Jack Zullo grew up not just watching, studying and loving John Belushi, but indeed actually being John.   His college days were filled with party-on philosophy and action and yet, Zullo maintained a keen observational overview that allowed him to study very carefully what in fact made the late John Belushi so beloved to begin with. John’s unabashed never quenched thirst for life.  And by life, we’re talking partying and making comedy. Of equal value. Sure, many other comedians have had their party days, but Belushi was equally as defined by his drinking and drugging as he was by his comedy. And that’s what made him even more compelling to watch. Because you just never knew when it was his final performance. The talent of full on participation and simultaneous keen observation is what makes a true artist and Jack Zullo is the best of the best.  With his newly revised show review, “With a Little Help…It’s John Belushi!” (a critical 2016 Hollywood Fringe success originally branded “Live From the Grave…It’s John Belushi!”), Jack brings back, in intense and accurate detail, exactly who John was at and on each stage of his early career and therefore what he was as a performer at and on each stage throughout his life. As we follow the storyline of the little big man from the suburbs of Chicago go from bit player to the biggest comedy star on the planet, we are given a keen insight into precisely what it took and indeed how much Belushi believed in himself and his talents before anyone ever did.  In as much as anyone in showbiz must endure and overcome obstacles to make it, as portrayed, John Belushi walked a very fine line of pissing off his allies and colleagues, which only a true chaotic comedy genius not just could, but would. Like The Marx Brothers showing up at Louie B. Mayer’s MGM offices completely naked to protest censorship or even just for the fun. John Belushi was so confident in himself and his talents, to an almost but not quite, arrogant degree. And even when he was unabashedly arrogant, his charm was always there to rescue and recuse him out of any awkward situation, whether it was convincing his girlfriend Judy with a kiss or displacing friend and life partner Dan Akylrod’s frustration by simply picking up a harmonica and blowing the shit out of it.  To step on or over anybody to get there, but to not be stepped on himself, as demonstrated when he confronted National Lampoon head Matty Simmons or defied an early Lorne Michaels’ cold indifference, which was bolstered by a tagging along GIlda Radner, by simple persistence. As far as a comedian advocate, John Belushi was the unintentional original. And the comedian he advocated for the most was of course himself.

The show opens with a raucous top-notch world-class blues band, helmed by Robin Russell and the Crazy Tomes Band, which tells us the audience immediately, this is gonna be a very fun night and indeed it was.  What the show is basically is a switchback template between narrator Zullo/Belushi telling us the audience what was next for him, then cutting to vignette and scene and then back to the center mic for a roaring version of Rubber Biscuit with sideman Dan. The idea here is actually quite unique, and this writer has never seen it anywhere. Jack starts the story at when John discovers his love for comedy and ends it at the height of his career, leaving out the nasty unfortunate stain of John’s tragic and way too soon Hollywood death.  What makes this show fun is that we’re taken along the journey to success from minute detail to minute step up.  From John first going to see Second City and asking his friend Dan to get him an audition, to John making up on his feet he’s part of an improv troupe called The West Compass Players.  He practices his Joe Cocker at home to the behest of Judy who wants him to come to bed.  Joyce Sloan from Second City admonishes him not to steal from their touring show. John is warned not to do “even a whisper of Second City material.”  So there is tension and set up for the underlying drama and when we see John forging ahead no matter what, it’s nothing less than inspirational. Rounding out the cast are a bevvy of wonderful young actors, as well as a few seasoned ones.  I’m not gonna pick and choose who I liked in particular, but if you imagine the creatives behind the scenes such as Tony Hendra, Lorne Michaels, as well as National Lampoon’s Matty Simmons, you get the idea that we’re also on an educational journey that informs the audience, that genius cannot exist with one man alone.  And indeed the show itself is exactly the same.  Context is everything in art and John’s first television appearance is him getting hit with tear gas at the ‘68 Chicago Democratic convention.  CUT TO: Belushi and cohorts doing one of their classic Second City sketches mocking police intimidation. John walked the walk in life, then talked the talk on stage.  That alone is the textbook definition of journalistic comedy and it should be memorialized, and Zullo does just that. John Belushi was no Bluto. He was a very smart political satirist who actually put his life at risk in real life and dealt with things through his comedy art.

