-
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARC PRICE. -
Alt Text for Image
If you are a fan of standup comedy, you might not want to “skip” the shows on Feb. 28-29 at Porky’s Comedy Club in St. Cloud.
Taking to the stage will be Marc Price, who played nerdy, but loveable Irwin “Skippy” Handelman on the 1980s hit NBC show “Family Ties,” which made Michael J. Fox a household name.
If you didn’t already know, Price has been doing standup for decades, hitting 50 cities in 2019. He brings his Awkward Adult Years Tour along with two other comics, BJ Odom and Mitch Silver.
Comedy is in his bloodline as his father, Al Bernie, was a longtime funnyman who did spots on the Ed Sullivan Show, wrote with legendary comedian Lenny Bruce and rubbed elbows with Hollywood icons like Sammy Davis Jr. and George Burns.
“My dad was a great comedian,” Price, 50, recently said from his home in Los Angeles. “He mentored me, he taught me everything I know about standup comedy.”
While his father mostly worked in the Catskills Borscht Belt in southeast New York State to be close to his family, who at the time lived in New Jersey, Price, as a child, sometimes went out on the road with him. That opened Price’s eyes to the craft.
“I wasn’t just watching there. I was hanging out backstage, bringing Milton Berle his tea,” Price said. “It was a great introduction into the comedy business.”
So what can you expect from a Marc Price show?
“When people ask what can the audience expect, I say, ‘not a refund,’” he quipped.
As he makes the stage his own during his set, Price said he gets a little political, does impressions and even has a comedic dance bit.
“We like to say my show is like the weather in some places. If you hang out for a few minutes, hopefully you’ll find something you like,” Price said.
But his show really touches on life after being a “child star” and the transition from Hollywood to stand-up comedy.
Although he was adored by millions as “Skippy,” it’s a topic he really doesn’t include in his act much. He noted that the average age of people who go to a comedy club is about 35. “Family Ties” was on more than three decades ago.
But from time to time when he’s in public, he’ll hear someone yell, “Skippy!”
Does it bother him? Nope. In fact, he goes by Marc “Skippy” Price on stage. “To be honest with you, I don’t care at all.
It doesn’t bother me. It’s a nickname,” Price said.
In other professional credits, he also was in the cult classic movie “Trick or Treat” with Gene Simmonds and Ozzy Osbourne.
As a stand up comedian, Price has opened for other top comics such as Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld. He’s hosted late night talk shows and he’s been behind the cameras writing and producing for E! TBS, Disney Channel, Animal Planet, GSN, Showtime and more.
So how was Porky’s able to land a talent like Marc Price?
“A lot of this industry is based on the relationships you have made throughout the years. I’ve been in the comedy industry in one way or another for the past 30 or so years. I met Marc when he played the old Comedy Zone in Charlotte North Carolina back in 1991 and I actually opened for him,” said Eric Godfrey, Porky’s owner/booker. “Once I started as the opening act for Carrot Top, Marc was brought in to be on one of our shows. When I was looking for comedians to start booking for this year, I thought the leap year weekend would be perfect for somebody like Marc. Why not leap back to the 1980s and bring in Marc with his success on “Family Ties”? So I reached out to him through Facebook and we were able to work the deal.”
All of Price’s merchandise sales will benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which benefits Parkinson’s disease research
Porky’s is located at 4249 13th St., St. Cloud
The show starts at 8 p.m. both days.
For tickets or for more information, go to www.porkyscomedyclub.com.
