Weekend Warmup for Nov. 6-8, 2009
Rodney Atkins
Here is a list of events happening this weekend (Nov. 6-8) around Oklahoma. For more information, go to www.wimgo.com.
- NORMAN – Catch country star Rodney Atkins at 8 tonight at Riverwind Casino, 1544 W State Highway 9. Information: www.riverwind.com.
- SHAWNEE — Hear “American Idol” David Cook, who has Tulsa ties, at 7 tonight at Firelake Grand Casino, 777 Grand Casino Blvd. Information: 964-7263 or www.firelakegrand.com.
- Take in art, food and music at the sixth annual Girlie Show from 8 to midnight tonight and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday at Farmers Public Market, 311 S Klein. Information: www.thegirlieshow.net.
Classical Mystery Tour
- Watch the Oklahoma City Philharmonic perform with Beatles tribute band Classical Mystery Tour at 8 tonight and Saturday at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker. Information: 842-5387 or www.okcphilharmonic.org.
- TULSA and THACKERVILLE — Listen to country star Alan Jackson and up-and-coming band Gloriana at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the BOK Center, 200 S Denver. Information: (866) 726-5287 or www.bokcenter.com. Or catch Jackson in concert at 9 tonight at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville. Information: www.winstarworldcasino.com.
- See new art – from small works exhibits to a container show – during the monthly Paseo Gallery Walk in the Paseo Arts District. Hours are 6 to 10 tonight and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Information: 525-2688 or www.thepaseo.com.
- Hear Chevelle with Halestorm and After Midnight Project at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Diamond Ballroom, 8001 S Eastern Ave. Information: www.diamondballroom.net.
Billie Letts
- SHAWNEE - Hear Tulsa author Billie Letts (”Where the Heart Is”) give the keynote address at the 2009 Red Dirt Book Festival on today and Saturday. Letts will speak at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Raley Chapel at Oklahoma Baptist University. Multiple writing workshops, special programs and panel discussions with authors and editors will be included in the two-day book festival that’s sponsored by Pioneer Library System. The festival opens at 9 a.m. today. Letts and other featured authors will close out the festival with a book signing at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Geiger Center on OBU’s campus. To register for the free festival (which is required) or get more information, go to www.reddirtbookfestival.org.
- Listen to Billy Joe Winghead, Bloody Ol’ Mule, the Starkweather Boys and more from noon Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday at “Drumming for Derek,” a benefit for Oklahoma City drummer Derek Dugger, who has brain cancer. The event will be at 66 Bowl, 3810 NW 39 Expressway. Information: 946-3966.
- MIAMI – Catch the Casey Donahew Band in concert at 7 tonight at Buffalo Run Casino. Information: www.buffalorun.com.
“Frankenstein”
- Watch Oklahoma Children’s Theatre and TheatreOCU’s production of “Frankenstein” at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. today, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in Oklahoma City University’s Burg Theatre, 2501 N Blackwelder. The production is recommended for middle school and high school students. Information: www.oklahomachildrenstheatre.org.
- TULSA – Hear Rob Zombie with Nekromantix and Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Brady Theater, 105 W Brady Street. Information: www.bradytheater.com.
- See a Tribute to Woody Guthrie at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Blue Door, 2805 N McKinley. Also, hear Don Conoscenti at 9 tonight and John Fullbright at 9 p.m. Saturday at the Blue Door. Information: www.bluedoorokc.com.
- Watch Red Dirt Improv perform “Music, Mayhem, and Mamet” starting at 7 tonight at IAO Gallery, 706 W Sheridan. Information: www.reddirtimprov.com.
-BAM
Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin to host Oscars
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced that funnymen Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will co-host the 82nd Oscars on March 7, 2010.
As EW.com reports, Oscar telecast producers Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman said in a statement: “We think the team of Steve and Alec are the perfect pair of hosts for the Oscars. Steve will bring the experience of having hosted the show in the past and Alec will be a completely fresh personality for this event.”
Martin, who lately has been exploring his music career as a serious banjo player, previously hosted the 73rd and 75th Oscar shows. “30 Rock” star Baldwin will be a first-time Oscars host, though he was nominated for an Academy Award in 2003 for “The Cooler.”
According to EW.com, this is what they had to say about their new job:
Martin: “I am happy to co-host the Oscars with my enemy Alec Baldwin.”
Baldwin: “I don’t play the banjo but I’m thrilled to be hosting the Oscars – it’s the opportunity of a lifetime.”
-BAM
3D’s Wednesday Video Spotlight: Episode 19
Well, loyal readers, this is it. This is the last episode of “Red vs. Blue: Recreation.” I’m sure there will be a mini-series or something to get us through the long winter months until the next Rooster Teeth series. If so, I will try to keep you posted here.
