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Randy Hodgins and Steve McLellan’s lifelong love of comedy was kindled when they met more than 40 years ago in graduate school in Seattle. While managing family and professional work responsibilities, they hosted a one hour comedy radio program on Saturday mornings for 10 years on a small radio station in Olympia, WA and also co-authored two books on northwest popular culture – Seattle on Film (1995) and Wet and Wired (2000). Stuck at home during the early days of the pandemic with hundreds of comedy albums, cassettes and CD’s gathering dust on their shelves, they launched Laugh Tracks Legends of Comedy in May 2020, a weekly mini-program featuring a different comedy icon, with biographical bits and a nice slice of the comedy that made them famous. From standup stars, to stellar sketch teams, to novelty music maestros -- they are all part of our Legends.
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Tuesday May 09, 2023
Tuesday May 09, 2023
He sings, he acts, he dances, and he shticks! It's the masterful Billy Crystal who has been a beloved presence on the standup and theater stage, on tv, and in movies since the 1970s. From a groundbreaking role on the ABC show "Soap" to joining a cast of heavy hitters to save Saturday Night Live to an amazing string of hit movies to an award winning Broadway show - - it would proably be easier to list what he hasn't done! As always, find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!
Want more Billy?
Even if you have never seen one of Billy's movies, tv shows, theater appearances, or stand up gigs you almost certainly know him -- from his many appearances as the host of the Oscar telecast. Known for flamboyant entrances and gentle pokes, Billy's hosting spots still are held up as a gold standard for other hosts. Here's his monologue from the 1993 telecast. https://youtu.be/CF6fpn8Ts68
Soap was a revolutionary soap opera satire and Billy was part of the revolution, playing the first unambiguously gay characters on a prime time show -- with his customary affectionate irreverence. https://youtu.be/vudJivvHWqI
After the original Saturday Night cast left in the late 70s the show floundered for a while, and it looked like it might be canceled. The call went out for a group of proven sketch comedy stars and Billy answered it. One of his breakout bits was as latin lothario Fernando Llamas hosting a talk show that had one thing on its mind -- looking Mahvelous! https://youtu.be/9NdcinOjbPI
Billy was a legit leading man after a string of romantic comedy hits, but one of his most beloved roles is a small but pivotal one in The Princess Bride. Billy plays Miracle Max, a wizard of dubious skills, who reminds us a lot of Mel Brooks! https://youtu.be/d4ftmOI5NnI
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