On Broadway

Alright, it wasn't exactly Broadway... but it was as close as I'll ever get.

I now have something in common with some of the biggest names in comedy -- stars like Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Tina Fey and Steven Colbert. I have performed *ahem* stood on the stage with Second City. They like to include local celebrities in their shows. Last night at the Long Wharf Theatre, they had to settle for me.

First of all, let me say something about this cast. They were amazingly talented and ridiculously funny. They were performing some of Second City's best, most time-tested skits. The show was funnier than almost anything I've seen on Saturday Night Live in years. But well-written comedy is only one half of funny. These guys performed it perfectly. And when you're talking about comedy like the stuff Second City does, you've got to remember not everything is scripted --  this cast's ability to do improv was impressive.

Me (R) as Sky Masterson in Guys & Dolls in 1990

My role was to be part of their encore, when they played the improv game Freeze. I've played it before -- 20 years ago, when I was doing theater in high school. It's fun, it's challenging, it makes you think on your feet. But when you're doing it with Improv All-Stars, it's intimidating! In the 10 minutes I was on stage, I was the letter "W".. an ostrich.. and the Karate Kid. I may have also been a one-legged, tap-dancing prostitute for one scene... but I'm not sure how that happened.

It was so much fun and over too fast. I was reminded of the powerful energy and electricity from being on stage in a theater. Again, something I haven't really done since high school. And I kept thinking of how I could have been funnier, wittier, quicker. Maybe next time. In the meantime, I'll stick to my day job.

Today's Title: George Benson's ode to the Great White Way