'A party with Marty'
I must say, Martin Short doesn't do many live comedy shows anymore.
Which is why his Friday night show at the 900-seat Arcada Theatre in St. Charles will be such a rare treat.
Short, 57, says he occasionally performs to fill gaps in his schedule, which in recent months, has involved writing a new show for HBO, spending time with his family, and making an occasional talk show appearance.
Earlier this month, he did a funny bit on the "Late Show with David Letterman" where he flashed the camera while exiting a limousine, a lá Britney Spears.
Spoofs like these are what made the spazzy, slapstick comedian, writer, singer and Canadian-born actor famous.
He's perhaps best known for his multiple characters (Ed Grimley and Jiminy Glick, to name a few), and has done just about every job in the business, from Broadway to TV talk show host.
Arguably, some of his best work was with the 1980s comedy sketch show, SCTV.
Whenever he's on stage, you just never know what's going to happen. In an interview this week, he gave us some insight:
Q: What's your show going to be like?
A: It's like a party with Marty. It's like a one-man variety show. It's me dancing and singing and doing monologue. Jiminy Glick shows up. Ed Grimley shows up. I bring people up on stage. There's a lot of improvising. There's no show quite like this. Either you see stand up or you see a singer. You don't see wigs and fat suits and characters and the audience up on stage and someone telling showbiz stories. It's as loose as anything, so it's as close as you'll get to hanging with me. But I might be nude in it. I can't remember.
Q: You've done so many characters ... who is your favorite?
A: I still like doing Jiminy Glick. With that character I'm just always improvising, so I'm amazed at where my mind will actually go. I like Ed Grimley. I like (songwriter) Irving Cohen ... I like them all. There's probably a little bit of me in all of them.
Q: There's sometimes a divide between fans of SCTV and Saturday Night Live. You worked on both shows -- which do you think was more influential?
A: I'm one of the only people who ever did both. They're just completely different shows. SCTV exists based on that cast. SNL is more like a Second City stage. I have a personal thing in my heart for SCTV. Not only was I doing it at home (in Canada), but it was my first chance to explore doing characters, and I was doing it with my friends. The only reason I went to SNL was because SCTV was finished.
Q: You've worked with all of the A-list comedians. Who do you think is funny now?
A: Seth Rogen is funny. I love all the guys in "Saturday Night Live." Kristen Wiig is a genius. I'm an easy laugh.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Just writing and doing concerts. I'm only going to do about 20 all year, though.
Q: Any talk of an Ed Grimley movie?
A: No!
Q: Fans like to hear about what's new in your personal life. Anything you're into these days?
A: I'm addicted to the TV show "Mad Men," and I'm obsessed with the election.
Q: Who do you like?
A: Barack Obama. I think he's going to get it.
"An Evening With Martin Short"
Where:
Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St. St. Charles
When:
8 p.m. Friday
Tickets:
$55-$79
Info:
(630) 587-8400 or www.thearcada.com