The DVD of this series is now available to order from Rooster Teeth and the “RT Shorts” that I have been posting here are also getting their own DVD. Rooster Teeth releases are always packed with special features, so I’m sure they will be a good deal for those of you who are interested.
Please enjoy, but watch out for flying obscenities.
—3D
“Jeff Dunham” show makes recording-breaking Comedy Central premiere
Despite hefty competition, the series premiere of “The Jeff Dunham Show” Thursday night on Comedy Central broke the network’s all-time records for a series premiere among total viewers (5.3 million), Adults 18-49 rating (2.6) and Adult 18-49 viewers (3 million), according to a news release.
The series premiered at 8 p.m. Oklahoma time Thursday against Game 5 of the American League Championship Series and original episodes of “Grey’s Anatomy,” “CSI” and “The Office.”
The premiere was the most-watched show in cable for Thursday primetime among total viewers, as well as the highest-rated and most-watched show in cable for Thursday primetime among Adults 18-49, Men 18-34 and Men 18-24.
The stellar performance of the premiere, which was seen by an aggregate of nearly 8 million total viewers on Thursday night, including replays, led Comedy Central to its highest-rated and most-watched night of the year, according to the release.
Encore presentations of “The Jeff Dunham Show” will air at 1 p.m. today, 9:30 p.m. Sunday, 6 p.m. Monday, 11 p.m. Tuesday and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
“The Jeff Dunham Show” is a new half-hour comedy-reality show from Levity Entertainment starring ventriloquist-comedian Jeff Dunham. The series features Dunham and his hilarious cast of characters: Walter, the cranky curmudgeon; Achmed the Dead Terrorist, a skeleton with serious anger issues; “Boobs and Beer” Bubba J; José Jalapeño on a Stick, the talking pepper; fame-hungry purple Peanut; and Melvin, a superhero with no powers. Dunham and his pals perform in front of a live studio audience as well as interact on location with real people.
The series is the first part of a wide-ranging, fully-integrated, multi-platform initiative that Comedy Central signed earlier this year with Dunham; the deal also includes a stand-up special, major-market stand-up tour, DVDs and a consumer products partnership.
His one-hour Comedy Central Original Stand-Up Special will air in early fall 2010, with Comedy Central Home Entertainment and Levity producing and distributing DVDs of both the series and stand-up special, as well as a colossal, nationwide Comedy Central Live stand-up concert tour with more than 60 performances.
The tour kicks off September 2010 and a major consumer products partnership in conjunction with the series and the tour will also hit the marketplace in 2010. Each of the deal’s elements will feature unique components for reaching the Comedy Central audience wherever it lives. This deal also opens the door to future digital projects with Dunham and comedycentral.com.
Credits for “The Jeff Dunham Show” include Jeff Dunham, Ross McCall, Aaron Peters, Judi Brown-Marmel, Robert Hartmann and Stu Schreiberg as executive producers and Gary Mann and Monika Zielinska as executives in charge of production for Comedy Central. Long-time writing collaborator, Jeff Rothpan, serves as supervising producer.
“The Jeff Dunham Show” series is being sponsored by Subway, and the debut episode was sponsored by Geico.
-BAM
Jeff Dunham talks about his new TV show, debuting tonight
Jeff Dunham and Achmed the Dead Terrorist (Photo by Richard McLaren)
From Thursday’s you! section of The Oklahoman.
Comedian Jeff Dunham and his puppet pals have dominated YouTube, conquered stand-up specials and thrived as a touring act.
Now, the ventriloquist and his cohorts Walter, Peanut, Bubba J and Achmed the Dead Terrorist are taking on a new challenge: series television. “The Jeff Dunham Show” debuts at 8 tonight on Comedy Central, but many Americans already know and love Dunham and his “suitcase posse” of irreverent characters.
“What’s great about this show is that before any cameras started rolling or any scripts started being written, the characters were well-developed and tested with audiences … some of them for decades,” he said in a phone interview this week from Los Angeles, where he calls home.
The Dallas native, 47, has notched 350 million hits on his YouTube videos and become the top-grossing stand-up act in America, according to Pollstar. “Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special,” his third stand-up special for Comedy Central, last year became the most-watched telecast in the cable channel’s history with 6.6 million viewers tuning in for the debut.
Those successes gave Dunham the chance to develop his “reality comedy series.” On the show, he and his puppets perform live before a studio audience and then venture into the real world. He visits a relationship therapist with Walter, takes Bubba J to a firing range and helps Peanut get a date with Brooke Hogan.
“We stayed true to the spirit of what it is that I do on TV (specials) and on stage, and at the same time, we’re throwing out there something that’s completely different than anything … that’s ever been done before,” he said.
