--===Mr. Fran's Review -- Scott at the Park West 9/20/1997!===--
[This review initially appeared on both the Comedy BB and the
alt.tv.kids-in-hall newsgroup on September 21, 1997, and here it is for
your consumption. I "borrowed" the photos from Jen Gardner
[http://pages.prodigy.com/djinifer/] and Barb
Carr's
[http://wwwvms.utexas.edu/~barbcarr/index.html] home pages. Otherwise,
enjoy!]
Yes, I was one of the fortunate who got to see Scott Thompson do his
comedy act live! He appeared at the Park West, and after making myself
comfortable in a nice little bar stool, with a fine view of the
festivities, the show commenced, albeit a half hour late.
Scott's show, to put it simply, was a collection of past material (i.e.,
stuff that was on the KITH show), and some newer stuff (i.e., new Buddy
monologues, his own insights into the workings of Hollywood, being a cult
star, etc). I'm *not* going to go into excessive detail about what he said
or didn't say, because if he comes to *your* town, you should take the time
to go see him. Besides, he can make jokes much better than I can.
_[one note: I think I spotted everyone's pal, Mr. Gordon Andina. He was
dressed in a Bears jacket, was surrounded by a bevy of blonde Dallas Cowboy
cheerleaders, and was drinking a big bottle of champagne. Man, I wish *I*
had that kind of action at 12 years old. But I digress....] _
Scott made an appropriately grand entrance, as he made his way through the
theater, and began with his "Homo Alone" piece (i.e., the
sheet/towel/sarong dressed one) from KITH. He then launched into a
monologue, announcing, "I am a self-loathing homosexual. If you want
affirmation, watch _*Ellen*_." After a few brief comments, he went into the
KITH piece about why people were upset at the word "fa@@0+" [as board
leader, I have to live by *P's guidelines (sigh)].He then launched into the
Fran monologue from the KITH pilot (with the classic line "When Brian told
me he was a hom....he was g...he was *shy*"...this then led to a monologue
about life in LA. Here is my personal favorite line from that monologue:
"In L.A., only certain people are caught walking -- hookers, crazy people,
and Kevin McDonald."
Anyway -- he then went into a Buddy Cole monologue about "closeted" gays,
which then led to another monologue by Francesca Fiore, who talked about
Gizzy the crack baby. (Don't ask). He then talked about his ex-boyfriend,
"Dick", which led to a brief piece about a male slave. After that, he
talked about pornography, then went *back* to a Fran monologue, then
*another* Buddy monologue about HIV testing, which then finished the show.
However, Scott came back for a one-liner which I will *NOT* divulge (and if
any of you divulge it on this board, I will have to kill you), but let's
just say that you've never really *seen* Scott until you've seen this
moment.
Now, for the show -- Scott has put together a really strong show, and I
strongly encourage you to see it. It has a little something for everyone --
classic KITH moments, Scott's own unique brand of outrage, and just plain
silly stuff. Scott, with only a few props, some clothes/wigs, and lighting,
was able to reinforce what many KITH fans enjoy about the troupe -- their
ability to create well-rounded characters with laser-sharp insights into
human relationships. Scott's unique takes on many subjects -- the whole
_Ellen_ thing, HIV testing, abusive relationships -- comes off well, and it
seems like he is working through a *lot* of anger, coming off a failed
relationship (claiming that "this isn't why gays should marry...instead of
a messy divorce, it's now a simple murder case"), dealing with previous
abuses, etc.
[http://members.aol.com/gleemonex5/savekith.htm] The only misstep in the
show, as I see it, is the "Francesca Fiore" sketch. It's in quotes because,
well, it's not the Fiore we know. This is more of a simple peasant woman
than an international film star. (In this bit, the character would probably
*never* say, "Feel like a b!+ch"). The monologue itself also falters, but
this is only 5-6 minutes out of an entire hour.
If you haven't seen Scott's show, I strongly suggest you do so. I think it
is a very potent reminder of why KITH fans are so loyal -- because, at its
very core, this is *intelligent* comedy with incredible insight. You'll
laugh, you'll smile, and you won't go home disappointed.
Please feel free to either head back to my KITH page or write your musings
on my ScrawlWall(tm)!
[http://kneetoe.com/scrawlwall/walls/GORDONDYMOWSKI.shtml] (It's also free,
so if you have a web page and want to set one up, just click on the
obligatory ad down below).
