Nobody wants to follow Shecky

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on October 11th, 2005

From FOS Neil Lieberman:

Dearest Shecky Magazine,

This is Neil Leiberman (The Comedy Coach®), your San Francisco connection for comedy. Every year San Francisco State (my alma mater) produces a comedy show to raise money for its athletic department. The comedians are supplied by Yarmy’s Army (Yarmy was Don Adams real last name). Over the years they have showcased Don Knott’s, Bill Dana (a.k.a. Jose Jimenez), Phylis Diller and for the first time this year, Shecky Greene.

I had never had the opportunity to see Shecky live and in person. And considering that he retired a few years ago, I figured that my chances of ever seeing him perform was slim. But, he came out of retirement for this show. Needless to say, he was the closer (because nobody dare follow Shecky), and ripped the roof off the place. Singing, clowning, sweating and working, for the most part, off the top of his head. I just sat there with my mouth open the entire time. The man held the audience in the palm of his hand from the second he walked onstage until his final curtain call and standing ovation.

I have seen Milton Berle, Johnny Carson, Joey Bishop, Jerry Lewis, Don Rickles, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, George Carlin, Robert Klein, etc., live, but Shecky was an entirely different animal. It was the purest (not the cleanest) performance I have ever seen. He is playing in a league of his own and the rest of us can only watch in awe.

I thought that it was important and appropriate to share this with the readers of Shecky Magazine. If you ever have the opportunity to see Mr. Greene, run. Run fast. I promise you the night of your life.

— Neil Leiberman (The Comedy Coach®)
www.comedycoach.com

Thanks, Neil. Always nice to know that we named the magazine correctly. (And that’s a pretty impressive list of live comedy performances you’ve seen! You have tons of cred!)

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