Dependable Felons Present: A Very Obnoxious Equinox
10:30PM, $10, Walking Fish Theatre, 2509 N. Frankford Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19125, ticket website.
View Larger Map
Dependable Felons Present: A Very Obnoxious Equinox
8PM, $10, Walking Fish Theatre, 2509 N. Frankford Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19125, ticket website.
View Larger Map
ACTUALLY READ IT: American On Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot by Craig Ferguson
I often find myself in the minority when expressing my admiration for Craig Ferguson – the Scotsman turned American who beat out Michael Ian Black many years ago after Craig Kilborn left his late-night show. His apparent openness and honesty on air are refreshing (like when he abandoned his regular format the night after his father’s death to spend a full hour offering a remembrance in black tie) or when he talked frankly about his own struggles with addiction a few years back in the midst of the media frenzy around Britney Spears meltdown. His ability to find humor in both of these situations without being either maudlin or mean-spirited was impressive and genuinely funny. So when Ferguson started hawking his autobiography on his show a few months back by having celebrities read random passages from it in a Masterpiece Theatre setting, I thought it might be worth a read.
I picked my copy up on a whim at the airport when a flight got delayed and managed to speed through about half of it before getting home. Ferguson has a spare style that reads easily and keeps things moving, which is frankly a good thing – the first sections of the book, which focus mostly on his relatively normal upbringing in and around Edinburgh, aren’t particularly interesting (especially since if you’re familiar with his life you already know what’s to come and can see any foreshadowing pretty blatantly). One thing is obvious: that early life is important to him. There are many shout-outs to friends and his early attempts at stardom as a punk-rock drummer are chronicled pretty extensively before we arrive at the comedy about half-way through the book.
And when he does discuss his career, the stuff is good. Talking about how he created his first comic persona – Bing Hitler – leaves you impressed by both his calculation, and his drive to find any way to be successful. He’s also frank about how alcoholism and drug addiction prevented him from achieving fame earlier in his comedy career and led to several stumbles. While he moves away from comedy to talk about bottoming out and rehab, that material is also compelling. It’s in these sections that Ferguson seems to write very truthfully about the extent of his problems, and how his own inability to turn down a drink may have ironically saved his life. And once his life is on the mend and he moves to Hollywood we get to some great discussion of how the town works, the difficulties of finding rewarding work that also pays, what a struggle it can be to maintain artistic control of your ideas (and the accompanying funk that comes from failing to do so). When Ferguson writes about the rigorous audition process for The Late Late Show you remember what a long-shot he was considered, and it’s great to read about Johnny Carson’s former producer Peter Lasally at work.
Beyond the stuff about his comedic career though, the book can seem sentimental. There’s an obvious attempt to make it a great “coming to America” type story. While there’s little doubt that Ferguson really did have those feelings of wonder about New York as a child – and that he does, rightfully, consider himself a true example of pulling yourself up by the bootstraps – we’ve heard this story before and with almost the exact same details.
The bottom line is this: if you’re a fan of his Late Late Show then you’ll enjoy reading all of the book. If you’ve wondered how a Scot ended up in an American late-night chair or enjoy a frank discussion of how Hollywood often works, you’ll find the discussions of his career interesting and insightful. Those who have never liked him and don’t care much for behind the scenes stories, or people who are looking for a humorous read, are probably better off leaving Craig’s mugging smirk and patriotic kilt on the bookstand.
Greg Maughan is of the founder and current executive director of the Philly Improv Theater.
Laff Away Thursday
Be cool and Laff Away your Thursday night at Philadelphia’s Hottest Comedy Club, The Laff House. Funny Philly Comics Keith Purnell, and David Temple, with special guests. Great Music. Delicious Food.
8:30PM, $10, The Laff House, 221 South St., Philadelphia, PA, 19147, www.laffhouse.com.
Whitney Cummings
From “Chelsea Lately” and “The Roast of Joan Rivers” on Comedy Central
*There is a 2 item minimum per person once seated inside of the showroom*
8PM, $25, Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St., Philadelphia, PA, 19103, 215-496-9001, ticket website.
Whitney Cummings
From “Chelsea Lately” and “The Roast of Joan Rivers” on Comedy Central
*There is a 2 item minimum per person once seated inside of the showroom*
10:30PM, $25, Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St., Philadelphia, PA, 19103, 215-496-9001, ticket website.
Whitney Cummings
From “Chelsea Lately” and “The Roast of Joan Rivers” on Comedy Central
*There is a 2 item minimum per person once seated inside of the showroom*
10:30PM, $20, Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St., Philadelphia, PA, 19103, 215-496-9001, ticket website.
Whitney Cummings
From “Chelsea Lately” and “The Roast of Joan Rivers” on Comedy Central
*There is a 2 item minimum per person once seated inside of the showroom*
8PM, $20, Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St., Philadelphia, PA, 19103, 215-496-9001, ticket website.
Whitney Cummings
From “Chelsea Lately” and “The Roast of Joan Rivers” on Comedy Central
*There is a 2 item minimum per person once seated inside of the showroom*
8PM, $15, Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St., Philadelphia, PA, 19103, 215-496-9001, ticket website.
Jeff Garlin
From HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
*There is a 2 item minimum per person once seated inside of the showroom*
8PM, $25, Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St., Philadelphia, PA, 19103, 215-496-9001, ticket website.
Recent Comments