“My Son The Waiter Comes to Town”

It is every mothers wish for her child to enjoy success in life. In the Jewish home, that means her son becomes a lawyer or a doctor, of if push comes to shove, an accountant (better yet, a C.P.A.). IF, that Jewish mother has a son who desires to be an actor, she knows that during his years of working his way “up the ladder”, he will sell shoes, drive a cab or perhaps be “God Forbid, a waiter). This is the show, a one man show that is on its way to Chicago ( or should I say, Skokie), Brad Zimmerman’s “My Son The Waiter, A Jewish Tragedy”, which will open July 7th at The North Shore Center For Performing Arts located at 9501 Skokie Boulevard, just south of Old Orchard Shopping Center.

I spent some time on the phone today with this comedian/writer to learn more about the show itself along with the creator. As someone who also attempted to be a performer, I know the problems connected with the ” Jewish Mother” and how disappointed they become when we select a path that is not what they expected. In Brad’s case, he found that being a waiter on a temporary basis would work. Little did he know that his temporary stint would be for 20 plus years. What he “brings to the table” in his one man show, is several characters, many his customers with all the craziness that goes with making the customer “always right”. And here is the kicker, you do not have to be Jewish to laugh your touchas off ( if you do not know the expression, for gentiles, it is called a butt)!

Brad, who is now resting his vocal chords for his trip to Chicago prior to hitting the road, making sure that we get to hear every word of his saga. He has been a stand-up for many years and has had the honor of opening for comics such as the Late Joan Rivers, Garry Shandling, George Carlin- oh yes, he has worked with performers who are still alive, such as Billy Crystal, Brad Garrett and Susie Essman. The show is not just stand-up, or for that matter just a night of jokes. Brad is a story-teller and in doing so he will become many of the characters he is introducing to us. This makes it a play of sorts, with one man playing all the roles. Brad has also done some TV including a stint on “The Sopranos”, and while he would like to have some television work for the residuals that come with it, it is performing LIVE that he adores. When you are doing live theater, the show changes with the audience and the show can be a once in a lifetime experience for both the performer and the audience. I am looking forward to watching this man in action.

“My Son The Waiter, A Jewish Tragedy” will run at The North Shore Center thru August 7th. Tickets range from $40 and are available by calling the box office at 847-673-6300 . To learn more, visit www.mysonthewaiter.com