comedy Archive

The Rocky Horror Picture Show was a box office failure on its 1975 release, but a groundswell of fanatic moviegoers eventually helped the film take its rightful place as a pop culture classic. The campy musical turned horror movie tropes on their head, introducing themes like androgyny into mainstream culture. And audiences’ participatory reaction to

This go-round is especially impressive. In addition to an all (local) star treatment of a beloved musical theater work, we’ve got two intriguing touring bands coming to Asheville. I’ve seen both, albeit many years ago, and can personally vouch for their music being outside the ordinary in the best possible ways. And then there’s a

Comedy albums are unique in the album world. Unlike music, for most listeners, they’re a one-and-done affair. You may well have bought Robin Williams’ Reality: What a Concept when it was released in 1979, but if you’re like me, you listened, enjoyed, and then moved on, rarely taking it off the shelf for another spin.

Years ago while watching some or other “madcap” comedy film, I came to a realization: drama is comparatively easy, but comedy is difficult. It’s a fairly straightforward affair to tug at a viewer’s heartstrings; it’s quite another matter entirely to make them laugh. The same is true in music; writing a weepy ballad –not to

Americans of a certain age will remember the phenomenon of the prank phone call. In the pre-cell phone era, everyone had either a landline or no phone at all, and unless one paid extra to the phone company (and in those days there was only one phone company), your number was published in a thick