Friday, December 26, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
FRY & LAURIE: Comedy Master Class, 1986
Stephen Fry & Hugh (Dr. House) Laurie's "Comedy Masterclass" sketch from 1986.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
IN MEMORIAM: Rex Young, 1931-2008
Bill Strong sends word that Rex Young passed away on Sunday from injuries sustained from his fall.
From the Holland Sentinel...
Posted Dec 22, 2008 @ 04:32 PM
Holland, MI —
It would be nice if folks would take a minute to visit the Lakeshore Memorial site and leave a message for Sandy.
From the Holland Sentinel...
Posted Dec 22, 2008 @ 04:32 PM
Holland, MI —
Rex E. Young, age 77, of Holland, died Sunday, December 21, 2008, at Lifecare Hospital in Muskegon.
Rex was a well known performer (clown) for 40 years traveling throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. He was an avid golfer.
He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Sandra; sisters-in-law, Mrs. William (Vivian) McKnight of Hamilton, OH, Mrs. Kenneth (Adeline) Decker of Holland; several nephews, nieces and cousins.
A memorial service will be 10:00 a.m. Monday, December 29, 2008 at Lakeshore Memorial Services, 11939 James Street in Holland. Reverend Henry Idema will be officiating. Cremation has taken place.
Visitation will be from 2-5 p.m. Sunday, December 28, 2008 at Lakeshore Memorial Services. Memorial contributions may be given to American Heart Association or Grace Episcopal Church. An on-line registry book is available at www.lakeshorememorial .com for those who cannot attend the services.
It would be nice if folks would take a minute to visit the Lakeshore Memorial site and leave a message for Sandy.
"Count De Boxcar" was much loved on the Shrine circuit and a sadly under-appreciated clown during his lifetime. He was inventive, creative and, as a Producing Clown, deserves to be thought of in a league with Paul Jung, Lou Jacobs, Jerry Bangs, Jimmy Douglass and performers of that caliber.
Another important link to American circus clowning's past has been lost.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Sandy and we are deeply sorry for her loss.
Monday, December 22, 2008
HAPPY HANUKKAH!
I would have posted something last night but the calendar from Shane's school has tonight as the first night.
It's not. The first night was "Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!"
Spin the dreidel,
~P
REX YOUNG: More Bad News
Because this holiday season just seems to be chock full of bad news, word comes from Michigan about Rex "Count De Boxcar" Young...
Pat,
Rex fell down his stairs, what looked like a broken nose.. has turned into something far more serious. He is not expected to recover. Something far worse happened when he fell, he continued to get worse and worse. Scott's dad went to see him in the hospital, he is not responsive, not able to speak, and I will try to find out more and let you know.
All my tries to connect with him were unsuccessful, I am so sick about this
Cathy
For those of you who don't know, Rex was longtime fixture on the Shrine circuit and very prolific producing clown. In fact, he was just about the last of the professional producing clowns on the Shrine dates as he retired at about the time that the Shrines and the producers stopped using pros and handed the chores over to the Shrine Clowns and their hysterical "skits".
Please keep Rex in your thoughts and prayers this holiday season.
Please keep Rex in your thoughts and prayers this holiday season.
RANDY CABRAL: Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Congrats to my pal Randy Cabral on his recent appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno!
Is Jay Leno flashing a gang sign in this picture? What's next? Letterman giving "The Shocker"?
SLAVA'S SNOWSHOW: Thanks Again!
I spent yesterday afternoon deep in the bowels of Broadway's Helen Hayes Theater showing circus and vaudeville clown videos to Slava Polunin and the cast of Slava's Snowshow. Charlie Rivel, Chaz Chase, Willie, West & McGinty, Johnny Puleo, O'Donnell & Blair and George Carl were all very big hits.
Last week I showed footage of Otto Griebling and Freddie Freeman doing the Boxing Gag and I'm sure that you could have heard the laughter all the way across 44th street.
While backstage I also had the opportunity to emotionally and physically support Ms. Hilary Chaplain and got to meet Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker and their six year old son, James.
Matthew and SJP and I discussed the show. James and I discussed clowns, Halloween, Christmas and Star Wars.
James likes Luke. Shane like Anakin ; )
Last week I showed footage of Otto Griebling and Freddie Freeman doing the Boxing Gag and I'm sure that you could have heard the laughter all the way across 44th street.
While backstage I also had the opportunity to emotionally and physically support Ms. Hilary Chaplain and got to meet Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker and their six year old son, James.
Matthew and SJP and I discussed the show. James and I discussed clowns, Halloween, Christmas and Star Wars.
James likes Luke. Shane like Anakin ; )
AL SIMMONS: Get To Know Him!
One of Shane's favorite recording artists is Al Simmons. The following information is from his website, which can be accessed by clicking the title of this post...
In the entertainment business since 1970, the popular Manitoba-based children’s performer is likely Canada’s most versatile comedian. He puts on a funfest, full of bizarre gadgets, wild costumes, unique songs, crazy vaudeville-inspired routines and of course bad puns.
It's as if he was genetically engineered for comedy. From his distant Romanian and Scottish ancestors Al has inherited a quick wit, lanky legs, large flipper like feet and a rubber face. His father, a charismatic magazine salesman and would be performer, spent many hours telling tall tales and re-enacting old vaudeville routines in their living-room. Al's Mom taught the budding young vaudevillian the genteel art of punning, silly songs and magic tricks. But the most important thing that his parents taught him was how to use his talents to do good and bring happiness to the world without hurting anyone. His extended family was made up of punsters, pranksters and eccentrics, including Al's Uncle Nick, who toured Eastern Canada as Steamboat Harris, best known for playing a ukulele made out of a toilet seat!
