D6 Dall), HulleUn, SCilufday,:'~jJtfJmotrf 3, 1~94 Entertainment...D6 Dall), HulleUn,...
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D6 Dall), HulleUn, SCilufday, :'~jJtfJmotrf 3, 1~94 Entertainment 'g;tela" i Making copies Chino Hills impressionist is leaving an impression V.ronlca Jim •• For lhe Dally Bulletin . You may know him ill Mr. President If you listen to mornm, radio, but he's really jWlt a local reaident on the road .., stardom throuib his uncanny ability to Imitate others, Chino Hill. reeident Stave Bridges ia a weekly regular on the morning talk ahcw, Ken and Barkley (KABcn90, from 6-9 a.m.), often imperaonatina President Clinton or other public r•••••. e•. "It'. a blast," said the 30-year-old impressioniat. "'When Bush was gone, I thought, 'bummer: becauee I had a aood Bush impreeoion down. But Clinton hal proved to be, probably for me aa an impreuioniat, one of the belt presidents ever becauH I can do his ••oico and plus he'. ju.t alway. got aomething going on. If it'. not an ••lleged alTair, it'. a botched Whita Ho"",, tbIna, this thAt or thA other. It'. areat.• The .how'l hOlte, Ken Minyard and Roger Barkley, marveled at Bri.' 'Wlllingnea. and ability to do unrehearsed interview ••• Clinton, Bush and/or Roes Perot, lometimea simultaneously during the electiona. In .• thank-you note to Bridie. they wrota, ."We have agreed that you are not onIJ talented, but dAring. The amuina thing I. you never olipped out of character or miaoed a beat (or a joke).· In addition to the Ken and Barkley show, .Bridies hu been featured in many television commercial. and radio programe such 88 -Adventure. in Odyssey," a national children'. program. He also performa a mix of comedy and impreeolons at clubs auch eo The lca House, The La/T Stop (now BridgeS/from06 the Comedy Express) and The Comedy Store. Recently, Bridges waa cast in the comedy aeries "Nurses," where he co-starred with Loni Anderaon. He played the role of Mr. Torrance, a patient requesting adenoid aurgery becauae he sounded emctly like Jack Nicholson. For Bridges, a relative newcomer to the entertainment Industry, landing the role was both a surpri •• and a big accomplishment. "There were a lot or Jack Nicholsona in the hall," he said, recallmg' the audition which pitted him againat Icorea of more seaeoned profesaional •. ·1just got there and got my .ign and started reading It and practicing and they liked me and said, "Yeah, you're !food. Fine, _'11 go with you.'" Working on the aet of a prime-time television show wal a good esperience for the fledgling actor. '"Ibey were fun people," he said. '"Ibey were ellioyable to work with and Loni (Anderson) _med like a really friendly down- to-earth penon on the set,· Bridges' background is different from moot of the actora he competed with for the spot on "NW'8"" Hia entire education Will apent preparing for the miniotry. He holda a maater'a degree in Christian education from Talbot Theological Seminary and worked as a youth minister for several yeara at a Fullerton church. Although he loved the work, after aix yeans Bridaes waa ready for a change. "I wao ready to go and It waa kind of an ideal time for me to try IIOmething new. So I did.· Bridges, who began doina impressions in junior high. had always been funny growinll up, although he was never the class clown, His Howard Cosell, Sylvester Stallone and Vin Scully impreooiona were reserved for only the closest of friends. "I'm what I guess you'd call a lata bloomer in that respect," he said. "Where I felt comfortable waa with a really small group." So it wao a ahock for many who knew Bridgea in his younger days to find out he waa comedian. He recalled meeting an old high achool acquaintance after doing a show in Northern California, where he (l'ew up. "(She) came up to me afterwards and juot laughed and laid, When someone told me you were a atand-up comedian. I said, "no wayf- I And it'. true. It just isn't what you would have thought I'd do. "I don't know if it's what J'1I do for the reat of my life" he continued. "I have a paeaion for other things. I have a very aerioua side, especially when I'm taaching or bringing up a diacuasion with kida. I like to really get into good heartfelt diecussicn." . That serioua aide can sometimes be aeen in Bridges' comedy. Along with a few frienda from Clean Comediana, Bridge. bringa a meaaage on peer preaaure and good morale to acbool •• sembliea. "It's fantastic," he aaid. "It'a very rewarding and a lot of fun - great audiences, usually. High school kida and junior high audiences like that, you have to win them within the first minuta. They've got to dig it. The best thing i. to be funny the whole time and that WHy they're a lot more receptive to your measage, to ony kind of a talk, to any kind of a serious point, but you gotta make that connection, because they've heard It all." See BRlDGESlD7 - '- Steve