`I think it’s time for somebody to put standup back into our lives in a good way,” says Jamie Foxx, who will be infusing the Arie Crown Theatre with some of that goodness on Friday.
Foxx, the former cast member of the Fox sketch comedy show “In Living Color” who stars in his own self-titled sitcom on the WB network (at 7:30 p.m. Sundays on WGN-Ch. 9), has been something of a tour monster in the last few months, partly because he feels standup is missing the fun and showmanship that he felt when he first started in comedy nine years ago.
“Nobody’s entertaining anymore,” says Foxx, 30. “They’re going up and they cuss a couple of minutes and then they leave you.”
Foxx thinks some acts are messing it up for the rest of the pack. He cites “microwave comics” who after two or three minutes of material, “Bing!” they’re done, falling back on hack-like “Where you from? Yo mama!” jokes, Foxx says.
These are the performers, Foxx says, who haven’t paid enough dues to warrant headliner status, and because of their lack of experience, material and professionalism, they make it tough for other hard-working acts.
“You get a comedian that did five minutes on TV, all of a sudden he’s a star now. Then he goes and does a show somewhere, but he’s got to do 35 minutes or 40 minutes, and he only has 10 good minutes. It makes people not want to come out anymore,” says Foxx. “I want to be going out there so people will want to come out.”
Foxx says when he was coming up, comedians had to “sling it” (give powerful performances on stage) with their presentation and their material. He says D.L. Hughley, Tommy Davidson, Bernie Mac, Cedric the Entertainer and Chris Rock are among the acts who “sling it.”
He’s slinging it, too — powerfully enough, he hopes, so that his latest project, a standup performance movie, can get off the ground.
“It’s time to really step it up and get it going,” he says, “because I look at movie scripts every day and say, `Damn, that ain’t what I want to do . . .’ so why not do what I do every day?”
Foxx is hoping to film the movie either later this month or in the middle of April in the Dallas area, where he is from. Because Foxx is also a singer-songwriter (he has released an album, has produced tracks for others and plays the piano as part of his routine), he wants to put together a soundtrack to release in conjunction with the concert film.
Tickets for Jamie Foxx’s Friday show at the Arie Crown Theatre, 23rd Street and Lake Shore Drive, are available at the box office or through Ticketmaster, at 312-559-1212.
A legend’s rimshot
Henny Youngman was one of the greats of comedy. The master of one-liners — who set the standard for a generation of comics — died Feb. 24 at the age of 91 of complications from the flu.
Not many standups these days throw out those bang-bang jokes the way Youngman did, although acts like Wendy Liebman and John Wing ably carry on his tradition.
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Youngman, who a friend told the Associate Press was working from a wheelchair, exemplified how a signature style is crucial when working the stage. His one-liners were a testament to a commitment of leaving the audience laughing any way possible. Youngman’s rat-a-tat delivery should be studied by aspiring comedians on the importance of timing.
Sure, some of his gags were obvious and just a little corny, but sometimes the old ways are the most charming.
Here are a few of Youngman’s gems, proof that we won’t see the likes of him anytime soon:
– “A guy comes up to me and says, `I haven’t eaten in two days.’ I told him, `Force yourself.’ “
– “This guy asked his doctor, `Will I be able to play the piano after my operation?’ And the doctor says `Sure.’ And the guy says, `Funny, I couldn’t do it before.’ “
– “A guy calls his lawyer. He says, `Can I ask you two questions?’ Lawyer says, `What’s the second one?’ “
– “A guy says to me `Do you know where Central Park is?’ I said `No.’ He says `OK, I’ll mug you here.’ “
– “Take my wife . . . please!”
The standup lineup
Here’s who is working the comedy scene. Current sets are scheduled to run through Sunday; all new acts begin on Tuesday unless otherwise noted. Lineups are subject to change.
– There’s a lot of talent filing through Zanies’ flagship Wells Street location (1548 N. Wells St.; 312-337-4027) this weekend and next week. Headlining through Sunday is Chas Elstner, a former Glenview resident who has appeared on various cable TV shows, and has opened for Gloria Estefan, among others. Starting Wednesday is Louis C.K., a demented sort who has written for David Letterman and Conan O’Brien. Louis takes a break on Thursday as John Pinette, one of the club’s most requested acts, makes a special appearance.
– The latest “Funday at the Map Room” is Sunday at the Map Room, 1949 N. Hoyne Ave. (call 312-409-2181). Chicago Comedy Works, the organizers of these affairs, has one of its own, Roco, as the host. Scheduled to headline is Chicago’s Steve Seagren, with comics Henry Scott from the “Elevated” comedy showcase, Jeff Tully, Jessica Halem and David Dahl, and more.
– Making a special appearance at the Funny Bone this weekend is Jeff Stilson, a talented and witty comedian who has had an HBO comedy special, has written for David Letterman and served as a producer for Chris Rock’s hilarious HBO talk show. The Funny Bone is at 1504 Naper Blvd. in Naperville’s Tower Crossing Shopping Center; call 630-955-0500 for show times and reservations.