He added, “One of the things I’m most proud of is that it has no socially redeeming value whatsoever, and I think there’s something refreshing about that.”
Of course, trying anything new comes with its unforeseen drawbacks.
“What’s taxing — and I didn’t even consider this when we were coming up with the show — a lot of these shots … the characters have to be by themselves or just the character talking to someone else with me not anywhere around. So in a lot of these scenes, I’m not in the shot, but I have to be there to work the character,” he said.
Since the puppets aren’t computerized or remote-operated, green screens often create the illusion that the dummies are talking or moving without Dunham’s help. But in one of the season’s seven episodes, Achmed longs for a proper funeral, including the perfect coffin, putting Dunham in an awkward position.
“I’m in the bottom, closed half of the casket in a fetal position with a flashlight and my hand up the puppet’s butt,” he said with a laugh. “So that was a little disconcerting.”
While making the show means often shooting 10 hours to get one four-minute segment, Dunham, whose mother was raised in Ponca City, keeps his sense of humor and perspective.
“Yeah, it’s tough. It’s a lot of preparation for a tiny amount of time. It’s not like I’m having to dig a ditch or anything. I certainly count my blessings,” he said.
“The most tiring thing that I do in my life is when I come home and take care of my daughters.”
-BAM
3D’s Wednesday Video Spotlight: Chapter 18
It’s time once again for your weekly Rooster Teeth videos. There’s a new “RT Short” this week, along with a new chapter of “Red vs. Blue: Recreation.” Please enjoy with caution.
—3D
3D’s Wednesday Video Spotlight: Chapter 17
3D is back once more for your weekly dose of Rooster Teeth madness. This week brings chapter 17 of “Red vs. Blue: Recreation,” which I believe should be wrapping up soon. So enjoy the comedy insanity while you can.
—3D
Jeff Dunham to speak to National Press Club today
Jeff Dunham – hailed by Time magazine as “perhaps the most popular comedian in the U.S.” -meets the press today when he and his comedic sidekicks appear as a prestigious newsmaker speaker at the National Press Club, the world’s largest professional organization for journalists.
According to a news release, the invitation to speak at the dinner is part of a month filled with such high-profile events for Dunham as he nears the premiere of his Comedy Central TV series “The Jeff Dunham Show” on Oct. 22.
The ventriloquist also will make a cameo appearance on the Emmy Award-winning Best Comedy “30 Rock” on NBC on Oct. 29.
The National Press Club invites speakers to address its members on such criteria as their newsworthiness and national or international stature, and generally are high-level decision-makers or extremely influential setters of policy and trends. Dunham joins such recent speakers as Sen. John Kerry, Congressmen Barney Frank and John Conyers, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, and “The Wire” creator and former journalist David Simon. Since 1932, more heads of state and government have appeared at the National Press Club than any other forum in the world outside the Oval Office of the White House, including every sitting U.S. president. Newsmakers luncheons also occasionally feature superstar entertainers like Oklahoman Toby Keith and Billy Joel.
Dunham has certainly become a newsmaker and influential trendsetter in recent years. Recently named to Forbes magazine¹s Celebrity 100 list, he has been rated as “America’s favorite comedian” by Slate and the top-grossing live comedy act in North America by Pollstar. Dunham has sold an astounding 4 million-plus copies of his three DVD titles (as compared with average stand-up comedy DVD sales of 35,000) and racked up 350 million worldwide views of his clips on You Tube and other Internet sites.
He earned the most-watched show ever on Comedy Central with his holiday show “A Very Special Christmas Special,” drawing 6.6 million viewers to its debut, and recently struck a multi-platform deal with Comedy Central and content partnerships with iTunes and Amazon.com. Next year will see the publication by Dutton of his unique autobiography, “All By My Selves: Walter, Peanut, Achmed, and Me,” in which the comedian and his characters tell his life story.
“The Jeff Dunham Show” is an innovative “comedy reality” series on which Dunham and his suitcase posse of comedic partners interact with real people in actual locations to hilarious results.
His “30 Rock” appearance finds Dunham joining such other notables as former Vice President Al Gore, Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Anniston and Calvin Klein who have done cameos on the critically-acclaimed show. Dunham caps 2009 with his first-ever tour of Australia.
-BAM
Weekend Warmup for Oct. 9-11, 2009
Kevin Welch
Here is a list of events happening in Oklahoma this weekend (Oct. 9-11). For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
- Hear singer-songwriter Kevin Welch at 9 tonight at the Blue Door, 2805 N McKinley. Information: Information: 524-0738 or www.bluedoorokc.com.
- Shop for gourmet foods, clothing, gifts and more at the Junior League of Oklahoma City’s annual Mistletoe Market at the Travel and Transportation Building at State Fair Park. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Information: 843-5668 or www.jloc.org.