Bridges has a talent for Impersonating such celebrities as Howard Cosell, Sylvester Stallone and Vin Scully. He Is a regular on a morning radio show. Whenever he performs, Bridges' message is usually positive or nt loaat clean. "For me, jt'~ a matter of what am I comfor-table doing ns u comedian," he suid. "What ACCOlR to come natur-al to me ... usually turns out to be clean. I'm not pninting myself AS 8 saint or anything like that. but I think every comedian does what comes natural to him or her." "" In fact, Bridges shuns labels :4>cC8USC they're very restrictive. :If I say I'm a 'clean comedian,' :one thing comes to one person's mind nnd another thing comes .to another person's mind. For some. you're clean means you don't any certnin words. For others it mean!'!you're goin~ to t('11jokes ubout MmH~~and .1t·SUB • out golfin!1. It creates a lot of different ideas." Nevertheless, Bridges has found that the concept of clean comedy is appealing to some people. Hecnlfing a hugh Clean Comedians concert that almost packed out Knott's Berry Farm, he said. "I think it shows that there are 8 lot of people if you just tell them. "The comedy'. gonna be clean: then they're autornaticnlly interested, almost without even knowing- who's on the hill. "I think saying you're gonna be 8 clean comedian is great on the one hand but it's also a set-up for just being judged. For the most part I've found it very workable. I've found that my material is funny; it crack}! people up and I don't offend too many people," Bridges' routines revolve around ordinary, everyday experiences. much like the early comedy of Bill Cosby. "I talk about growing up, having an older brother and the two of us trying to kill each other. One of my favorite routines, and it's true, is about me and my brother in the backseat of the cur on family vacations driving my mom and dad insane the second we pull out of the driveway asking, 'Are we there yet? . WI mean, we're not out of our own hometown and we've got to go to the bathroom and we're fighting cause we're. playing pick-up sticks in the backseat and Dad keeps hitting all the potholes. People CRn relate to that with their kids. That's how I come up with my material, stulT that I think people can r-elateto." working on his first comedy album about the president and the White House. "It involves a lot of characters and lot of my voices and impressions," he said. Meanwhile, Bridges is Bridges' future plans include more stand-up comedy, impressions and school aasernbllee. hut he also hopes to do more acting. .
Transcript of D6 Dall), HulleUn, SCilufday,:'~jJtfJmotrf 3, 1~94 Entertainment...D6 Dall), HulleUn,...
D6 Dall), HulleUn, SCilufday, :'~jJtfJmotrf 3, 1~94
Entertainment'g;tela" i
Making copiesChino Hills impressionist is leaving an impressionV.ronlca Jim ••For lhe Dally Bulletin
. You may know him ill Mr. PresidentIf you listen to mornm, radio, but he'sreally jWlt a local reaident on the road.., stardom throuib his uncanny abilityto Imitate others,Chino Hill. reeident Stave Bridges ia
a weekly regular on the morning talkahcw, Ken and Barkley (KABcn90,from 6-9 a.m.), often imperaonatinaPresident Clinton or other publicr•••••.e•."It'. a blast," said the 30-year-old
impressioniat. "'When Bush was gone, Ithought, 'bummer: becauee I had aaood Bush impreeoion down. ButClinton hal proved to be, probably forme aa an impreuioniat, one of the beltpresidents ever becauH I can do his••oico and plus he'. ju.t alway. gotaomething going on. If it'. not an••lleged alTair, it'. a botched WhitaHo"",, tbIna, this thAt or thA other. It'.areat.•The .how'l hOlte, Ken Minyard and
Roger Barkley, marveled at Bri.''Wlllingnea. and ability to dounrehearsed interview ••• Clinton,Bush and/or Roes Perot, lometimeasimultaneously during the electiona. In.• thank-you note to Bridie. they wrota,."We have agreed that you are not onIJtalented, but dAring. The amuinathing I. you never olipped out ofcharacter or miaoed a beat (or a joke).·In addition to the Ken and Barkley
show, .Bridies hu been featured inmany television commercial. and radioprograme such 88 -Adventure. inOdyssey," a national children'.program. He also performa a mix ofcomedy and impreeolons at clubs aucheo The lca House, The La/T Stop (now
BridgeS/from06
the Comedy Express) and The ComedyStore.Recently, Bridges waa cast in the
comedy aeries "Nurses," where heco-starred with Loni Anderaon. Heplayed the role of Mr. Torrance, apatient requesting adenoid aurgerybecauae he sounded emctly like JackNicholson.For Bridges, a relative newcomer to
the entertainment Industry, landingthe role was both a surpri •• and a bigaccomplishment. "There were a lot orJack Nicholsona in the hall," he said,recallmg' the audition which pitted himagainat Icorea of more seaeonedprofesaional •. ·1just got there and gotmy .ign and started reading It andpracticing and they liked me and said,"Yeah, you're !food. Fine, _'11 go withyou.'"Working on the aet of a prime-time
