Fritz Coleman returned to solo comedy with his one man show “Unassisted Residency” at the El Portal Theatre and it just got extended through May, 2024.
By Judy Shields
Photos The Hollywood Times
North Hollywood, California (The Hollywood Times) 01/16/2024 – “This one is about getting older,” says Coleman, “and, as always, it’s just the truth of my life lately.”
In his latest solo comedy show “Unassisted Living,” now airing on Tubi, Fritz Coleman reminds audiences why he’s been welcome in people’s homes for nearly four decades, whether as a legendary Los Angeles weatherman or as a tireless comic always developing new material for his act.
Fritz Coleman is currently doing a series of dates at the El Portal Theatre called “Unassisted Residency” based on his currently airing Tubi special “Unassisted Living.” It was just announced at this weekend show on Sunday that it has been extended through May. They will feature new material and a special guest for each show.
For those of us that are starting to approach our retirement age, this is one of the funniest one-man comedy show you will ever see and hear. His opening act Wendy Liebman was so funny too! I would love to tell you some of her jokes, but you really need to be there to appreciate them and how she interacts with the audience. Great job on getting us ready for more laughs to come with Fritz Coleman.
Fritz Coleman walks on to the stage and the audience immediately applauses, shouts and whistling takes place. Fritz has a wonderful voice as most of the audience and readers here has heard him doing the weather all those years on NBC News. Just think of that voice and add some comedy that leads to a show you can’t miss. Fritz’ body language and hand gestures just make the jokes even funnier. Life is awesome every day we have in this world, so why not go out to El Portal Theatre to hear Fritz tell you all about what he has been going through as he gets older, I guarantee you can relate. Get your tickets NOW!
The theatre is not far off the 134 freeway and is so worth the drive from where ever you might be traveling from. We drove out from Rancho Cucamonga right off the 210 and it was a straight shot to the 134 and exit Lankershim Blvd.
Fritz had many, all but true facts about getting older and I especially love the ones about his kids and grandkids. I could relate 100% to all that he had to say and as a 63-year mother and grandmother of three. Do yourself a favor and get your ticket now for this comedy show and make it a weekend get away with lunch before the show or dinner afterwards. Parking can be found all around the theatre on the street for free on Sundays and this Sunday there was a vegan street faire with delicious food and music. A few restaurants across the street from the theatre.
Here are the upcoming dates:
Sunday, February 25 @ 3 pm
Sunday, March 24 @ 3 pm
Sunday, April 28th 3 pm
Sunday, May 26th @ 3 pm.
Monroe Forum at El Portal Theatre.
Click HERE to order your tickets now.
The Hollywood Times had the opportunity to speak with Fritz about the “Unassisted Residency” shows back in November 2023.
Enjoy our conversation:
As a young-ish 70-something who has dealt with aging in the time of Obamacare, big pharma and the pandemic, Coleman was actually eager to get back to a “regular” comedy routine after two years of pandemic-era entertainment.
He continued to co-host the Media Path Podcast with Louise Palanker, trading observations on pop culture with a variety of guests from Pat Boone to Henry Winkler to Congressman Adam Schiff, but was eager to get back to performing comedy in front of an audience, even as nightclubs were still closed. Fortunately, his age and peer demographic started working for him. “Most baby boomers don’t really go to comedy clubs anymore, but I started to get invited to speak at a lot of lunches and dinners as Covid wound down. That gave me a chance to really work on some material in front of good audiences, so it’s been almost two years’ worth of developing this show.”
Coleman and his production team on “Unassisted Living” also took advantage of a Covid-era bingeing – in this case, the acclaimed HBO series “Hacks” – for inspiration. Delighted by the episode where Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) “revives” her tired act in a small nightclub, they sought out the same venue (“The Marilyn Monroe Forum” room at the El Portal Theatre) as a location. “It was a great cabaret-style setting, about 80 people, and we staged it the same way, lit it the same way, because it was perfect for the act.”
In an hour-long routine about dealing with aging in the era of social distancing and social media, Coleman delights in serving his loyal demographic in their current frame of mind. It’s the same generation of comedy fans who grew up with the hilarious extended riffs of George Carlin, Robert Klein, and Richard Pryor – but Coleman delivers with a gentler touch developed over years of working on local television news. “Because of the way it was when I was on TV in the 70s and 80s, I’ve always worked very clean,” says Coleman. “You had to have a squeaky clean act to get on ‘The Tonight Show.’ That’s perfect for my audience because they don’t want to be assaulted by comedy, or feel uncomfortable with it.”
Still delighting his fans and sharing his stories after over forty years, Fritz Coleman proves all over again how he’ll be getting by – somehow – just fine.
https://fritzcolemancomedy.com/index.html
https://twitter.com/theFritzColeman