- Check out the Student Film CD release show featuring The Pretty Black Chains, Mayola and Cameron Buchholtz at 8 p.m. Saturday at VZD’s, 4200 N Western. Information: 524-4203 or www.vzds.com.
“The Wizard of Oz”
- See a free screening of the classic movie “Wizard of Oz” at 7:30 p.m. Sunday in the activity plaza at Myriad Botanical Gardens in downtown. The film concludes this season of the Myriad Gardens Foundation’s Screen on the Green film series. Information: 297-3995 or www.myriadgardens.com.
- Watch Ghostlight Theatre Club staging of Neil LaBute’s “Fat Pig” at 8 p.m. today and Saturday at the club’s Paseo theater space, 3110 N Walker Ave., Suite A. Information: 286-9412 or www.ghostlightokc.com.
- View the new special exhibit “The Dutch Italianates: 17th-century Masterpieces from Dulwich Picture Gallery, London” at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive. Information: www.okcmoa.com. (See my feature on the exhibit Friday.)
Joss Stone (Associated Press photo)
- TULSA – Hear Grammy winner Joss Stone at 9 p.m. Saturday at the BOK Center, 200 S Denver. The concert will cap the inaugural River Rush event celebrating Tulsa’s River Parks. Information: www.bokcenter.com.
- See Reduxion Theatre Company’s production of the Greek tragedy “Antigone” at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at City Arts Center, 300 General Pershing Blvd., Oklahoma State Fair Park. Performances continue Thursdays-Saturdays through Oct. 24. Information: www.reduxiontheatre.com.
- Laugh along and take some Oklahoma-Texas rivalry when Oklahoma City’s Red Dirt Improv engages Texas rival ComedySportz Austin in comedic battles at 7 and 9 p.m. Saturday at IAO Gallery, 706 W Sheridan. Information: www.reddirtimprov.com.
Reckless Kelly
- Hear Reckless Kelly at 11 p.m. Saturday at the Wormy Dog Saloon, 311 E Sheridan. Information: www.wormydog.com. The band also will play at 8 p.m. Friday at Buffalo Run Casino in Miami. Information: www.buffalorun.com.
- THACKERVILLE – Listen to country singer Clay Walker at 8 p.m. Saturday at WinStar World Casino. Information: www.winstarworldcasino.com.
- Take in “Radiant Music” when the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and violinist Corey Cerovsek perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Civic Center, 201 N Walker. Also, the Philharmonic will play a family concert titled “Something Spooky at the Symphony” at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Civic Center. Information: www.okcphilharmonic.com.
Creed
- TULSA – Hear the reunited Creed with Staind at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the BOK Center, 200 S Denver. Information: www.bokcenter.com.
- NORMAN – Catch Johnny Rivers in concert at 8 p.m. Friday at Riverwind Casino, 1544 W State Highway 9. Information: 322-6464 or www.riverwind.com.
- NORMAN – Get in the swing of things when Asleep at the Wheel performs at 8 p.m. Friday at Sooner Theatre, 101 E Main Street. Information: www.soonertheatre.com.
-BAM
3D’s What to Do in Oklahoma: Rifftrax Edition
Hey loyal readers. 3D here with a recommendation for your evening’s entertainment. The “Rifftrax Live!” event that was screened in Oklahoma several weeks ago is being rebroadcast in theaters across the state again tonight at 7:30. For theater and ticket info, please click here.
Here’s the press release:
Who knew that the worst movie ever made would be so popular! The original evening of live riffing captured on August 20th will be rebroadcast to movie theaters nationwide for one night only. Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy (Tom Servo) and Bill Corbett (Crow T. Robot), now of RiffTrax.com, are even better on the big screen!This event is hosted by Veronica Belmont, the Host of Tekzilla on Revision3 and Qore on the PlayStation Network, with Musical Guest Jonathan Coulton—singer-songwriter and internet superstar—and a special segment by Rich “Lowtax” Kyanka of Something Awful. To find out more about RiffTrax, visit www.RiffTrax.com.
This encore event will feature the new short, Flying Stewardess, and non-stop hilarious riffing on a COLOR version of “Plan 9 from Outer Space”- a 1959 science fiction/horror film written, produced and directed by Edward D. Wood Jr. Don’t miss your last chance for an exciting evening of riffing, zombies, aliens, cheesy performances, wisecracks, laughable special effects and more!
Everyone Loves (More) Free Stuff …
All event attendees will receive FREE exclusive digital goodies including the Flying Stewardess downloadable short, an autographed digital photo of the guys, three songs by the RiffTones and an animated short of the failed Plans 1-8! A URL and code will be revealed on-screen at the end of the encore event.
—3D
