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August 31, 2007
Larry Wilde returns
Comedian brings one-man show to town.
FREEMAN PORITZ
Stand-up comic Larry Wilde is bringing Going on Ed Sullivan,
his one-man show about life in comedy and comedy in life, to the
Peretz Centre next month. The performance is based on Wilde's career
as a comic, and is being sponsored by the Jewish Seniors Alliance.
Wilde has been in show business for more than 50 years, headlining
at many of the major clubs across North America. He is also a best-selling
author, having published 53 books on the subject of humor.
His diverse career in showmanship has involved everything from television
advertisements to sitcom stardom, from playwright to actor. He is
a leading authority on ways to improve life with laughter and is
in great demand as a motivational speaker. Wilde recently spoke
to the Independent from his home in Carmel, Calif., where
he lives with his wife, author Mary Poulos Wilde.
Jewish Independent: What brought you into show business?
Larry Wilde: Do you want the truth? Or do you want the BS?
JI: A bit of both.
LW: I am a comedian and I went into show business for the
same reason that almost all comedians go into the profession. I
am a member of a minority – I'm a Jewish boy. I grew up in
poverty-stricken circumstances, and I did not get enough love as
a child.
JI: Is that the truth, or the BS?
LW: That's the truth. Now, if you want the BS, it's [that]
I always loved to make people laugh and that's it. That's not it.
Growing up, I was a Jewish boy in an Irish community and I found
out that when they beat me up, if I told them jokes, they laughed
– they stopped beating me up.
JI: Where did you grow up?
LW: Jersey City, N.J.
JI: How did you touch base with the Jewish Seniors Alliance
with regards to putting on Going on Ed Sullivan in Vancouver?
LW: I contacted them because I was coming up to Vancouver,
hoping to get a little vacation in. I started talking to Jerry Kushner
and we decided to put on the show.
JI: Have you ever been to Vancouver before?
LW: Yes, this is our third trip and I'm thrilled about it.
I've been coming to Vancouver for years because I love it. I've
also played in almost every major city coast to coast in Canada
– from Montreal to Vancouver, Toronto, Quebec, Banff....
JI: What kind of audiences do you usually draw to your stand
up performances?
LW: Nice people....
JI: But a lot of people? What's the biggest crowd you've
ever played to?
LW: Well, Canada has always been audiences of 200-300 people.
But in the States, I once appeared at the Ohio State Fair in front
of 18,000 people. I was on the bill with Sonny and Cher, Andy Williams,
the Oxman Brothers. That was the largest crowd I ever appeared before.
JI: Do you find that in the stand-up business, it's something
you get sharper at with age? Do you find that it's a business in
which you are continually learning?
LW: You continually learn. Even today, now that I'm 29 years
old, I'm learning more every day.
JI: But do you still have as vigorous a schedule?
LW: No, my schedule is cut way back. As a matter of fact,
I am restricting appearances to just the West Coast, from Mexico
up to Canada. So anywhere in between is OK by me, because my wife
comes with me and we don't have to cross over to different time
zones and I don't get wacky.
JI: You're also the author of 53 books.
LW: Sales over $12 million!
JI: Are you continually writing as well? How did you go into
both of these businesses simultaneously?
LW: Well, they were simultaneous for a while, and I am still
continuing to write. We're finishing up the final touches on the
show that I'm doing in Vancouver ... so I'm constantly writing,
constantly creating new things.
JI: Going on Ed Sullivan is a one-man show. So you're
having a dialogue with yourself?
LW: I'm having a dialogue with the audience. There are going
to be videos of my appearances on television. There are going to
be very humorous photos. There will be music, dancing, singing and
naked girls.
JI: How old are you?
LW: Let's put it this way. I'm a senior and the show Going
on Ed Sullivan is for seniors.
JI: When did you move to California?
LW: Part of that story is in the show, but I moved to California
in 1969. So I've been living out here for more than 30 years. I
moved out here in order to live in Hollywood because I did sitcoms
and television commercials and it was easier for me to be able to
play Vegas and Reno and Lake Tahoe and the major clubs.
JI: I'm assuming that business was a lot better in California
than on the East Coast.
LW: Let's put it this way: when I moved out here, that was
the case. Now, unfortunately, even the biggest stars – Bill
Cosby, Barbra Streisand – they play Vegas for one or two nights.
I was on the bill with Debbie Reynolds, the opening show for four
weeks! That's how different the show business is today.
Larry Wilde appears in Going on Ed Sullivan on Sunday,
Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m., at the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture.
For more information, call 604-732-1555.
Freeman Poritz is a Vancouver freelance writer.
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