Issue #51
Last Update May 5, 2007
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Arts Laughing Liberally by Sten Grynir January 6, 2007 Political comedy is a tricky genre; in the wrong hands it can be preachy and not very funny. It was in the right hands on December 30th at Town Hall.
Laughing Liberally is an outgrowth of Drinking Liberally, a group of Progressive social clubs across the country. A political cabaret, it has been seen in New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Los Vegas. It is genuinely funny, with attitude.
The December 30th performance was emceed by George W. Bush (James Adomian, whose voice and mannerisms are so like our president it's scary), with an introduction by Charley Rangel (played by Charley Rangel, the New York Democratic congressman who is now chairman of the House Ways and Means committee). Imitating a president is a risky venture; just ask Vaughn Meader, whose flourishing career came to an abrupt end the day Kennedy was assassinated. James Adomian's talents seem broad and likely to survive the end of George W's presidency.
The audience, of course, had come to hear a liberal attack on President Bush, his cronies, and the religious right. What it got was better than that. While not neglecting to skewer the expected targets, the comics on stage also turned their talents to lambasting wishy-washy Democrats who let themselves be steamrollered by the Republicans for the last six years, the media whose idea of “fairness” was to report without contradiction the lies and inaccuracies the Right has been promulgating to intimidate the Left, and other juicy targets of opportunity.
All of the performers were good; several were outstanding. James Adomian, of course, was the perfect W., and anchored the whole show. His malapropisms, mispronunciations and evident confusion were not only an accurate portrayal, but funny in a way that also raised a poignant wish for our country's deliverance from this blinkered incompetent. Dean Obeidallah, the New Jersey born product of a Palestinian father and a Sicilian mother, describes the plight of being an Arab-American in a post 9/11 world with wit and understanding, both of his own position, and that of those who view him with suspicion. Perhaps the funniest performer was Reno. Her non-stop, high volume stream of consciousness riff got the loudest and most sustained laughs of the evening. Her rant on Intelligent Design is not to be missed. Jim David was also a stand-out standup. His well-aimed barbs at President Bush and his gang were mixed with insightful comments about being gay in a bigoted world.
The Laughing Liberally motto is “Saving Democracy One Laugh at a Time.” If any group could do this with laughter as a weapon, this group can. Their 2006 DVD, “Bringing Down the House – and the Senate”, shows what they can do, and at $15, is a bargain. So far, 2007 has shown that the need for these jesters speaking uncomfortable truths has not diminished.
Laughing Liberally: http://www.laughingliberally.com/
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