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The Comedy-O-Rama Hour
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REVIEW BY GEO BEACH
Alaskan Radio Producer and NPR Commenator

Source: http://www.prx.org/review_profile.do?reviewId=2165
Review of THE COMEDY-O-RAMA HOUR ELECTION SPECIAL with Al Franken and Bob Edwards
Posted 11-01-2004
Reviewer Geo Beach

THE COMEDY-O-RAMA HOUR ELECTION SPECIAL with Al Franken and Bob Edwards

Commercial radio's Al Franken and satellite radio's Bob Edwards join public radio's Joe Bevilacqua for a White Rabbit romp through the Borscht Belt. This isn't The Daily Show political commentary, it's comedy derived from a classic radio tradition of Burns & Allen (Gracie -- and Fred) and Bob & Ray grafted onto Monty Python, Laugh-In, and early SNL (when it was "live" live). Comedy-O-Rama delivers improvisational theatre with outdoor location recording that sounds refreshing after all that canned air.
Midway through the first half-hour, Franken and Katherine Lanpher (late of MPR) deliver an Iraqi Day Parade play-by-play segment that ought to be required audio preemption for Macy's Thanksgiving event. But that's just one of many must-pick shticks where listeners will plump up the volume – including a laugh-out-loud reductionist editing of W's 2001 Inaugural Address in the second half-hour.


There's one simple reason Comedy-O-Rama attracts the attention of creative PDs – it's fun. It's PRPD's Core Value of "humor" delivered with a "uniquely human voice". Bevilacqua is indisputably unique, and as a disciple of Yogi Bear (well, Daws Butler, actually) he's master of scores of voices.


This is radio that invites listener's inventive participation in an imaginary world. It's not a driveway moment – it's a freeway freeform that's perfect fare between the end of ATC and the beginning of election returns at 8pm ET. Or anytime afterwards, since a good laugh can never be defeated and craziness will always hold office in Washington.
The Election Special is streaming off the net, beaming off the satellite, and screaming off cutting-edge broadcasters large (KBPS) and small (WYSO). Can't find an hour in your busy day? Individual segments from 0:23 to 6:08 are available at http://www.prx.org/piece/2493 for drive time cutaways election night and the morning after.
Fight City Hall -- arm your ears with a smile.
Rating

Adjectives
Humorous, Sound Rich, Unconventional

FOR MORE INFORMATION WRITE: Joe Bevilacqua - P.O. BOX 374 - Napanoch, NY 12458, joebev@waterlogg.com