On Sunday, June 24, 2001, I saw Walt Willey at the Brea Improv. I hadn't been to back to the Improv, since I saw Rick Rockwell, more than a year earlier, on April 6 and 8. It would be my first time at a Comedy Club, since I saw Rick at the Pasadena Icebox. I had long wondered about Walt as a comic. I'd seen him do a short bit on some television show, once, and hadn't felt it to be quite enough to judge him by. Finally, I would have my chance!
Walt was preceded by Tracy Smith, a hilarious comedienne, whose act would've had me laughing out loud, had she come later in the program. As it was, I need to be warmed up, a bit, and HAD laughed out loud, by the time the feature ( middle ) comic appeared. I worried about her perhaps not thinking that the audience liked her jokes, with not enough out-loud laughs; she'd made me smile, and I liked everything she did, and felt guilty about not laughing, but I DO need a warm-up. Hope she understands this. She was also acting as emcee, and there were two "bonus" acts preceding the feature. ( I think that, knowing that Walt would be a big draw, these comics were being eagerly showcased. It had been done for Walt's entire engagement. ) Having thus sampled more comics, I can see why Rick is so popular, and a headliner. These fellows were not bad, but not quite seasoned. Their strength seemed to be in good comic timing, and giving us some fresh material, from their own lives. The feature ( Mark Gross??? ) was funny, with good timing, and had me laughing out loud. I can see him having a good career, though probably will not ever have the attention-getting qualities of Rick Rockwell.
During all of these acts, standing at one side of the stage, was Paula Dunn, an onstage interpreter for the deaf, and each of these comics--including Walt--had jovially brought attention to her, wondering how she was going to sign a particularily interesting joke or another--such as the sign for--um--female genitalia ( which appeared to be accomplished by forming a triangle with both hands ); OR the phrase "suck-ass" ( accomplished by bringing a rolled-up hand to the lips, which formed an "O" ). Indeed, Kathy Smith had joked that Paula was getting more laughs than any of the professional comics!
Indeed, that brings up a point: how many comics rely on "pussy" and "dick" jokes. I can see why so many have praised Rick for being a clean comic. His act is clean enough for television--or a corporate show, as he's been doing for the past ten years. This is what riles up his resentful rivals; but he's quite correct in working clean, as it can be shock to hear such language, even presented as funny as it often is. ( Many of the comics posting on alt.comedy.standup point out Pauly Shore as the prime example of a comic who shocks an audience with his blue jokes, because they'd been drawn by him, but expecting him to be the clean little sweet fellow they'd seen in movies ).
Everybody on the bill had told blue jokes. It certainly shocked me to hear Walt using these as much as he did! I knew lots of comics worked blue, but really! The jokes were funny, certainly, and he has good timing, and also used funny physical movements; but I felt that his jokes about pets--particularily CATS, whom I love and adore--went on too long. From an objective viewpoint, I can see that the routine is funny, sure, but I'm put-off by such remarks about cats. I was regretting not having laughed at the nice Tracy Smith more, feeling that that would keep a cleaner comic like her back, while the raunchy men ended up with a better spotlight, and more cash. He also did WAY too many "pussy" jokes for my taste, though they were funny, too. It was just too many for me. I'm not a prude; and have come to laugh at raunchy jokes that would've shocked me a decade ago. But after too many of these being served up, I was yawning. Too many; too long. I think Walt should realize that most of his audience is female. But, then, he DID have some jokes that were hilarious trueisms, such as how women will divert attention from themselves while farting ( and he had me howling, while he demonstrated how all of their pet cats and dogs and parrot let him know it wasn't THEM that had made that odor! ). But I perked up again, once he did more jokes about Pine Valley, and launched into his closing routine, a song he'd written "Here in Pine Valley." He bade us to sing this refrain when he cued us, and I gladly did. He sang verses on various members of the cast ( their character names ), joking about how Jack always prosecuted the women he loved; and about things the fans had discussed for years:
"Then there's Travis and Jack, who look so much like brothers--they must've had different fathers--and different mothers! Now, twice Travis and Erica they took the vow; but Jack always gets the milk--never marries the cow!"
"Here in Pine Valley."
He then asked us to throw out suggestions for new verses, which he'd try to make up on the spot. We wanted Leo first, and he came up with a doozy:
"Then, we have Leo--he's a cute one!; looks like he might be Jack's illegitimate son! But ooh, wait a minute; that would be a mess-up; that would've meant that sometime, I would've had to pork Vanessa!"
