I was able to attend the
political comedy show held tonight at Rocky Sullivan's in Curry Hill, and thought that I should post a review. A. Whitney (if I may call him that) will evidently be playing there again soon, so I thought this might be of more general interest.
First, I should note that it was a five-comedian bill, including Bruce Cherry, a witty writer for Air America, and Barry Crimmins, who as I understand it pledged in June 2004 to perform at Rocky Sullivan's every Tuesday night until Bush is out of office, and who, while very funny, seemed to have more personal resentment towards Bush's re-election that anyone I've ever seen. (And, really, it's not like the club was that bad.) There were two more men performing after A. Whitney's (if I may still call him that) act as well, but for reasons that will become clear I did not pay much attention to them. More after the jump.
I have to say first that A. Whitney told
the funniest joke about Leviticus possibly ever since the thing was written, but that wasn't surprising. What was surprising to me was that I had had no idea that he is a stage magician. And he really looks dashing in a top hat, cape, and tails.
A. Whitney was entertaining the audience with a political twist on magic tricks -- making the Clinton surplus disappear, pulling a rationale for the Iraq war out of hat, sawing the Legislative and Judicial branches in half, that sort of thing -- when he called for a volunteer from the audience. Well, I figured that he and I had a bond, both being Kosine's, so I would help him out. I went up there and he had me play a game where I was supposed to pick which three supposed utereses (I don't think they were real) contained the blastocyte, and while as asked I put down $5 every try for a chance to win $15, I never could quite figure it out. His hands are quick! Finally, I told him, while the audience was laughing, that I was a Kosine and what my handle here was and he got this funny look in his eye and had me put me put down $20 for the next few hands (still no luck!) and then he said that he was going to perform his hypnosis act.
He took out this antique looking watch and started twirling it around. While he was doing that with his right hand, I saw him smear something from his pocket onto his left index finger and then while distracting the audience he put some under my nose. This guy's good, I thought! He started making me act like various animals, and it was a lot of fun, and then he said some things to me that I don't remember right now. Then I had to get into a box he had on stage. I couldn't hear very well inside the box, and I was suddenly feeling tired and fell asleep.
I woke up in what I guess was the back room and must have slept for an hour or so because when I woke up everyone was gone. It was nice, though; to make my comfortable they had changed me into a really comfortable pair of sweat clothes that I'm wearing right now! Someone had helpfully pinned a map to the front, along with a $5 bill (!), that showed me how to get to the nearest Kinko's. So I've come here -- that's where I am not -- and I have had an irresistable urge to tell everyone how great the show was and that they should go see it the next time he's appearing. And so I have!
UPDATE: Where the hell are my keys? And my wallet? What's that funny smell?