Al’s debut album "Something’s Fishy at Camp Wiganishie" earned a Juno nomination for best Children’s Album. His follow up recording was a brilliant ode to vaudeville, "Celery Stalks at Midnight". It won the 1995 Juno Award and the 1996 U.S. Parents’ Choice Award. "The Truck I Bought From Moe", his third album, garnered a Juno nomination and a Parents’ Choice Award. He is an author; “Counting Feathers,” his illustrated children’s book, was short-listed for the McNally-Robinson Book of the Year in 1997. He received a coveted Cable Ace Award nomination for his music video "I Collect Rocks," which is also the title track of his brand new DVD that contains 6 of his wacky music videos and features his Horse-cycle “Ol’ Spoke”.
Al and his wife Barbara have been married since 1976 and live in harmony and pandemonium near the small Manitoba town of Anola. They have three sons, Karl, Will, and Brad, and two granddaughters, Ashley and Kaitlin. Their home, built around two train cars, is equipped with a fire-pole that connects an upstairs shop with a main-floor playroom lined with mattresses and filled with pillows. Their 15-acre yard is flowered with zip lines, Tarzan ropes, slides and swings.
A Creative Genius with the Soul of a Vaudevillian -Al Simmons is a one-man cast of thousands! A modern day comedy chameleon! A wizard of one-liners!
Al Simmons’ one-man, multi-prop, music-filled, off the wall performances have elevated audiences world-wide to collective giggles and all-out guffaws. At once childlike in its simplicity and sophisticated in its execution, Al’s humour touches a responsive chord in people of every age.
Vaudeville’s half-century run of popularity may have died back in the 1940's, but don’t try to tell that to Al Simmons or the crowds of fans that have packed theatres across North America to see him. Into the tradition of the great comedy kings--Danny Kaye, Spike Jones and Jimmy Durante--comes Al Simmons, a man dedicated to the all but lost art of combining comedy with song, dance, magic, and sight-gags. The end result is a one-man variety show--one hour of old-fashioned good-natured fun.
Vaudeville’s half-century run of popularity may have died back in the 1940's, but don’t try to tell that to Al Simmons or the crowds of fans that have packed theatres across North America to see him. Into the tradition of the great comedy kings--Danny Kaye, Spike Jones and Jimmy Durante--comes Al Simmons, a man dedicated to the all but lost art of combining comedy with song, dance, magic, and sight-gags. The end result is a one-man variety show--one hour of old-fashioned good-natured fun.
In the entertainment business since 1970, the popular Manitoba-based children’s performer is likely Canada’s most versatile comedian. He puts on a funfest, full of bizarre gadgets, wild costumes, unique songs, crazy vaudeville-inspired routines and of course bad puns.
It's as if he was genetically engineered for comedy. From his distant Romanian and Scottish ancestors Al has inherited a quick wit, lanky legs, large flipper like feet and a rubber face. His father, a charismatic magazine salesman and would be performer, spent many hours telling tall tales and re-enacting old vaudeville routines in their living-room. Al's Mom taught the budding young vaudevillian the genteel art of punning, silly songs and magic tricks. But the most important thing that his parents taught him was how to use his talents to do good and bring happiness to the world without hurting anyone. His extended family was made up of punsters, pranksters and eccentrics, including Al's Uncle Nick, who toured Eastern Canada as Steamboat Harris, best known for playing a ukulele made out of a toilet seat!
Al’s debut album "Something’s Fishy at Camp Wiganishie" earned a Juno nomination for best Children’s Album. His follow up recording was a brilliant ode to vaudeville, "Celery Stalks at Midnight". It won the 1995 Juno Award and the 1996 U.S. Parents’ Choice Award. "The Truck I Bought From Moe", his third album, garnered a Juno nomination and a Parents’ Choice Award. He is an author; “Counting Feathers,” his illustrated children’s book, was short-listed for the McNally-Robinson Book of the Year in 1997. He received a coveted Cable Ace Award nomination for his music video "I Collect Rocks," which is also the title track of his brand new DVD that contains 6 of his wacky music videos and features his Horse-cycle “Ol’ Spoke”.
Al and his wife Barbara have been married since 1976 and live in harmony and pandemonium near the small Manitoba town of Anola. They have three sons, Karl, Will, and Brad, and two granddaughters, Ashley and Kaitlin. Their home, built around two train cars, is equipped with a fire-pole that connects an upstairs shop with a main-floor playroom lined with mattresses and filled with pillows. Their 15-acre yard is flowered with zip lines, Tarzan ropes, slides and swings.
A Creative Genius with the Soul of a Vaudevillian -Al Simmons is a one-man cast of thousands! A modern day comedy chameleon! A wizard of one-liners!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
POLL RESULTS
OK, so last night's poll results are as follows...
1 Barry Lubin
2 Bill Irwin
3 Greg and Karen DeSanto
4 David Shiner
5 David Larible
6 Mitch Freddes, Jeff Gordon, Bello Nock (tie)
7 Tom Doughery
8 Fumagalli and Daris, Rocco Paris (tie)
9 Slava Polunin
10 Aga-Boom, Umbilical Bros. (tie)
Congratulations to all the winners! This was just a preliminary test of the blogspot.com poll feature, run for a few hours on a Saturday night. It was in no way meant to be conclusive but I'm sure that the winners are glad to know that folks appreciate their work.
Now that I know more about the poll feature (both it's strengths and it's limitations) perhaps we could use it here more often.
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