There is so much interest in the annual arctic sea ice minimum that there's a prediction market on Intrade. People bet on it. Betting on sea ice is a little like buying life insurance. You say "I bet I die." The insurance company says "We bet you don't." Eventually you do die, but somehow they end up winning the bet.
Saturday's Lions of Laughter brought home three big name Stand Up Comics, Kenny Howell, Bill "Soups" Campbell and the iconic John Caponera shepherded by Chicago-based Paul Kelly. The Four Lions of Laughter was a sell-out!
The show ran from 8 P.M. until well past 11:30 and the four comic geniuses had them rolling in the isles of the Beverly Arts Center. Leo Men and their wives and significant others packed the 400 seats of the south side theatre operated by Leo Alumnus Mike Nix thanks to the tireless efforts of Leo President Dan McGrath and Alums Bobby Standring, Bill Figel, John Gardner, and Paul Kelly.
Not only did Paul Kelly open the show with a side-splitting Occupy St. Barnabas shtick, but he acted as Emcee - rather ego wrangler to the three hot-property assessts of mirth. Every performer is or should be an exacting craftsman and not one of the masters of timing and punch-line phoned in this show.
Bill Campbell related the comic nature of parenting and the road in show business; Kenny Howell pushed the edge of the envelope and had demure Longwood Ladies, Mother Mc Auley Cheerleaders and Queen of Peace knock-outs shooting pop through the schnozes, as Master Howell '82 knocked one after the other into the balcony packed his Classmates; John Caponera brought things home with his rubber mug maniacal antics that accompanies his verbal assaults on the funny bones.
But it was Paul Kelly's kinder and gentler self-deprecating south side EveryDad who controlled the pace and the path of a great night's entertainment. Kelly talked about our daily discovery that God has the last laugh on all of us Long-in-the Tooth Tab Hunters - " I am bald in the front, top and back, with patches in my ears and possess a rather hairy butt; therefore, when things really go south in the hair department, I'll just comb all of that forward . . .it comes already parted. Hell, I get up every morning, look in the mirror and say . . .Okay."
Leo Alumnus Brian Needham, a Beggar's Pizza Magnate provided hot stuff for post-concert Cokes and Jokes and Jazz artists pianist Tom Muellner and singer Miss Terry Sullivan knocked out tunes from the American Songbook of Jazz Standards.
Paul Kelly was a Pro's Pro and made the Lions of Laughter Concert magic for the scores of guests and Leo Lions.
Thank you to the staff and crew of the Beverly Arts Center, especially Mr. Rick Julian who worked the sound board for the comics and provided the first public viewing of film-maker Bob Milkovich's Leo Boxing You Tube sensation "Believe in Yourself."
