Don’t ‘Wait Wait,’ get your tickets now
By Gretchen Ammerman
Oregon Coast TODAY
I could hardly wait to interview Alonzo Bodden, one of the long-time hosts of NPR quiz show “Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!” who will headline Chinook Winds Casino Resort’s Comedy on the Coast this Friday and Saturday, July 10 and 11.
“The first time I did ‘Wait Wait’ I had never heard of the show,” he said. “But I figured I only had to be funnier than Tom Bodett.”
Bodden became a household name as the winner of NBC's "Last Comic Standing." His other television credits include appearances on "Ghosts," "Fresh Off the Boat" and "Californication." On the big screen, he has been featured in "Bringing Down the House," "Scary Movie 4" and "The Onion Movie."
I asked him what it was like to appear in “Ghosts,” another show I enjoy.
“I played a cheesy ’90s-era comic and I didn’t even go out for it, they called me,” he said. “I was like, ‘hmm…I should probably try not to read into that…’”
A passionate car and motorcycle enthusiast, Bodden hosted Speed Channel's "101 Cars You Must Drive" and frequently joins Jay Leno on "Leno's Garage."
“Jay’s one of the most low-key rich people I’ve ever met,” Bodden said. “We get along great. He will often call me when he finds a weird motorcycle.”
When asked for an example of a “weird” motorcycle, Bodden told me about one that had a BBQ grill as a side car.
“We rolled around on it and stopped and made burgers,” Bodden said. “It was pretty funny seeing people’s reactions.”
Bodden recently wrapped up a limited-engagement run with Cirque du Soleil's Mad Apple in Las Vegas; warmed up the Kia Forum crowd at Netflix's “The Roast of Kevin Hart” in Inglewood; and taped a comedy-jazz fusion stand-up special with Grammy-winning bassist Christian McBride in Montreal.
Though his travels make him miss his 174-pound Great Dane, Hulk, Bodden is looking forward to returning to Lincoln City.
“We’re going to have fun, but the show is definitely going to be topical,” he said. “With what’s going on these days, I could be rewriting the show as I’m walking to the stage.”
Opening the show will be Josh Novey, who has appeared on Netflix and Comedy Central and has Two Dry Bar Comedy Specials, and Lynette Manning, a comedian based out of Olympia Washington who was recently featured in Forbes Magazine’s “12 Rising AAPI Stand-Up Comedians To Watch.”
Friday and Saturday’s shows are at 8 pm at Chinook Winds Casino Resort, located 1777 NW 44th Street in Lincoln City. Tickets are $15. For more information, go to chinookwindscasino.com or call 888-624-6228.