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9th Annual Mardi Gras "Fat Tuesday

Viagra over the counter. Like enough
people aren't getting laid in Carnivale."
The road to Black's recent notoriety
began in childhood when, growing up
in a Jewish home in Silver Spring,
Md. — his family celebrated the holi-
days but was otherwise not very obser-
vant — Black was bitten by the the-
ater bug. Not necessarily the comedian
bug, if there is such a thing.
"When I was 5, I didn't say I want-
ed to be a stand-up comic," he said.
"I don't think anyone does. And if
that is the case, then you are a raging
psychotic."
Instead, he wanted to be a theater
critic or to perform like the actors in
the countless musicals he took in. "I
loved going to the theater. That much
I knew," he said. "I could see myself
on the stage like they were — only I
couldn't carry a tune.
Black graduated from the
University of North Carolina and later
from the Yale University School of
Drama. At the time, Black's father was
a designer of sea mines, but he quit
his job after the United States used the
-defensive weapons he'd designed to
fence in the Vietnamese harbors dur-
ing the Vietnam War. He became a
stained glass maker instead.
It's no surprise, then, that Black's dad
understood and supported his son's
ambition to pursue the theater. His
mother was a different story She said,
`If you aren't going to become a doctor,
then go into health administration,'" he
said. "Looking back on it, she was right."
Since graduating from Yale, Black
has written over 40 plays that have
been produced in theaters across the
country. He has had small parts in
motion pictures (Hannah and Her
Sisters, Jacob's Ladder, The Hard ny
and The Night We Never Met), guest-
starred on television shows ("Mad
About You" and "Homicide") and
acted in numerous plays.
But while other comedians like
Dennis Miller were making it big in
the 1980s, Black was unable to gener-
ate the same attention.
"I have never quite understood it. I
was around when Dennis Miller got
`Saturday Night Live.' In fact, I was
doing the same territory," he said. "It
was a matter of getting the audition.
It wasn't my agent's fault or anything
like that. He auditioned. He got the
part. I didn't."
Once, about 12 years ago, Black was
asked to audition for an M'1 V comedy
show featuring a number of comedians
who happened to be in their late 30s.
Producers of the show said the come-
dians skewed too old for the audience.

"

"The age thing is really a bugaboo.
You have all these cable networks out
there trying to pigeonhole everything
into age categories," he said. "But age
has nothing to do with humor.
Rodney Dangerfield was entertaining
teenagers when he was well into his
60s. My comic hero as a kid was
Grouch() Marx — and he was dead."
But the age thing didn't stop Black,
who continued honing his comic craft
during opening gigs for musical acts
and appearances on a number of tele-
vised comedy shows.
He grabbed the attention of "The
Daily Show" producers, who gave him
the commentator job and later helped
produce Black's own half-hour come-
dy special, titled "Black Humor," also
on Comedy Central.
The show, coming to Royal Oak's
Comedy Castle Feb. 17-21, won raves
from critics at the New York Times, the
New York Post and the New York Daily
News, whose Fintan O'Toole wrote:
"Deeply, deliriously funny! This is a
rough-edged, risky performance, to
which words like 'patter' and 'routine'
simply do not apply."
On top of the critical acclaim, Black
has earned an ardent fan following that,
ironically includes a younger fan base.
In fact, one Lewis Black devotee, an 18-
year-old self-described burger cooker
named Josh Cable, has set up a Web
site dedicated to Black and to his career.
"I think he is very funny but not
very recognized," Cable said. "I
thought it was a shame that all over
the Net there were no sites with any
hard facts on Lew, so I made mine a
starting point, somewhat."
Black, who has foregone having a
family or even a stable relationship
due to the demands of the road, is
flattered by the attention.
"I am happy in the sense that it is
finally happening," he said. "I am very
grateful. I have worked hard to get
here." 7

Lewis Black performs at Mark
Ridley's Comedy Castle, 269 E.
Fourth Street, in Royal Oak, Feb.
17-Feb. 21. Show times on
Wednesday and Thursday are
8:30 p.m. and tickets are $6;
Friday and Saturday show times
are 8:15 p.m. and 10:45 p.m. and
tickets are $12; Sunday's show
time is 7:30 p.m. and tickets are
56. Reservations are required for
every performance. For more
information, call the Comedy-
Castle at (248) 542-9900.

"

2N
D PRIZ
$1,000.00
CAS H

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PRIZE
s150.00
CASH

E

PR1U

a BAR

S5NA CASH

7\/\

Tuesday, February 6, 8:00PM til Midnight

C'mon down and celebrate New Orleans Style. Cash prizes awarded to persons in the best festive attire.
$10 cover charge includes: entertainment by live New Orleans Jazz band, hors d'oeuvres, and a chance to
win in a random drawing. Celebrate the last uproarious day before lent. Let the JOY begin!

ISEI§Off

Monroe and Brush • Greektown • 313/965-4600

ompano's

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YOUR CHOICE OF BEEF BULGOGI,
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INCLUDES SOUP AND SALAD

EVERY LUNCH SPECIAL
INCLUDES SOUP AND SALAD

DINE IN OR CARRY OUT
(NO LUNCH SPECIALS ON HOLIDAYS)

is here thru February 20th

HOURS:

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We have 4 separate banquet
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We offer Hotel accommodations
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SAT, SUN AND HOLIDAYS

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538-0664
Fax (248) 538-0668

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BETWEEN 12 AND 13 MILE ON EAST SIDE

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OTHER LOCATION IN

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LANSING

Detroit Jewish News

2/12
1999

83

