Michael McAdam News

2nd Story Theatre in Warren is currently offering Sam Bobrick and Ron Clark's 1979 classic MURDER AT THE HOWARD JOHNSON'S. Did I say classic? What I meant was a shallow, pithy, superficial, farcical, and light-weight comedy. Bobrick and Clarke cut their teeth writing tv comedy for some of the smartest television of all time like The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Steve Allen Show. (Look these up if you have to.) This is a comedy about murder and infidelity-now who couldn't like that? 2nd Story says they were shooting for 'a pain-reducing balm' to what we've been experiencing the past months, and I think they more or less delivered. The audience was laughing and, my God, needed it.

After a particularly bruising election year, we offer a pain-reducing balm in the form of Bobrick & Clark's shamelessly silly, ferociously funny farce. In a line-up that promises "the ridiculous to the sublime," this kitsch '70's comedy classic serves up the ridiculous. In spades. Thank God it's sandwiched between a Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winner, otherwise we'd never be able to show our faces in this town again!

Multi Grammy award-winning musician, actor, author, playwright and activist, Steve Earle was an ambitious Texas songwriter struggling to get his break when now legendary MCA A&R head Tony Brown signed the recalcitrant rocker.