Hi, my name is Erica, and I am a Broadway-aholic. Well, actually a few years ago I was much worse than I am now, as I used to see at least one show a week. It’s been several months since I last saw a show, so I think I may be growing out of my (expensive) obsession (were it not for student rush and standing room, I’d be broke). But whenever the word “free” precedes the word “ticket,” I jump on it. My good friend and theater connoisseur Meredith offered me a ticket to a preview of comedian Martin Short’s new show Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, which is scheduled to open on August 17th. After scanning my calendar, I immediately accepted.

We met up for our pre-show dinner at Mario’s Trattoria, a brand new Italian restaurant (just opened on Monday) at 493 Ninth Avenue (between 37th and 38th). This cozy little place (seats about 30 in very close quarters, with both tables and a small bar) is making quite a name for itself already–it was packed from when we got there at 6:30 PM until long after the show ended. Offering various Italian dishes, including delicious brick oven pizzas with various toppings and delectable pastas with amazing sauces, you cannot go wrong at Mario’s. The only downside of our dinner was that the service was a little slow - most likely because they are still getting used to the crowd they are drawing - but this would not have mattered had we not been trying to get to the show, as I would have loved to just sit and enjoy the atmosphere. The staff was very courteous and friendly as a whole, apologizing for the delay in our food and staying attentive to our needs. Definitely a restaurant I recommend.

While we were enjoying our dinner, a monsoon took place outside, sending Manhattanites running and making umbrellas useless. We pondered the ever difficult question: to cab it or not to cab it? Since the show was at the Bernard B. Jacobs on 45th street, I didn’t feel it was necessary to get a cab (plus it means money for another drink later!). Lucky for us (and my flip flops), the rain slowed a bit as we were leaving, and we were able to arrive at the theater mostly dry.

Four words: Martin Short is brilliant. He truly is a one-man, self-contained show. On top of that, he shares the stage with five other amazingly talented individuals nicknamed The Comedy All Stars: Brooks Ashmanskas, Mary Birdsong, Nicole Parker, Marc Shaiman, and Capathia Jenkins, creating a small yet unbeatable cast. With songs like “Step Brother de Jesus,” “Sniff, Sniff,” and “Twelve Step Pappy,” I can guarantee they will have you laughing throughout the 95-minute show. As Short describes his life in an autobiographical fashion–embellishing at times to make his life more dramatic than it actually was–he spoofs various things that audiences of all ages can grasp, from famous names and shows in Broadway like Bob Fosse and Wicked to celebrities like Britney Spears and Renee Zellweger. About half-way through the show, the cast pulls a random person out of the audience, which is either a celebrity if they spot one or a regular theatergoer, to act an entire scene opposite Short’s Jiminy Glick. Last night it was Bruce Murray of Sirius Satellite Radio; others have been lucky enough to see David Schwimmer, Dennis Miller, Michael Riedel, Gene Simmons, Bob Costas, Chris Noth and Kevin Nealon. You never know what you’re gonna get.

If you’re craving a traditional musical, see Phantom of the Opera. But if a night of laughs and an extremely talented cast is what you’re looking for, see Fame Becomes Me. Heck, if nothing else, you can say you saw Martin Short live, which is nothing short of amazing.

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This entry was posted on Friday, August 11th, 2006 at 1:59 pm and is filed under Food, Friends, Music, Cocktails, Broadway, Glamour, New York City. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.