Theater Review / ‘CLASSICS OF COMEDY 2’ Brings the Greats of Comedy Back to Life

The last time comics Bud Abbott and Lou Costello performed their signature comedy sketch, “Who’s On First”, live was in the early 1950’s. Costello passed away in 1959, and the only renditions of the classic bit that remain are on film or kinescope – the scratchy, often-fuzzy early version of videotape – from the 1940’s.

And though Groucho Marx lived well into the 1970’s, his brothers Chico and Harpo died in the early 1960’s, so none of their classic comedy sketches have been seen live in almost 60 years.

The same unfortunate loss of classic live sketch comedy holds true for Mike Nichols and Elaine May (Nichols died in 1961), Bob Hope and Bing Crosby (their heydays were in the 1940’s), and George Burns and Gracie Allen (Allen passed in 1964). British comedy stars Monty Python left the air in 1983, Cheech and Chong in the 1970’s, and Bob Newhart in the 1980’s.

But thanks to Key West’s TheatreXP, in association with The Studios of Key West, all of these classic comedians – and some of their most famous comedy sketches – will be brought back to life when “The Classics of Comedy 2” takes the stage at the Studios’ Helmerich Theatre. Ten of the fourteen sketches in this edition of the show are new to the repertoire of the troupe.

The special event runs January 9-11, 2020. Tickets are on sale now for the three-night event, which sold out completely in its first incarnation. Those interested in securing the coveted tickets before they sell out again should visit https://tskw.org/classics-of-comedy-2/ or call the Studios’ box office at 305-296-0458.

The hilarious evening is a wild and crazy assemblage of faithful recreations of some of the classic comedy sketches by the top comics and comedy teams of the Golden Ages of comedy, some going back to the early days of film and television. One of the smash hits of last summer’s Key West Summer Stage, “The Classics of Comedy” was a new event created by TheatreXP’s founder Bob Bowersox. It only ran for two nights, but the Helmerich Theater was packed to the rafters each night with audiences that literally could not stop laughing.

“[Actor] Mathias Maloff and I were sitting around one night trying to remember Abbott and Costello’s classic ‘Who’s On First’ bit,” said Bowersox, who produces and directs the event. “And it occurred to us that there are probably an awful lot of people who have never seen that fabulous sketch actually performed live. It’s unbelievably funny. The idea just grew from there. There’s so much great comedy out there that hasn’t been seen for years or never been seen live.”

Bowersox has brought back the troupe of some of Key West’s best comedic actors, including Maloff, Pony Charvet, Tony Konrath, Don Bearden, Melody Moore, JT Thompson, and Donna Stabile (who, as Charlie Chaplin, acts as the connective tissue between all the sketches). They then combed through hours of old film and TV tapes to find the sketches that make up the new show, and meticulously recreated them for the stage.

“We couldn’t get through a rehearsal without laughing ourselves to tears,” Bowersox said. “Those old bits were written perfectly, and were so naturally funny they never needed a laugh track like today’s sitcoms. There’s a reason they’re called ‘classics’.”

The new edition of “Classics of Comedy” will feature the top four sketches from the first show, and ten new ones. Joining Abbott and Costello will be Bob and Ray, Nichols and May, the Marx Brothers, Monty Python, Bob Newhart, Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore, Johnny Carson, and Cheech and Chong, among others.

“It’s a fabulously funny evening,” said Studios Board Member Rosi Ware, who attended last summer’s inaugural edition. “A truly inspired idea. We can all use a good laugh these days, and this show really delivers.”

Tickets for “The Classics of Comedy 2” are $45 Preferred, $35 General, with a $10 discount for members –advanced purchase only. Visit tskw.org or call 305-296-0458 to get yours. For more information, visit theatrexp.org or call them at 302-540-6102.

The event is sponsored by the Harry S. Truman Little White House.

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