by:Myles Kapson
Ive been known to be funny. Well, I used to be!
I attended 2nd city theater, Chicago back in 1980. But like so many things i didnt take it far enough. Know why I've never committed suicide? someone once asked me if I ever considered suicide?
Anyone that knows me knows, I never finish anything.
Like Henny said:
Take my Life, please.
I actually knew Mr. Youngman. I moved to Miami Florida when I was about 24 and got a job as a manager for a group of apartment complexes. Mr. Youngman's older brother and sister- in- law lived at my resident complex. They were great, treated me like family. Henny's brother would actually sit at the kitchen table several times a week soldering dimes on to safety pins so that when Henny was working Vegas he could wander the town, walk up to a woman and say " Here, honey, have a dime and pin. " That's what they called Shtick...
. I adored this guy and his family ... When Henny would come and visit I'd get invited to go with them over to Collins Ave where we'd all be treated to Carvel ice-cream.We'd walk down Collins Ave. and of course everyone knew him...really knew him for many years. This was around 14th St. We use to walk sometimes down to south beach. Boy ,he sure wouldn't hardly believe how it has all changed. Professor Irwin Corey worked the south beach area hotels. Don't remember him? My favorite line of his was, You know what really burns my ass? (at this point he would hold his hand at his side near his butt and exclaim...) a flame about this high!
Looking back Ive had a lot of teachers in the art of making people laugh, I've met quite a few that chose to bring this medicine to the world and for them I am still grateful and in awe.
I met the comic that used to do the Nixon impersonation who moved to Miami after Nixon resigned . He'd go to the Forge Lounge Nightclub on 44th St and ask everyone, know who I am or was? I knew.
But one of my favorite stories is meeting Mr. Bill Cosby. Ya see, I was working the Catskill Mtns as a waiter at the Concord Hotel. I was trying to earn money so that i could move to NYC to go to acting school. The Concord had celebrity entertainment about every weekend and the waiters could put in for a chance to work with their choice entertainer but you could only work one per summer. This was tough as the Concord employed 110 waiters & waitresses. I think i got a little preference since i was a head waiter for the staff as well as the floor. I got the "Cos".
When he arrived that first night back stage there were a dozen reporter/photographers with him but I approached him first because membership has it's privilege. I offered him a $3 cigar but he graciously turned it down as he probably smoked $50 Cubanos. But then he asked if I wanted to pose for pictures with him? We each put our cigars in our mouths and as we smiled I leaned over and said, wow, i hope they can tell us apart, back home they always think I'm you and i have to tell them that Cos is the one with a mustache. This is one of my proudest moments in comedy, I cracked up Mr. Bill Cosby.
Now Ive got more stories but I don't want to drop names. At least not in this way on some anonymous web site blog. But if you ever see me hanging around your backyard or something don't hesitate to come up to me and inquire, hey, what's your story? I just might be inclined to tell you then. Until then, Happy Trails....til we meet again
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