arts & entertainment

Late Bloomer

In My Son the Waiter
— a show that's half-
theater, half-standup
actor-comedian
Brad Zimmerman
riffs on his childhood,
family (Jewish
mother!), career and
misbegotten love life.

"At some point, with
the help of a good
analyst, I was able to
go out into the world,
realizing that failure
was everything."

— Brad Zimmerman

Suzanne Chessler
Contributing Writer

B

rad Zimmerman, like lots of per-
formers, recalls a history of work-
ing as a waiter to support himself.
Because there were so many years with-
out viable roles, the aspiring actor simply
stuck with restaurants, serving up all
kinds of food to all kinds of customers.
As time went by, Zimmerman didn't
just serve; he observed and, some 30 years
later, turned his day job into a one-man
comedic theater piece, My Son the Waiter:
A Jewish Tragedy.
With bookings across the country,
Zimmerman will appear Oct. 13-30 at the
Andiamo Novi Theatre. It will be his first
extended run.
"I've tried to make the show very pro-
found and inspiring as well as funny," says
Zimmerman, 57, who caught the attention
of a casting director for The Sopranos and
played the lawyer for fictional crime boss
Johnny Sack.
Part theatrical and part standup, My
Son the Waiter is filled with Zimmerman's
enhanced memories of childhood, family,
career and romance.
Among the jokes is a supposed com-
ment made by his mother to her friends
during the restaurant years: "If all goes
well, Brad is going to buy a bookcase."
Zimmerman might buy more than one
bookcase as he also finds increasing atten-
tion to his general standup and is called
on to become the opening act for Joan
Rivers, Dennis Miller, Brad Garrett and
other big-name humorists.
"I'm a late bloomer, and that's part of
what my show is all about',' Zimmerman
says. "Most of the comics who influenced
me were the Catskill guys, and I feel that
I'm just heating up.
"When opening for others, I'm incred-

Brad Zimmerman

ibly different from them because what I
say is about me. I don't do anything heavy,
and I don't do anything political."
Caught up in all kinds of sports (soccer,
basketball, tennis) while growing up in
New York, Zimmerman took an aptitude
test in high school and very unexpectedly
was pointed in the direction of the arts.
He enrolled in a theater-history course at
Rollins College in Florida and auditioned
for two plays.
"I got a walk-on part in one and the
lead in another:' explains Zimmerman,
who soon concentrated academic atten-
tion on the stage. "I felt theater had the
same kind of perks as being an athlete
— going in front of audiences and getting
approval and applause.
"I won a scholarship to graduate school
at Pennsylvania State University but left

because I realized I was just avoiding New
York. After I moved, I still didn't feel ready
for the world. I started to audition but
soon retreater
Zimmerman believes he waited tables
for so long — his last restaurant job was
at the Chat and Chew, a comfort food joint
on 16th Street in Manhattan, where he
worked for more than 12 years — because
he didn't believe in himself.
"At some point, with the help of a good
analyst, I was able to go out into the world,
realizing that failure was everything','
Zimmerman explains. "People fail, and they
learn.
"I got the idea of writing my own mate-
rial and performing it. When I switched
from acting with a scene partner to work-
ing on my own, I found my niche as an
actor doing comedy."

While My Son the Waiter is based on
some stereotypes of Jewish mothers along
with the angst, energy and drive associ-
ated with New York Jews, it was planned
to have universal appeal in exploring
relationships and communication. It takes
on "the more moving, serious stuff [like
my father's death from cancer]," which he
doesn't do in standup, says Zimmerman.
The show, developed in 2005, is being
considered for a sitcom, extending the
material explored after Zimmerman's
attendance in a comedy class and tried
through his standup routines.
"Although I did all the writing, I relied
on certain comedians I trust to help me
tweak the production:' says Zimmerman,
who has performed the show before
audiences at synagogues and Jewish com-
munity centers. "I feel so authentic and
purposeful doing this."
As Zimmerman continues being active
with one-man projects, he feels ready to
take on more projects with other people.
One idea has to do with a short-form
sitcom for a website; the pilot is being
pitched to prospective sponsors.
The entertainer has no regrets about not
joining in the family furniture business,
which had employed his two brothers. His
mother is a retired interior decorator.
"I'm very optimistic right now:' says
Zimmerman, single and still enjoying
athletics. "I'm hoping to get more visibility
on the Web. Being creative is everything
for me, and it's a challenge to see how far I
can take it:' I 1

Brad Zimmerman appears in My
Son the Waiter: An American
Tragedy Oct.13-30 at the Andiamo
Novi Theatre, 42705 Grand River.
Performances are at 8 p.m.
Thursdays and Fridays, 7 and 9 p.m.
Saturdays and 5 p.m. Sundays. $35
show for one; $89.95 show and din-
ner for two. (248) 348-4448;
andiamonovitheatre.com .

October 6 • 2011

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