four questions Mark Ridley chats with Platinum If laughter is the best medicine, MARK RIDLEY could be WHAT BOOK, CD, OR OTHER DO YOU LONG TO IA R E? I tend to read myster- ies by authors such as Steve Berry, Vince Flynn, Nelson DeMille and oth- ers. My literary tastes involve a protagonist fighting against the evil- doers in the world. It's pure escapism on my part. As far as music, I love the Margaritaville station on Sirius satellite radio along with any jazz or blues. I grew up with lots of jazz in the house. considered one of Metro Detroit's "top does." The long- time comedy-club owner has been serving up a healthy dose of humor at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle for 30 years. The club first opened in 1979 in the basement of the Meating Place on Pontiac Trail and Orchard Lake roads in Orchard Lake. It's been in its current location on East Fourth Street in Royal Oak for nearly two decades. "When we first opened, my new talent consisted of Tim Allen and David Coulier. They were starting out as comedians," Ridley said. Since then, big names like Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen DeGeneres, Rosie O'Donnell and z Jim Garrey have graced the Comedy Castle stage. Ridley, '5 58, is a graduate of Wayne State University in Detroit. He and his wife, Sara, live in Beverly Hills. They have c two adult sons, Ryan, 32, and Adam, 27, both of whom are pursuing careers in show business. In the current economic climate, Ridley views comedy as a great escape. He also encourages wannabe comedians, urging them to test out their material during his regular "open mike nights" Wednesdays at 8 p.m. "Don't give up," he tells potential future stars. "I know it looks easy, but that means the comic did his or her job right and really made it look like it was a piece of cake." Here, we ask Mark Ridley our version of the Four Questions. Robin Schwartz IF YOU COULD HAVE BRUNCH WITH ONE BIBLICAL OR HISTORICAL JEWISH FIGURE, WHO WOULD IT BE? If I could have brunch with one biblical Jewish fig- ure, it would be with David [who killed Goliath with a stone shot from his sling]. The stories we learned about him as young people were fascinating, but he also was a poet and musician. To me, that's remarkable. WHAT IMPORTANT LIFE LESSONS HAVE 'IOU RECENTLY LEARNED? I met and married a woman who taught me "less is more." I always wanted to lease a new car every two years, go out to eat and enjoy too many things. Sara has made me see how important it is to be a minimal- ist, and I've come to enjoy that way of life. The more things I divested myself of, the less hectic my life became, both personally and professionally. W HAI- WOULD PEOPLE BE SURPRISED TO KNOW ABOUT YOU? People have always expressed surprise when I tell them, "I don't remember jokes." My humor was always the smart-aleck approach and ad-libs in social settings. Also, I lived and worked on a kibbutz in the mid-1970s. I traveled across most of Israel either by hitchhiking or with the leader of our volunteer group from Kibbutz Re'im. The best trip was camping at St. Catherine's Monastery, rising at 2 a.m. and climbing what is pur- ported to be Mt. Sinai. We got to the top as the sun was breaking over the desert horizon. Very spiritual! a Is your hair too thin? Would you like more? iN LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE Wearin gR aydianCe theA nswer ! t; lighten i ypl/ tying the knot Gives Fullness Gives Highlights While Maintaining Your Exact Style With its contemporary flair and snappy Consultation are Free content and visuals, Platinum has Available with Private Suite positioned itself in the market to deliver West Bloomfield Office Offers: Dupticati, ,n - I lairricce the Metropolitan Detroit Jewish population to advertisers through home delivery, Brighton Office Offers: Faux Image Wig • Reidy to Wear Wig, • roidy I Ltirptitc.. • I lab street distribution and event attendance. and Sran 248-855-8845 www.raydianceforwomen.com 5799 W. Maple • Suite 167 West Bloomfield • 248-855-8845 537 W. Main • Brighton • 810-220-8888 B 2 2 • JUNE 2009 • .17\ platinum For advertising information call 245-351-5107