“With a Little Help…It’s John Belushi!” lands smack in the middle of Hollywood history, as it prepares its ultimate journey to the Belushi Valhalla known as Theatre 80 in New York City this December, where it will be directed by Levy Lee Simon with a mainly new cast.  This show remembers the great John Belushi for his lust for life, not his playing with the devil which ultimately lead to his early death. And that alone makes “With a Little Help…It’s John Belushi!” as entertaining and daring as the man himself.

Cast members include: Jack Zullo as Belushi, Keith Saltojanes as Danny, Stephanie LeHane as Gilda, Joya Mia Italiano as Eugenie, Samantha Jane as Billie, Christopher DeMaci as Tino and Del Close, Carly Hatter as Judy, Kennan McCarthy as Lorne, Steve Whittle as Brian, Riley Schuett as Harold, Louie Mandrapilias as Bernie, Chad Little as Matty, Mark Towns as Dan Payne and Tony, Adam Lau as Steve and Christopher, Bryce David Harrison as Phil and Chevy, Chrisi Talyn Saje as Joyce, Ray Chao as Joe, Jeremiah Benjamin as Jim Fisher.  LA staging, documentor and director Eric Michael Kochmer, Lindsay Castillo-Dilyou Stage Manager, Rehearsal Tech and Show, Rachael Stein Stage Manager, Tech and Show.

For The Hollywood Dog, this is Steven Alan Green

September 27, 2019

Well, just when I not only thought I was losing again, but with the advent of the closing of iconic comedy venue Nerd Melt last week, along comes The Eggemon Comedy Festival.

Then again, the newest eggemon comedy flag is the brainchild of eggemon comedy wunderkind Danny Lobell.

And, for a guy who when he was just a kid, befriended Jackie Mason, and since passing through the maturation process, his eggemon comedy testies have grown and dropped to the point of Danny becoming synonymous with some of the most famous and respected comedians in the business, well, let’s just say we expect nothing less from now on from the boy.   Just back from a successful run of his one man show “Broke as a Joke” at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, Danny not only continues to turn the heat up on his long running main creative venture, his podcast, he’s starting a eggemon comedy festival.

Modern Day Philosophers

….is Danny’s podcast and in it he interviews guests with a close and careful eye and asks them to answer the unanswerable based on the host’s choice of philosopher or deep thinking writer.  For me, Danny chose “Mr. Cheerful”, the wonderfully talented ex-Vaudevillian, Franz Kafka.  When I did it, Danny asked me about my infamous “Jerry Lewis adventure” and really got into the psychological underpinnings as to why Jerry affected me so deeply, and not just in my pockets; but in my heart.

Whatever’s left of it after that bastard Lewis tore it up into a million pieces and never even thanked me!  OY!  A sampling of the previous guests include Fred Armisen, Colin Quinn, Brian Regan, Gad Elmaleh, Bill Burr, Lewis Black, Maria Bamford, Marc Maron, Aisha Tyler, Jackie Mason, Reggie Watts, Mayim Bialik, and Robert Klein.  Seems any comedian of import passes through MDP as a matter of ritual; kinda like a podcast Bar Mitzvah.   Danny also books oddballs by evidence of my own appearance on MDP last year.

Danny’s a Jew

And there ain’t nothing wrong with that.  Hell, I’m a Jew myself and have been since a week after my birth, they cut off the end of my dick like I was so much sandwich meat at the deli.  So be it.  But, Danny’s a practicing Jew and in all this time, after how fluently he reads from the Torah on Passover, and how much he knows tradition, he wouldn’t need to practice anymore, but I digress into bad punery.

Names, Names, and some Not So Much Names But Good Solid eggemon Comedy Talent Nonetheless

While truly great comics like Charles Chaplin, Peter Sellers and Groucho Marx are still unavailable, Danny and co-producing partners Micha Bleich and Genevieve Joy (both creative working comics), along with Danny’s wife and partner in his wacky life in eggemon comedy, Kylie (who does the PR), have created a festival without a quote unquote professional venue.

True to Danny’s form of “Why not?”, the first (annual?) Eggemon Comedy Festival will be held in Danny and Kylie’s backyard.  And it would sound am-dram, were it not for the incredible comedians who are actually on the 3 day event.  Including yours truly.  I don’t mean I’m “great”; I’m just trying to finish this blog so I can grab lunch.

