I had just one last little adventure to round out my trip that encompassed Disney World, Disneyland, a Hollywood Show, and Knotts Berry Farm. This would be the most low-key, but also the most unique of all of the experiences of the week. I only found out about this because I happen to be friends with Larry Hankin on Facebook. I had originally requested him as a friend because I was a fan of his work in Billy Madison (as Carl), Friends (as Mr. Heckles), Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (as Doobie the cab driver), Annie (as the dog catcher), and most notably – to me – as Tom Pepper, the actor who plays Kramer in the pseudo-sitcom Jerry on Seinfeld. He’s the one that stole the box of raisins during his audition. If you care to look him up, I’m sure you’ll be impressed that his credentials go on and on.
So because I am friends with Larry on Facebook, I was invited to attend a free one-man show of his called “Street Fables” at the Talking Stick coffeehouse in Venice, California, on Sunday evening, April 22, 2012. Normally I’d brush this off and think to myself “gee I wish I could go.” But this time I noted that it would be taking place on the last day of my Disney adventure trip. I R.S.V.P.’d in the affirmative.
Jimmy and I drove straight from Knott’s Berry Farm to the Talking Stick and got there about 7:30pm. There was another show taking place, an acoustic performer, but we opted not to pay the admission to get in, so we waited in the car and I struggled to stay awake. The show has been pushed back 30 minutes to 8:30, so as the time approached we made our way back toward the coffeehouse. Larry was standing outside by his car chatting with someone. I felt it would be anti-climactic to approach him before the show, so we just entered and took an open table that was pretty close to the floor-level stage.
For the next hour, time flew as Jimmy and I sat back with our hot chocolates (we’re not mature enough for coffee), and enjoyed Larry’s versatile presentation. He basically wove his way through character studies; that of Sometimes Jones, a teenaged petty thief that was performed in the third person, and that of Emmett Deemus, the fictional uncle of sometimes, a homeless beggar, that was poeticaly delivered in the first person. Larry’s delivery was flawless and enjoyable. It was really cool to see him in such an intimate setting with a small crowd. My only complaint would be that he wasn’t there to sell anything – as I would have happily have purchased one of the books or CD’s and had him sign it.
After the show, I decided to jump at the chance to meet him as he was cleaning up his stuff on the stage. I knew that soon enough there would be people approaching him to give him accolades and discuss the show. I was expecting him to be quirky like his characters, but I fond him very nice and approachable. He posed for a photo and we chatted for a few minutes. We told him that the show was great, and I told him that I had found out about the show on Facebook at my home in Ohio. He laughed and said, “so you drove all the way out for this!” Well, not quite Larry, but I did leave Knott’s Berry Farm early to come see you. I’m glad I did.
Jimmy and I headed back to his house in San Pedro after the show and got there around 10:30. I had a relatively early flight the next morning, so we had to leave his house around 6:45am. I caught the 8am flight to Dallas and sat next to a black gentleman who checked his Smart Phone every five seconds. My Dallas flight was delayed, although it was supposed to leave at 2pm. I sat next to a shriveled-up Harley-rider lady on my last flight of the trip, but it was really the numbskull behind me who kept kicking my seat, and the moron in front of me, who would put his feet under his seat and bump mine, who really annoyed me. Dad couldn’t pick me up until around 6:30 after he got off work, so it worked out that I was late in arriving in Dayton. I only had to wait about 20 minutes.
Overall, it was an amazing trip comprised of my awesome family, my great friends, all of the American Disney parks, Knotts Berry Farm, a good celebrity show, and last but not least, Larry Hankin. This one will never be replicated.
This concludes the Disney/California trip. Return to the beginning of the Florida portion here, the California portion here.
Continue with 2012…
I’ll always remember Larry Hankin best from “Escape From Alcatraz.”
Peter
July 13th, 2012
No… it was “Escape From Alcatraz,” but tonight that changed. I’ll always remember him best from the Season 5 premiere of “Breaking Bad.”
Peter
July 15th, 2012