Eric Idle isn’t a stand-up, but his comic sensibilities and timing are better than any ten comedians.
He has experience galore thanks to working with a little sketch comedy group–Monty Python.
So fans should be more than excited to see Idle in concert at the Chicago Theatre next Tuesday.
“It will be an evening of songs and bits and sketches,” says the 57-year-old star of “Eric Idle Exploits Monty Python.”
In a perfect world, Idle would exploit his former team’s material with the other members: Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and John Cleese (Graham Chapman died in 1989).
Idle tried to organize a tour, but “somebody, who shall remain nameless, said no,” he said. “Because everybody keeps saying no, I thought, well, I’m going to have a Eric Idle reunion tour and I’m going to go out and do this stuff. And if they want to join in at any stage, fine.
“And if not, then we’ll just all sing `Lumberjack’ [a very silly song from the TV great “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”] and carry on, and sort of have a sort of Python nostalgia evening. Like a sillypalooza.”
Idle is scheduled to work with other performers doing classic Python bits; perform some of the group’s songs from TV and the movies; and possibly present classic clips. Idle is to hit about 35 cities through July.
Idle finds performing live “exciting. . . . I think show business is just finding newer and better ways to scare yourself.”
The show won’t include a lot of new material from the prolific writer, who figures fans will want classic material. “There’s quite a lot of good Python songs that have never been done live onstage,” he adds.
Idle is hasty to add that he isn’t a stand-up by trade (“I like to write and I like to perform . . . and I like to perform what I write”). But with his Python-tinged experience and influence, he doesn’t really have to be. He does share one trait with comics, however:
“I do love going in front of a live audience and getting big laughs,” says Idle. “It’s also very rewarding. It was fun [one] night to walk onto a stage and do an hour and not know where I was going to go.
“I try and do things that I’m going to either learn something from, or enjoy. And that’s why I don’t particularly like making too many films. Because they’re long and . . . I’m open to experiences.”
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Idle’s experiences with comedy was one reason why he wrote “The Road to Mars: A Post-Modem Novel” (Pantheon Books; $24), a work of futuristic fiction that doubles as an examination of comedy. That examination is carried out by an android named Carlton who is trying to find the meaning of laughter.
“It allowed me to look back on 30 years of doing comedy, and to think about what it is that comedy does and what comedians are like, and what makes comedians,” Idle says. “So it’s enabled me to talk about something that I knew about in a sort of fictional setting.”
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“Eric Idle Exploits Monty Python” is Tuesday at the Chicago Theatre (312-559-1212). Its presentation comes on the last night of the third annual Chicago Comedy Festival, in which roughly 60 comedy events take place at several venues in Chicago. For details about the fest, call 312-944-2200.
Quick yuks
One of the shows happening under the umbrella of the Chicago Comedy Festival is the “Queens of Comedy,” from the producers of the super-successful “Kings of Comedy.” Chicago’s Adele Givens is on the bill with Mo’nique of UPN’s “The Parkers,” as well as Sommore and Myra J. The show is set for Saturday at the Chicago Theatre; call 312-559-1212 for tickets.
African-American sketch comedy group Forgotten City’s third appearance at Donny’s Skybox Studio Theatre is Friday. The venue is located at Piper’s Alley, 1608 N. Wells St.; call 312-337-3992.
Second City has been working on the fine points of sketch and improv comedy with minority performers for the last several weeks. The progress will be revealed with students and guest ensembles each weekend throughout the month of June.
Student sketch groups featuring Asian-American, African-American, Latino-American and gay players will perform at Donny’s Skybox each Friday at 7 p.m. through June 30, with professionals taking the stage at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays starting June 9 and going through July 15, with Stir-Friday Night starting things off. Call 312-664-3959 for further details.
Comedian Judy Gold is hosting “Fresh Mugs” new talent comedy shows Friday and Saturday at Zanies, and takes part in a discussion on comedy writing on Saturday, as part of the Chicago Comedy Festival. Call 312-944-2200.
Gold does “At the Multiplex” spots for HBO featuring talks with people who have visited the latest films. “I love doing this man-on-the-street type stuff,” she says. And Gold is getting another half-hour special, this time on Comedy Central, which is set for September.