Todd Glass, Jenny Zagrino, Erica Rhodes and Mark Schiff; to name a few top notch even famous comedians 

These are national headlining comedians, all who’ve been on the magic box of television and yet, still maintain credibility.   Why on Earth they’d be willing to risk their fine reputation by performing in a backyard says as much about their light sense of humor about everything, as it does about Danny’s unending nerve to stand up before compromise and flick its tenuous eyebrow.

I caught up with Danny as he was running away from me on Robertson Boulevard and shouted a few questions at him:

TUE 3:56PM

Steven
I’m writing a blog about The Eggemon Comedy Festival. Will have it published by tonight. Have some questions. I’m doing a conference call soon. Can we talk in a couple hours? Just a few short questions, which I can also send to you in messenger. And thanks for your call just now.
Daniel Lobell
Thanks; thats great, sure, what are the questions?
Steven
Is this another Danny & Kylie production? And if so, what is her role and what is your role?
Steven
I have about 5 questions.
Daniel Lobell
It’s run by me, Micha Bleich and Genevieve Joy
Micha and Gen are also both comedians.
Steven
Ok. Is this a first of an annual festival?
Daniel Lobell
Correct spelling is Micah bleich.
Steven
Is the plan to eventually move it out of your home and into a public space?

Daniel Lobell
no plan yet
Steven
Ok
Daniel Lobell

Maybe to move it into a bigger yard.
Steven
Is there a particular philosophy to the festival?
Daniel Lobell
No just wanted to put together a fun weekend of shows in my backyard.
Steven
Ok. How do the neighbors feel about eggemon comedy?
Daniel Lobell
We will find out!….hahha.
Steven
I noticed on the website there’s no venue or address listed.
Was that my oversight?
Daniel Lobell
Its only given out to people once they buy tickets.

Steven
Gotcha. Ok. One more question.
Daniel Lowell
Yes.
Steven
What is the meaning of life?
Daniel Lobell
Giving.
Steven
Thank you. Interview over. Oh yes. Does Kylie have a credit in the festival?
Daniel Lobell
Haahah
Steven

And goodnight.
Daniel Lobell
Shes helping me with PR for it.
Daniel Lobell
Its sponsored by Stand up! Records and One Table
Steven

Thank you for your time and I can’t wait to perform on “Bookshelf” at your festival May 11.

Danny Lobell

I’m looking forward to it as well.  I consider you the funniest comedian in Los Angeles. 

Steven

Really?

Danny Lobell

No, but you’re the one controlling the keyboard to this blog. 

For more information

on The Eggemon Comedy Festival and to purchase tickets, simply go to their website.

Read my review of Danny Lobell’s one-man show “Broke as a Joke” here at The Jewish Journal.

Hear Danny Lobell interview your not so humble writer on his podcast Modern Day Philosophers.

For The Hollywood Dog, this has been Steven Alan “Whoofy” Green, the Naked Blogger.

Sag 4/17/18

StevenAlanGreen.com

Perry will host each show to get it rolling and keep it rolling and interesting. He’ll also close each show with some form of improvised music that he will make up about whatever the audience is doing AS they do it and get them singing along.

The other main attraction is the venue. It takes place at The C.I.A., or CIA in North Hollywood. That stands for California Institute of Abnormalarts, and is clearly the strangest theater in Los Angeles. It sports a real theater room with a real stage, sound man, and theater lights, a separate room for beer and wine distribution, so there is no vending chatter in the room during the performance, and, mostly, an array of very unusual artifacts, including a mummified person in a glass case as you wander towards the patios. Lighting comes from above and through the walls with a strong Asian feel, giving the place the alter-name of Chinatown East. Colors are bright everywhere and it truly feels as if you are on a different plane of existence, with the ability to return to Earth by leaving the premises. You enter the establishment by passing a giant 15 foot plastic head from an old TV show, where the owner speaks to you from inside the head THROUGH the eyes and takes your money through an ear on the left side of the head.

Showtime is 9pm and admission is only $10, not bad for a really funny 2 hour show without having to travel downtown. The CIA is at 11334 Burbank Boulevard, just east of Lankershim blvd. and The Holiday Inn Express in North Hollywood, 91601, phone (818) 221-8065. This is adult material, but also some of the funniest in L.A.

As for the C.I.A., here ‘s a link to show you what’s in store for behind the giant head.  https://www.facebook.com/CIAbnormalarts   

https://www.facebook.com/Springbokla/

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=the%20van%20nuys%20comedy%20club%20in%20springbok

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