"Here in Pine Valley."
Afterward, he'd been so pleased with it, that he asked someone to write it down for him. But the next request was a stumper: he'd chosen Hayley and Mateo, but he'd had to consider it for a lo-ong moment; then finally:
"Then, one day, Hayley and Mateo heard a knock at the door; their family of two became a family of four; this Raquel is an evil bitch, you just can't sugarcoat it; maybe she should've been in the basement, when Holidays exploded!"
"Here in Pine Valley."
He begged off anymore spontaneous creations, as the creation of that one had had him sweating!
The show ended, Emcee Tracy Smith leapt up to close, and made a great bonmot about Walt's one-time broken nose while eating p***y ( this being the third night they'd worked together, perhaps it was NOT the first night she'd used that joke! For he came back with a zinger that dovetailed so well with her own earlier routine. She had joked about how she'd once "shaved higher" for a man, and hadn't liked it; Walt had told--and demonstrated--how he'd once had a girl "on his face," who bounced her pubic bone off his nose, which swelled enormously. She said, "Good!" then, delighted with a larger stimulation-object, had continued to ram him! Walt put some makeup on his nose, for he had to do a scene on AMC the next day; and running into Michael E. Knight/Tad Martin, he'd related the whole story; Tad the Cad said: "I want to be YOU, when I grow up!" Closing the show, Tracy said, "And I can't believe you're still complaining about that stupid nose-thing!" Walt came back: "Well, maybe if you'd let your bush grow back, it'd add some cushion to it!" Ha, ha ).
Walt was signing autographs outdoors, and I got my camera ( disposable, bought earlier at Ralph's--distressingly long checkout line, and I was cheated out of getting the one I'd wanted, due to pricing screw-up--too rushed to argue, had settled for that one ), got on my glittery-beaded jacket, and sped outside. I'd long waited to wear that beautiful jacket, bought at discount at Ross. ALL the beaded jackets had had missing beads, and I'd bought it with an eye towards repairing and wearing for an evening at the Improv, the only elegant place I'd been to, in recent years. This was my first opportunity; but the jacket was TOO hot and tight, and I couldn't bear it. However, it would look good in a photo, and I tucked my shirt into my purple evening trousers, fastened together the purple-trimmed jacket, and was ready to go. I got my Wonder Woman autograph book, and stood in line. He signed it, told me he'd pose with me, after completing signing for everybody, and I stood with the rest of the photo-wanters. Walt was very nice, having given me a signed color photo, though I hadn't asked for it; nor had he required me to pay for it, as so many other stars would've. He even personally chased after one woman, to give her hers; and that's something that I greatly appreciate, for the proceeds of sales of his T-shirts and such go the charity he sponsors, Willey-World. I'm glad that he gave us something for free, NOT something you'd see most Star Trek stars do!
I'd let a few others go ahead of me, whilst I sucked in, and fastened up my jacket. Then I'd handed my camera over to the woman who'd just taken shots of her friends. She was quite brilliant, worrying about the reflection of a light, directing us to move a bit. "Oh, you had to give it to the professional photographer!" joshed Walt. But I was delighted: if she was that savvy, my photo's quality would be assured! While we were waiting for her to focus, I slid my hand from his latissimus dorsi, down to his waist--to get a better feel of him! He has a firm, muscular, nice-feeling body! NOT as firm and muscular as Rick Rockwell, but plenty good! After our efficient photographer snapped us, I looked up at the 6'5" ( approx ) tall Walt--mmm! mmm! mmm! He WAS hot!!!!!! He looked as handsome as he does on TV!
I then snapped some more of him with others, then tried to get a panoramic of him and the marquee with his name, but I think he left, before I got positioned.
The area now silent, theater closed, I dressed in my walking clothes, and set off on my 50-minute journey.
I'll have to wait, until I finish the roll, before printing my pix, so don't hold your breath waiting for them. But I'm going to post them on my website, someday.
I think his act was funny and good, overall. In retrospect, it was good, and I'd enjoy it better, if I saw him again. Most of the cat jokes weren't really bad; but I'm very sensitive to anything critical of them, because I love them. The blue jokes were funny; I'm just not used to so many at one time. I really felt more comfortable with Rick's act. I liked his impressions, and singing.
copyright ©2000 Susan Brown
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