EX-NEWSMAN BRINGS STAND-UP TO ELDERHOSTELS
written by Rich Freedman
Jeff Applebaum,(see photo above) not unlike most veteran stand-ups, has his arsenal of comebacks for any audience member daring to interrupt his act.
But he never planned on sprinkling his comedy and acting career with appearances at Elderhostels, an educational travel organization for adults 55 and older.
Some much, much older.
“It’s not nice to yell back at a heckler who went to their first comedy show in a Model T,” says Applebaum, a 40-ish San Jose, Ca., resident who has joined a growing number of mostly middle-age stand-ups finding a well-compensated alternative to playing clubs.
“I see more and more audiences in this age group as the Baby Boomers are retiring and living longer,” Applebaum says. “And the comics are getting older, too. If the comic’s goal is to be liked by these audiences — which isn’t always the focus — in general, he or she would need to stay away from profanity and crude humor, and speak at a pace and volume that can be understood.”
Confidence and vulnerability, adds Applebaum, “is always appreciated. Even if the Elderhostel audiences don’t like your act, it is valuable for them to see different comics performing as they do in clubs or on TV to see how tastes might be different from when they were growing up. However, I don’t see a lot of comics targeting their acts toward this demographic. If they think about the economics — they will have an act put together for these groups.”
David Kleinberg, a 66-year-old former entertainment editor at the San Francisco Chronicle, parlayed his passion for stand-up into teaching comedy courses, performing, and booking comics at Elderhostels at Embassy Suites in three Bay Area locations — Napa, San Rafael, and Burlingame.
“We are the only Elderhostel in the country doing this,” says Kleinberg, who used to venture into the old hungri i nightclub that welcomed some of the nation’s best stand-ups.
Before he sunk himself into taking the stage, Kleinberg was a huge comedy crusader as the Sunday Datebook editor in the Chronicle 1980-’94.
Kleinberg says. “At the time, there were four full-time comedy clubs in the city and I made sure it got properly covered. Somewhere along the line, I thought it would be interesting in today’s world of comedy to show what goes on behind the scenes; to show what comics go through, from open mic, to showcasing, paid gigs, and someday hopefully headlining.”
Kleinberg left the newspaper, got into stand-up, and began coordinating Elderhostel events.
It wasn’t merely to entertain the elderly, “But to show them how a comedian progresses,” Kleinberg says.
It’s gone over better than he thought. And Kleinberg’s added comics and courses. He’s produced comedy theme weeks. One course might be “Jewish comedians.” Another “The Fine Art of Comedy.” Another “British Humor.”
“I was worried,” Applebaum says looking back on his initial concerns, “that they would not like me and would be very judgmental and be vocal about it. But the first went very well. They saw me as one of their children because many of them were from New York and several were Jewish, so they related to the stories that I told about my family.”
Comic Johnny Steele has done about 15 Elderhostel performances and it struck him immediately that it wasn’t a typical comedy club.
“There is no stage, no theatrical lighting, often no microphone,” Steele says. “Many of the skills you’ve honed in clubs are worthless here.”
Steele says every unique demographic audience causes apprehension “whether it’s all young people or all conservative people or whatever. His concerns are many — ‘What subject matter is going to resonate?’ ‘Is my comedic style going to work?’ Comedy is very specific. Garrison Keillor fans would be horrified by Def Jam comedy. Blue Collar fans have no use for Bill Maher. Even among older folks, interests and politics can vary wildly.”
Roy Zimmerman, who pens original comedic tunes while playing guitar, says his elder hostel experience was a good one. “I did a few songs,” says Zimmerman, “for the folks in a casual, conversation way so I was able to throw in illustrations of my own to bolster Johnny’s points. I guess I did about 45 minutes. Then I had a chicken Caesar salad.”
Because the organization stresses education, the audiences are typically intelligent, says Applebaum. “They are committed to a lifetime of learning, so they can be very involved in the class/performance if you engage them. And they appreciate that. Plus, the widows and widowers are after each other. There are lots of pick-ups.”
Applebaum says he does tweak his normal act.
“I tend to speak louder and slow down the pace,” Applebaum says. “There is usually a microphone available and I use it at the beginning and ask if they prefer it or without a mic. Also, I try to stay away from vernacular phrases such as ‘My bad,’ that they most likely wouldn’t understand at first. However, I often take the time to highlight and make fun of the way the kids talk today, which they relate to, and then I can use the present catch phrases. Though they don’t appreciate profanity or crude humor, they don’t want to be treated like babies, either. You have to establish a relationship early. They do tend to like Viagra jokes, since it is very real to many of them. But I don’t open my act with it.”
Nothing really weird has happened at an Elderhostel performance, says Applebaum, “just some gas, people falling asleep, and Viagra wearing off. Perhaps that’s why the guy kept looking at his watch.”
Steele has learned to enjoy every minute of entertainment the seniors.
“I love ‘em,” Steele says. “They are very smart, very polite, generally liberal. I was surprised by how excited about life they are. Many old people I know have stopped learning and living long ago. Not these guys. I do a Q&A after my performances and they keep asking and asking and asking questions. My last gig, after the Q&A, about twelve people followed me out of the room and asked questions in the hotel lobby for another sixty minutes.”
Steele agreed with Applebaum: His fifth-gear performing won’t fly at Elderhostels.
“I have to slow down,” Steele says. “I tend to speak rapidly in part because that’s my nature and in part because comedy club audiences need a lot of jokes fast. And you don’t want to leave silence in a club or some drunk will heckle you. At Elderhostels, they also want humanity from you. They recoil from aggression, violence, yelling, and cheap shots. Younger audiences, that generally have not really lived yet, require those things. They know nothing of the world, aging, travel, mature life experiences. Plus, technology has changed so rapidly in the last 15 years, that the kids process information differently than the older folks do who got their information from reading and doing.”
As Steele inches closer to 50, “I’m as close in age to these guys as I am to comedy club audiences. But I feel much more kinship with the older folks. I’d play for only middle aged and older folks if I could.”
Steele laughs, recounting one incident with the elderly.
“A guy in the front row just stared at me the whole time,” Steele says. “Finally, I asked why he didn’t think I was funny. His wife, sitting net to him, says, ‘Honey, he doesn’t have his hearing aid on.’ In a way, I envied the guy. There’s a lot of comedy I wish I didn’t have to hear.”
Roy Zimmerman, known for his original comedic songs while plucking the guitar, enjoyed one Elderhostel assignment. “I had a great time,” Zimmerman says. “And I hope I was able to contribute to the educational value of the class.”
Kleinberg says the money isn’t great, but most comics are sleeping or doing even less constructive activities during the day when they get propped before an Elderhostel audience.
Immediately, they understand the challenge.
“I was doing a set myself on New Year’s Eve,” Kleinberg says. “And I did some material on Viet Nam. And Nobody there was from Viet Nam. They were all Korea or WWII veterans.”
One man in his mid-90s approached Kleinberg later. “He told me he hadn’t flown a plane since he went up with Orville Wright,” says Kleinberg.
Rich Freedman is a writer from California.