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May 26, 2006
Toronto talent at Yuk Yuk's
Comedian Alex Nussbaum uses quality content to get laughs.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY
Alex Nussbaum will likely have his own TV show one day. His comedy
has that perfect mix of intelligence, physicality and universality
that generally translates into huge popularity. If you need to see
it to believe it, then head down to Yuk Yuk's this weekend. If hearing
would be enough, or if you have other plans, then check out his
new website or pick up his debut CD.
From Toronto, Nussbaum is in Vancouver as part of a tour promoting
Absolutely Free (Not Actually Free), a CD of sketches that
were recorded at Yuk Yuk's Toronto earlier this year, plus a few
mock commercials that were recorded in studio. The selections cover
a wide variety of everyday topics such as button-up zippers, wine,
barbers, computer viruses and threesomes (or the more common "onesomes,"
which Nussbaum likes to call "menages à un" to
be fancy).
While Jewish, Nussbaum doesn't usually include Jewish-specific humor
in his act. There are, however, a few very amusing clips from stand-up
and television appearances on his website, www.alexnussbaum.com,
that touch on Jewish people or themes. In one from CBC's The
Sean Cullen Show, he does an ad for a fictional William Shatner
Fight College. In a bit from CTV/The Comedy Network's Comedy
Now!, he muses about what it would be like if God talked to
him, as God did with our patriarchs, but in modern-day circumstances
– interrupting a job interview and waking him in the middle
of the night, for example.
In a more risqué, fact-based sketch, Nussbaum makes fun of
fashion designer Hugo Boss introducing his new line of SS uniforms
for the Nazi party, using a model who looks anything but Aryan.
"Originally, we were going to go with a standard-issue combat
boot, but it just wasn't doing it for me. I thought it looked shizeh,"
says Nussbaum as a heavily accented Boss, "So we went with
the knee high, because it's uber sexy. Plusss, this little boot
is going to get a lot of attention, don't you think?" he adds,
goose-stepping.
Most of Nussbaum's routines are inoffensive, with a limited use
of profanity. He relies mostly on quality content, rather than shock
value, and he uses his slightly goofy looks to his advantage: his
receding hairline (which he calls "retreating," because
he thinks it's cowardly), his somewhat bulging eyes and his tall,
thin build. Obviously, some of the physical humor is lost in audio
only. For example, the introductory sketch on his CD, in which he
talks about the need for making confidence-building eye contact
when performing, is much funnier when you can see him going bug-eyed
– luckily you can do so on his website.
Most of Absolutely Free, however, stands well on its own,
with no visual aids but your imagination. In one bit about working
out, Nussbaum recalls a friend saying that he shouldn't worry if
he hasn't exercised in a while because people have muscle memory,
to which he responds, "Oh, muscle memory! Well, I guess my
muscles have been smoking pot, because there is no recollection
of previous activity!"
In a later part of the CD, Nussbaum acknowledges that people are
obsessed with success and that's why he's been reading Success
for Dummies. After joking about how hard it would be to muster
the courage to take the book to the check-out counter, he asks,
"If you're a dummy, do you think that maybe success is aiming
a bit too high? Maybe you should just start off with Everyday
Life for Dummies and work your way up."
Leading up to this bit, he notes that he was always told that, to
be successful, he should dress not for the job that he has, but
for the job he wants. "When I was working in an office,"
he recounts, "I wanted a job at Club Med, so I showed up in
a Hawaiian shirt, flip flops and a Speedo. I didn't get the job
that I wanted, but I did get some much-needed vacation time."
Nussbaum also takes on over-achievers and workaholics who have endless
energy and are constantly doing things. For them, he would like
to write A Book of Unspirations to slow them down –
"daily discouragements" would include "What makes
you think you got what it takes?" and "Today's a great
day to give up."
There are too many entertaining parts of Absolutely Free
to relate here and, besides, any more information would wreck the
experience of the CD. While a few sketches don't work as well, the
pace is fast and soon there is another joke at which to laugh. Overall,
Absolutely Free shows off Nussbaum's comedic talents well
and is worth a listen.
This fall, Nussbaum will appear in the film It's a Boy Girl Thing.
The Alex Nussbaum Show may be next ... more a case of when,
than if.
Nussbaum headlines at Yuk Yuk's Vancouver, Century Plaza Hotel &
Spa, 1015 Burrard St., on May 26-27, 8 and 10:30 p.m. Admission
is $15/show. For tickets or more information, call 604-696-9857
(YUKS) or visit www.yukyuks.com/info/locations/clubs.htm.
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