4 4

KADIMA SHTICK

from page 37

becoming a physics teacher.
"But even in teaching I used humor,
dialects and sound effects," he recalls.
"The students loved it."
Eventually, he became an assistant
school superintendent on Long Island,
and also did a stint as a local cable TV
station owner.
"But I just couldn't stand the boring
educators and the workaday business
world, and I got sick and tired of the
regular paychecks and the educational
glamor of a school administrator's life,"
he reflects. "So I decided.to go on the
road and make $25 a show."
That's exactly what Solomon received
in his first gig at a small New York corn-
edy club in the mid-1980s.
Solomon's life has provided a natural
lead-in for the name of his show. His
father met his mother while in the
Army stationed in Italy during World
War II — and the younger Solomon
has been going to church and a syna-
gogUe all of his life. "My father insisted
that I have a bar mitzvah, so I attended
Hebrew school, and went through with
it very nicely," he said.
"Being the product of a mixed mar-
riage is very interesting. I have a real
variety of relatives. There's an Uncle
Moishe and an Uncle Vito. And there
are great philosophers in the family.
"My late father always said, 'I was
born with nothin', and I still got most
of it.' My mother often says, 'Life is like
a roll of toilet paper; the pieces get
shorter when you get near the end.'"
Solomon is annoyed when people say
to him: "Oh, you poor guy. With a
Jewish father and an Italian mother, you
must have had a terrible childhood.
There must have been arguing and
bickering in your family all the time."
But the truth is, Solomon retorts, that

V lother's Italian,

athers Jewish

he's always had a "wonderful and
harmonious family life. Everyone
gets along with everyone. The only
real problem occurred when my
Jewish grandmother tried to teach
my Italian mother how to keep
kosher. That didn't work out too
well."
Solomon's show is set in a thera-
A one-man show filled with
pist's office, with "non-stop"
Comedy & Musical surprises starring.
dialects, which appropriately carries
out the theme of his life. The 230-
pound comedian gets laughs by
simply imitating his grandfather,
making noises like a zipper going
Meet the Family: Mom, Dad, Grandma Angelina, Grandpa Harry,
up and down and shoes squeaking.
Bobbie, Aunts, Uncle Vito, Cousins, Macho Carmine and everyone in between
He also imitates the husky voice
whose sole purpose in life is to drive Steve into therapy..,. and they succeeded.
of his sister, a four-pack-a-day
Steve's one-man comedy play tells the story of his Wild & Wacky, but
smoker.
wonderful Family. His hysterical adventures and the characters he brings to
life on stage are not to believed. '1,
"These are the every-day types of
people who an audience is familiar
with and relates to," he explains.
" Steve is one of the best comic actors
"They leave the show saying, 'I
John toesseic trig It let
I've seen in years "
" 7 performances; 7 sold out shows;
knew a guy like that.'
more can 1 say! "
7 standing ovations;
"I stay away from topical humor;
" The title works. The show's great.
Steve janickt, King Center of The Performing Arts.
jokes about current events. Many
A complete sellout "
Kratisk rows+d center For The Petfmming Am, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
comedians today make the mistake
of joking about certain movies, or
Tour Representation: Ken =am& • WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY, INC.
Personal Management: CliARLES RAPP ENTERPRISES, INC,
TV shows, and it's not funny if the
1325 Ave. of toilettes • New York, NY 10019
1E50 Broadway • New York, NY 10019
212-903-1304
1 412-247-6646 • 1.S00-1320-6496
audience didn't see it."
Solomon performs his show
about 200 times a year, often for
grants from agencies, but the organiza-
ager Abby Koffler. "There also are some
Jewish organizations like Kadima. He
tion recently launched the Kadima
musical
surprises,"
Solomon
confides.
says he's booked into the Helen Hayes
Operational Endowment, says President
"We're
looking
forward
to
a
great
Theater on Broadway, beginning in
D. Michael Kratchman of Bloomfield
show," said Janette Shallal, Kadima
October 2006. One-person shows are
Hills, with a goal of $5 million. ❑
executive
director.
"It's
our
biggest
fund-
the latest trend on and off Broadway,
raiser
of
the
year,
and
we
hope
to
bring
although most run for short intervals.
Comedian Steve Solomon will per-
in about $300,000-$400,000."
Solomon also was scheduled to do a
form as a benefit for Kadima at
Kadima,
which
means
"moving
for-
preview of his show Labor Day the Jerry
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, at the
ward,"
spends
about
$2.5
million
a
year
Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon.
Max M. Fisher Music Center,
providing counseling, therapy and reha-
He's proud of the fact that his entire
Detroit. Prices start at $100. (248)
bilitation services to about 200 people
support team is Jewish: executive pro-
559-8235.
with
mental
illness.
ducers Howard Rapp and Arnold Gra-
Kadima's
main
sources
of
income
are
ham, director Andrew Rogow and man-

in Therapy 11

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