Last night I put on some fine duds and full make-up to perform at a benefit for a new theatre company that some friends started. It was in the lobby of the theatre they're renting for the show. For a Monday night in Fort Mason it did not draw the crowds they hoped, but as Ara (one of the founders) said, for every patron that's 7 more dollars that we didn't have before. I love that positivity. And Ara has that in spades.
The benefit gave me a good opportunity to perform an excerpt of When You Hit Your Funny Bone again. Ara started the show by singing some lovely songs from the 1930s. They were campy at times, and she was truly funny, but the audience was quiet. Well, Randy and I laughed in the back, but when I asked Kati if the audience was smiling, she said no. That worried me lots. I really needed the verbal support from the small crowd and thankfully when my turn came I just reached in and took it.
Not very subtle.
My original plan was to do a bit of the Laugh Score, speak and dance the Humor definition, tell the cowboy joke, repeat the humor dance and then go into One for the Ladies. However with my schedule yesterday I did not have time to rehearse the humor work. So I cut it. I thought through the transitions, but never physicalized them. I think it worked out okay, but it would have been stronger if I would have rehearsed it.
Ara used piano accompaniment for her songs so I asked him to play a small intro before I started laughing. It was a little clunky, but since we never worked before it was fine. I think I came on too strong and did not offer enough variety of sound, rhythm and quality all around. But keeping it positive, it was fun to do it and I had some nice conversations with folks afterwards. There were a few that thanked me for the laughter and another that spoke about the "pu pu and pee pee platter" just not being good.
Needless to say I am excited to jump back in and since I let my current musician go, I am now in search of another collaborator.
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