or twice I have met her in "the city" to take in some event. But this time it was for her and her partner. The down side of this was that there was so much going on in the lobby and my mingling with group one, that I only had an opportunity to say hello to Jacki and didn't even get to talk with her partner. Next time....

Group one. Totally enjoyed being with them for the amount of time spent. Would have loved to have spent a bit more time chatting and getting to know Andra's friends. I did get to chat with Dana about what she's been in to, being retired from the Sharks. Seems like she just couldn't get away from football and although in her late forties, is still in great shape to play flag football...good for her!!!

Having attended this theatre since it first opened, I had gotten familiar with the old and new staff. I greet them with hugs and kisses and they are more than happy to call to me. Funny that the members of my group were impressed that I knew everyone...it didn't occur to me until afterward that the encounter warm greetings added to both of our lives...like the gladness of seeing your family.

Now to the show. Paula Poundstone was quite funny. I hope someone was video taping it for her. She certainly took the opportunity to make fun of the location of the theatre...in Flushing Meadow (-Corona Park). She is not a New York person. It appears that one of Paula's "things" is that when people talk to her, she finds something about her life to inject that somewhat relates. Another is that she can't stop talking...which turned out to make this performance even more hilarious.

This was the first time that I saw Paula perform. I found stuff on youtube to get an idea of her style. The early performance had her doing perhaps about half of her "routine" material, with the rest working with the audience asking a person what they did for a living and making fun of them...but not in a derogatory manner.

I had interviewed Paula on my radio show just days prior to the performances. I wondered how she was going to perform a 7 and 9 p.m. show asking her how long her show was. She told me that it was about and hour and 45 minutes long. Hmmmm...that doesn't give much time to get people out, have her sign cds and books and begin at 9.

So, the show is going and someone is signaling to her that she needs to end soon. Forget that...Paula is telling us that she can't stop talking and trying to figure out how she can make the 9 p.m. people go away and being concerned that the she will miss the people that she "picked on". She has a stool on the stage to keep a bottle of soda that contains aspertame...telling us that she drinks this just for the aspertame and that you can't get it separately.

Now, she lies down on the stage and props her feet up on the top of the stool. You can see her white shoes. Realizing her position she goes into a whole adlibbed routine using her shoes as a "puppet show". It was 8:55 when we exited the theatre and into the lobby. Great show!

As I am departing into the lobby, I am now seeing Bob and Sandy, the two friends and fellow writers that I haven't spent time with in years. Not much time to socialize before getting to our seats. Needless to say, the 9 p.m. show did not begin on time.

I had an expectation that since the show was at a later time, Paula would let go even more (language and subject wise) and experience an even funnier performance. I was also looking to observe whether she would use the same material for both shows.

As a comedian, myself, I did mostly single performances. On nights requiring a second, I would use perhaps a shortened version of my scenes from the Wizard of Oz, and a few different songs considering that the audience of the second show might have been around for the first. In the case of Paula's second show, material from prior performances were utilized, very little was a repeat of the earlier show and audience participation was quite funny.

Although I found the earlier show to be funnier, it did not lack in laughter and surprisingly, this audience was smaller.

Show ending, Bob, Sandy and I sought a diner to nosh and talk. In Manhattan it's easier to find a place that's open late than in Queens. Rather than put some heavy thought into it...off to Howard Beach to a diner.