“Mr. Show’s” Bob Odenkirk and David Cross are
full of brilliant ideas, and now they’re taking them on the
road.
“You’re gonna get to see a solution to the problem
of the mentally handicapped on death row,” he said of
Friday’s performance at Royce Hall. “We came up with a
solution to the Mideast crisis, too. So, come if you want a
solution.”
Fortunately, Odenkirk doesn’t need to do much publicizing
of his own, as he and fellow cohort Cross have been playing to
sold-out crowds nationwide on their “Bob and David in
“˜Hooray for America!'” tour. Due to the
performance’s high demand, the cast will do a second show
Friday at Royce at 10:30 p.m., after their originally scheduled
7:30 p.m. slot.
Oddly, the crowds weren’t nearly as big when the two were
doing the HBO sketch comedy “Mr. Show” from 1995 to
1998.
“I think we would have had just as big an audience (as we
do now) if they’d given us a decent time slot when we were on
the air,” Odenkirk said.
“Mr. Show” wallowed in relative obscurity on HBO for
four seasons, but since then it has gradually been garnering more
attention through word of mouth and the release of a DVD set
containing the first and second seasons. Included is the first
appearance of Ronnie Dobs, a trashy bum who became a pop celebrity
through his incessant run-ins with the law, and a spin-off of the
’70s musical “Jesus Christ Superstar,” featuring
Jack Black. That show was titled “The Biggest Failure in
Broadway History.”
The show, which sees Odenkirk and Cross taking on outrageous
personae, reveling in shallow humor and veering off into the most
unpredictable paths, can’t be explained in words since the
main charm of the show lies in the sheer interplay and spontaneity
of Odenkirk and Cross. Unlike, say, Seinfeld, just talking about
one episode’s events won’t win many converts.
Ultimately, Odenkirk explains, HBO’s lack of support and
decision to relegate “Mr. Show” to the Monday midnight
time slot dealt a fatal blow to the program.
“When that move happened, everyone, not just David and
myself, sort of lost momentum and morale,” he said.
“All the writers sort of felt like it’s time to look
elsewhere for work, and all the performers felt the same way. You
can’t find a more obscure time slot than Monday at
midnight.”
Taking ideas from a feature-length film they attempted but
eventually canned, “Bob and David in “˜Hooray for
America!'” brings the same humor back, but in a
different context.
“We knew there was a lot of fun to be had by making a live
show out of this and running it more than once,” Odenkirk
said. “So it’s got its own values, and it’s much
easier than doing a TV show, actually.”
Indeed, the rigors of putting together such an elaborate show
took its toll on the small cast. But the duo of Odenkirk and Cross
provides an exceptionally dynamic dichotomy with a high success
rate. After seven years together, the dorky, spectacled and
versatile Cross still provides a perfect complement to the more
mild-mannered Odenkirk.
“We both have it in us to do what the other one does. But
when we’re together, we only have to carry half the weight of
the effort,” Odenkirk said. “And whether that’s
trying to find more fun in the moment or trying to move the project
forward, we can take either side we want. I tend to take the side
that’s about structure, but that doesn’t mean he
can’t do it.”
COMEDY: “Bob and David in “˜Hooray for
America!'” comes to Royce Friday, with shows at 7:30
and 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $31.50 and can be purchased through
UCLA’s Central Ticket Office or Ticketmaster.