Every now and again, lines from a twenty-year old TV sitcom run through my head. I recently tracked down the episode in question. Evidently it was written by some guy named Steve Paymer. Weird thing of it is . . . it's been nearly two decades since the last time I saw that episode--only saw it twice and yet . . . I was able to anticipate punchlines down to the second.
It's mostly cheesy work for hire, but over the decades, there has been some really inspired writing that's gone into the stray episode of even the worst sitcoms. Chalk it up to the sheer volume of stuff that gets pumped out over the airwaves. That's why I love the idea of Retro Comedy Night. It's stand-up comedy and improv inspired by the '70s, '80s and '90s. And then there's a "surprise retro sitcom" that gets staged. At 22 minutes or so, the average sitcom could be perfect for a live variety comedy show. And it's nice to know some of that old work for hire stuff is making its way to the stage all these years later. Sounds like a fun program.
The next Retro Comedy Night takes place this coming Saturday (the 23rd…that's tomorrow) at 8pm. Tickets are $15 at the door or $10 in advance at Brown Paper Tickets.
The show happens at The Underground Collaborative on 161 West Wisconsin Avenue.
