'Walking in Memphis': a 'comedy show' to cry for
by Matthew Wright
Arts | 9/20/05
Posted online at 4:04 AM EST on 9/20/05
Ever wonder what it's like to be a Jew in Tennessee? Jonathan Ross's one-man show, "Walking in Memphis: The Life of a Southern Jew," performed in the Spingold Merrick Theater last Thursday, was a personal exploration of his upbringing in the South and a recounting of his experiences there.
Dressed in a simple white T-shirt and starched jeans, Ross started the show by relating an anectdote involving his failed attempts at Southern chivalry in New York City.
Immediately thereafter, he unexpectedly turned to a tender story about his adopted sister. Far from being a typical stand-up routine, this was a painful description of her childhood brush with death and subsequent retardation, followed by amusing-though bittersweet-anecdotes about growing up with her.
This pattern continued as he moved on to other members of his family: his mother and father, grandparents and close neighborhood friends. To bookend each of these stories, Ross would play the piano and sing a few bars from the performance's titular Marc Cohn song. Although jarring at first, "Walking in Memphis" soon transitioned into the theme of the evening, as the lyrics consistently mirrored his stories.
Strangely, the fliers and programming advertising that night hailed it as a hilarious comedy show, as if it would be full of tired "You know you're a redneck when..." jokes à la Jeff Foxworthy. In truth, the performance certainly had some humorous moments, but almost all seemed incidental rather than deliberately scripted. In fact, Ross's few attempts at straight-out jokes often fell flat. Instead, he inspired laughter with his medley of accents and impersonations. And, despite the title, Judaism was hardly the focus of the evening-Ross's tales of a quirky family, tragedy and life-changing events could have been pulled from anyone's life experiences.
He finished by describing the death of his mother. It was the saddest part of his show, but also the most touching. He used this story to tie together his whole act, saying that when someone dies, we remember the person with stories. With this, the audience was able to fully realize what an emotional performance it was for Ross, and how it should be distinguished from just another gig. "Walking in Memphis" is an extremely well-crafted memoir of a fascinating life, but it should never be billed as a comedy show.
Dressed in a simple white T-shirt and starched jeans, Ross started the show by relating an anectdote involving his failed attempts at Southern chivalry in New York City.
Immediately thereafter, he unexpectedly turned to a tender story about his adopted sister. Far from being a typical stand-up routine, this was a painful description of her childhood brush with death and subsequent retardation, followed by amusing-though bittersweet-anecdotes about growing up with her.
This pattern continued as he moved on to other members of his family: his mother and father, grandparents and close neighborhood friends. To bookend each of these stories, Ross would play the piano and sing a few bars from the performance's titular Marc Cohn song. Although jarring at first, "Walking in Memphis" soon transitioned into the theme of the evening, as the lyrics consistently mirrored his stories.
Strangely, the fliers and programming advertising that night hailed it as a hilarious comedy show, as if it would be full of tired "You know you're a redneck when..." jokes à la Jeff Foxworthy. In truth, the performance certainly had some humorous moments, but almost all seemed incidental rather than deliberately scripted. In fact, Ross's few attempts at straight-out jokes often fell flat. Instead, he inspired laughter with his medley of accents and impersonations. And, despite the title, Judaism was hardly the focus of the evening-Ross's tales of a quirky family, tragedy and life-changing events could have been pulled from anyone's life experiences.
He finished by describing the death of his mother. It was the saddest part of his show, but also the most touching. He used this story to tie together his whole act, saying that when someone dies, we remember the person with stories. With this, the audience was able to fully realize what an emotional performance it was for Ross, and how it should be distinguished from just another gig. "Walking in Memphis" is an extremely well-crafted memoir of a fascinating life, but it should never be billed as a comedy show.
