By Troy Segal
Comedy suddenly seems in much shorter supply these days, with the recent loss of actor/comedian Robin Williams. (Scroll down to see our tribute to his genius.) While his rapier wits and reflexes are irreplaceable, there are others who can provide a little laughter in our lives. Ranging from stand-up to cerebral, these comic folks’ efforts are bound to make you smile.
Taking It to the Street: Put a spring in your step with a satiric walking tour, “2014: When We Were Idiots”, in which guide Xavier Toby, garbed like a penguin — don’t ask — leads guests around the Lower East Side of 2114. Part of the New International Fringe Festival, the comedic hour-and-a-half stroll occurs Aug. 15-17 and 22-23.
Movie Mirth: A trio of silent short movies demonstrates “The Silly Side of War,”, shown Aug. 24 & 25, as part of the Museum of Modern Art’s film series about World War I. MoMA is also screening Manhattan, Aug. 27-29, Woody Allen’s exploration of the ongoing battle between the sexes that many critics dub his masterpiece ... Billy Wilder, the writer/director behind such rapier-wit comedies as The Apartment and Some Like It Hot, goes in front of the screen for once in the rarely-seen documentary of videotaped conversations with the master, Billy, How Did You Do It? – one night only, Sept. 8, at Film Forum ... Nobody ever expects the Spanish Inquisition—or the off-, off-, off-beat humor of Monty Python, even if one’s seen their films 100 times. Make it 101 at these Sept. 14 showings at Symphony Space, a double feature of Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Monty Python's Life of Brian.
Live and In Person: A trio of comedians — the perpetually raging Lewis Black, Kate Clinton and Lizz Winstead — skewer the body politic, Sept. 8 ... Veteran TV-show producer Norman Lear, who broke the comic boundaries with his sitcoms All in the Family, Sanford and Son, and Maude, reminisces about his life and times, Oct. 14 ... The ever-popular Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation, Bridesmaids) discusses her debut as an author — and will just happen to have a few books on hand to sign — on Oct. 28. All at the 92nd Street Y.
War of the Words: Is it possible to sum up Jewish life in a brief phrase? A panel of wordsmiths, led by writer Piper Kerman (Orange Is the New Black) and husband Larry Smith (creator of the six-word memoir) is going to try at this tongue-twisting event at the 92nd Street Y, Sept. 15 ... Two comedian/comedy writer teams square off over a red-hot topic of perpetual interest (which pet is superior: cats or dogs? which meal is better: breakfast or dinner?) in a debate hosted by Sean Donnelly (My Dumb Friends, Last Comic Standing) and decided by the audience, at Symphony Space, Oct. 8.
Robin Williams Live at the Roxy (1978)
Robert Altman: Popeye (1980); song by Harry Nilsson
Terry Gilliam: The Fisher King (1991)
The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (October 16, 2013)
George Roy Hill: The World According to Garp (1982)
