Judy Nichols's Blog - Posts Tagged "wait-wait-don-t-tell-me"
How Does She Do It?
I don’t often do reviews of performances. Books and the occasional movie, yes, but not live acts. I suppose that’s because I’m at the point where it seems more trouble than it’s worth to buy the tickets. All those added fees really irk me—facility fees, convenience fees, producer fees plus the seven percent North Carolina sales tax.
Not only that, Wilmington is a bit off the beaten track for major bands and performers so it’s rare than anyone I even want to see comes our way.
But last Friday somebody did. Comedian Paula Poundstone, famous for her appearances on National Public Radio’s quiz show “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” had a gig at the Cape Fear Community College Wilson Center. And I was there.
I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard.
Paula was on stage for more than two hours and never stopped with the zingers. I’m sure there were some set pieces in her act, but most of it was improvised.
A great many comedians practice and perfect their routines, making sure each joke has a finely crafted set-up, a killer punch line and a good delivery. They even hire writers to come up with more jokes for them so they have plenty of material ready to go.
Not our Paula. If there were notes for her performance, which I doubt, they would say “Go on stage. Say hello to the audience. Start talking to them. Make stuff up as you go along.” At one point, she said she was just “fly fishing in the stream of consciousness,” a wonderful analogy for her comedy.
She asked audience members in the front rows what they did for a living. Who knew we had so many retired sales and marketing people living in Wilmington?
But it was her riff on Billy, the man who owned a contracting business specializing in elevated water tanks that had the entire audience in stitches.
“So you put elevators in water tanks?”
“No, they’re elevated—up high.”
“But water tanks are supposed to be low, on the ground.”
Then she launched into a rendition of Billy as a child announcing his dream of elevating water tanks, and his southern mother telling him “Son, don’t talk like that. Water tanks are low. They’ve always been low. That’s just how it is in these parts.”
Yes, it was one of those “you had to be there” moments, but trust me, it was a hoot.
I found myself wondering how can someone get up in front of a large group of people and manage to keep them laughing for two hours just by saying whatever comes into her mind? Even more amazing to do it on a regular basis and get paid for it?
The late Robin Williams was able to do that, as well as Jonathan Winters. But it's a rare gift and not many people have it.
I follow Paula on Twitter and sent her this tweet the next day.
"Wonderful performance at @cfcc Wilson Center by @paulapoundstone Now if anyone ever says "elevated water tanks," I will bust out laughing."
To my great joy and surprise, tweeted back.
"Thank you. Judy. I will never drive by a water tank without thinking of Wilmington, and little Billy."
So not only is she really, really funny, she’s a nice person. Definitely worth the convenience fee, the facility fee and the seven percent North Carolina sales tax.
Judy Nichols is the author of several mysteries available on Amazon.
Not only that, Wilmington is a bit off the beaten track for major bands and performers so it’s rare than anyone I even want to see comes our way.
But last Friday somebody did. Comedian Paula Poundstone, famous for her appearances on National Public Radio’s quiz show “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” had a gig at the Cape Fear Community College Wilson Center. And I was there.
I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard.
Paula was on stage for more than two hours and never stopped with the zingers. I’m sure there were some set pieces in her act, but most of it was improvised.
A great many comedians practice and perfect their routines, making sure each joke has a finely crafted set-up, a killer punch line and a good delivery. They even hire writers to come up with more jokes for them so they have plenty of material ready to go.
Not our Paula. If there were notes for her performance, which I doubt, they would say “Go on stage. Say hello to the audience. Start talking to them. Make stuff up as you go along.” At one point, she said she was just “fly fishing in the stream of consciousness,” a wonderful analogy for her comedy.
She asked audience members in the front rows what they did for a living. Who knew we had so many retired sales and marketing people living in Wilmington?
But it was her riff on Billy, the man who owned a contracting business specializing in elevated water tanks that had the entire audience in stitches.
“So you put elevators in water tanks?”
“No, they’re elevated—up high.”
“But water tanks are supposed to be low, on the ground.”
Then she launched into a rendition of Billy as a child announcing his dream of elevating water tanks, and his southern mother telling him “Son, don’t talk like that. Water tanks are low. They’ve always been low. That’s just how it is in these parts.”
Yes, it was one of those “you had to be there” moments, but trust me, it was a hoot.
I found myself wondering how can someone get up in front of a large group of people and manage to keep them laughing for two hours just by saying whatever comes into her mind? Even more amazing to do it on a regular basis and get paid for it?
The late Robin Williams was able to do that, as well as Jonathan Winters. But it's a rare gift and not many people have it.
I follow Paula on Twitter and sent her this tweet the next day.
"Wonderful performance at @cfcc Wilson Center by @paulapoundstone Now if anyone ever says "elevated water tanks," I will bust out laughing."
To my great joy and surprise, tweeted back.
"Thank you. Judy. I will never drive by a water tank without thinking of Wilmington, and little Billy."
So not only is she really, really funny, she’s a nice person. Definitely worth the convenience fee, the facility fee and the seven percent North Carolina sales tax.
Judy Nichols is the author of several mysteries available on Amazon.