television show wal a good esperiencefor the fledgling actor. '"Ibey were funpeople," he said. '"Ibey were ellioyableto work with and Loni (Anderson)_med like a really friendlydown- to-earth penon on the set,·Bridges' background is different from
moot of the actora he competed with forthe spot on "NW'8"" Hia entireeducation Will apent preparing for theminiotry. He holda a maater'a degree inChristian education from TalbotTheological Seminary and worked as ayouth minister for several yeara at aFullerton church. Although he lovedthe work, after aix yeans Bridaes waaready for a change."I wao ready to go and It waa kind of
an ideal time for me to try IIOmethingnew. So I did.·Bridges, who began doina
impressions in junior high. had alwaysbeen funny growinll up, although he
was never the class clown, His HowardCosell, Sylvester Stallone and VinScully impreooiona were reserved foronly the closest of friends."I'm what I guess you'd call a lata
bloomer in that respect," he said."Where I felt comfortable waa with areally small group."So it wao a ahock for many who knew
Bridgea in his younger days to find outhe waa comedian. He recalled meetingan old high achool acquaintance afterdoing a show in Northern California,where he (l'ew up. "(She) came up tome afterwards and juot laughed andlaid, When someone told me you werea atand-up comedian. Isaid, "no wayf- I
And it'. true. It just isn't what youwould have thought I'd do."I don't know if it's what J'1I do for
the reat of my life" he continued. "Ihave a paeaion for other things. I havea very aerioua side, especially when I'mtaaching or bringing up a diacuasionwith kida. I like to really get into goodheartfelt diecussicn." .That serioua aide can sometimes be
aeen in Bridges' comedy. Along with afew frienda from Clean Comediana,Bridge. bringa a meaaage on peerpreaaure and good morale to acbool•• sembliea."It's fantastic," he aaid. "It'a very
rewarding and a lot of fun - greataudiences, usually. High school kidaand junior high audiences like that,you have to win them within the firstminuta. They've got to dig it. The bestthing i. to be funny the whole time andthat WHy they're a lot more receptive toyour measage, to ony kind of a talk, toany kind of a serious point, but yougotta make that connection, becausethey've heard It all."
See BRlDGESlD7
- '-
Steve Bridges has a talent for Impersonating such celebrities as Howard Cosell,Sylvester Stallone and Vin Scully. He Is a regular on a morning radio show.
Whenever he performs,Bridges' message is usuallypositive or nt loaat clean. "Forme, jt'~ a matter of what am Icomfor-table doing ns ucomedian," he suid. "WhatACCOlR to come natur-al to me ...usually turns out to be clean.I'm not pninting myself AS 8saint or anything like that. but Ithink every comedian does whatcomes natural to him or her.""" In fact, Bridges shuns labels:4>cC8USC they're very restrictive.:If I say I'm a 'clean comedian,':one thing comes to one person'smind nnd another thing comes. to another person's mind. Forsome. you're clean means youdon't any certnin words. Forothers it mean!'!you're goin~ tot('11jokes ubout MmH~~and .1t·SUB
•
out golfin!1. It creates a lot ofdifferent ideas."Nevertheless, Bridges has
found that the concept of cleancomedy is appealing to somepeople. Hecnlfing a hugh CleanComedians concert that almostpacked out Knott's Berry Farm,he said. "I think it shows thatthere are 8 lot of people if youjust tell them. "The comedy'.gonna be clean: then they'reautornaticnlly interested, almostwithout even knowing- who's onthe hill.
"I think saying you're gonnabe 8 clean comedian is great onthe one hand but it's also aset-up for just being judged. Forthe most part I've found it veryworkable. I've found that mymaterial is funny; it crack}!people up and I don't offend toomany people,"Bridges' routines revolve
around ordinary, everydayexperiences. much like the earlycomedy of Bill Cosby. "I talkabout growing up, having anolder brother and the two of us
trying to kill each other. One ofmy favorite routines, and it'strue, is about me and mybrother in the backseat of thecur on family vacations drivingmy mom and dad insane thesecond we pull out of thedriveway asking, 'Are we thereyet? .
WI mean, we're not out of ourown hometown and we've got to
go to the bathroom and we'refighting cause we're. playingpick-up sticks in the backseatand Dad keeps hitting all thepotholes. People CRn relateto that with their kids. That'show I come up with mymaterial, stulT that I thinkpeople can r-elate to."
working on his first comedyalbum about the president andthe White House. "It involves alot of characters and lot of myvoices and impressions," he said.
Meanwhile, Bridges is
Bridges' future plans includemore stand-up comedy,impressions and schoolaasernbllee. hut he also hopes todo more acting. .
