Sunday, March 27, 2005

Jon Lovitz and his comedic return Part 2

From the Daily Trojan:
Lucky for us, Hollywood's famous Laugh Factory is hosting the former Saturday Night Live cast member every Wednesday night from now until June.

"Jon is trying to put together a very eclectic night," said opening act comedian Eric Falconer. And indeed, it is. Although Lovitz is an established comedic powerhouse, he is graciously willing to share the spotlight with the new generation.

The opening act is a duo of young guys, Chris Romano and Falconer, who Lovitz is very excited about featuring in his show.

"I think these guys are extremely funny," Lovitz said. "People are going to want to see them because when you look back 20 years from now; these are the guys who you're going to brag about and say, 'I saw them back when.'"

Lovitz is far too humble and generous with his praise, because he truly is the main attraction and the mob that fills the club every week only has eyes for him.

In person, Lovitz ("J.Lo" to his friends) insists he's just plain - plain hilarious! During the interview, he asked to be addressed as Sir Lord Lovitz because "I just recently heard that Ben Kingsley was working on a movie and made everybody call him 'Sir Ben.' Therefore I insist on being called 'Sir Lord Lovitz.'"[...]

During his routine, Lovitz jokes openly about his Jewish background, romantic mishaps and overall childish immaturity, which is his primary appeal.

"I find that the younger the person is, the more people get excited about Jon," Falconer said.

Assessing his own brand of humor, Lovitz said, "My humor's just silly really. It's like an eight-year-old with a little more knowledge."

Lovitz, Romano and Falconer freely said that their show, although fun for adults of all ages, is best appreciated by college students.

"College students are more aware of things than most people, so they get more out of this stuff. When you're younger, you're more passionate about understanding the world," Lovitz said.

Lovitz's stand-up routine definitely covers the gamut of social issues. There's something for everybody: bestiality, gay marriage, the presidential elections and the breakup of Brad and Jen are all given that particular Lovitz touch.

Toward the end of the show, Lovitz apologizes to his audience, saying, "if I didn't offend you, I'm truly sorry. Please don't feel left out."

And just when the show reaches that point where it seems things cannot possibly be any funnier, Lovitz sits down behind a keyboard and performs several musical numbers dedicated to the sexual orientation of his dear friend Bob Saget. No doubt about it, Lovitz's show proves that nothing is sacred, in the most delightful way.

If you're a Lovitz-lover or just want an all-around great night of comedy, head on down to the Laugh Factory on a Wednesday night and see Lovitz doing what he loves best. "I can say whatever I want, and I get to be funny in the way that I think I'm funny," he said. We think you're funny too, Sir Lord Lovitz.
Darn it! I need to see this guy live at least once! Listen, I'm a big SNL fan, and I don't care what you say, this guy is a comedic genius. He's a Jew from Pasadena, I'm a Jew from Louisville--we could be related. Well, I still need to perform there. I need out of Kentucky badly. Networking, like in politics, is a key to success in comedy, Mark Podijil tells me. Podijil comments that it's the "most democratic of the performing arts." As if Shakespeare was a Democrat anyway. I always though of old Will as a Republican being paid by the monarchy to write for them.

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