THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 6, 1996 TAG: 9611050046
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
LENGTH: 83 lines
SO, TELL US, Mark Russell, just how wooden is Vice President Al Gore?
``When he debated former quarterback Jack Kemp, Kemp thought Gore was a goalpost.''
Rimshot, please.
Russell, the man of a million one-liners, will appear at the Norfolk Forum Nov. 19, standing inside a ring of stars on the stage of Chrysler Hall. It will be just Russell and his piano.
Tonight from Washington, D.C., he'll launch his 22nd season as public broadcasting's ``equal opportunity annoyer'' when the ``Mark Russell Comedy Special'' airs on WHRO at 9.
Songs and satire.
His writers have been working overtime. Who are his writers?
``I have 535 writers. One hundred in the Senate and another 435 in the House of Representatives.''
Russell has been drawing on Congress and the White House for material to use on stage since 1958 when he was a lounge act at the Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. Now he's a TV heavyweight.
Russell will do six comedy specials for PBS this season - the next five from Buffalo, N.Y. - plus ``Mark Russell's 1996 Year-End Review'' on Dec. 27 while keeping up his touring schedule.
He made 21 public appearances last month alone. How long will he keep it up?
``Until I die or the audience does.''
TV Guide once said he was the funniest man on TV. Don't believe it, says Russell.
``The funniest guys on TV are the politicians you see on C-SPAN.''
The script for his special tonight was written by the millions of voters who went to the polls Tuesday. It didn't matter who won - ``I keep two sets of books,'' said Russell - but there was more Bill and Hillary material in his inventory than Bob Dole stuff.
Same deal with Congress.
With the Republicans in the majority, he does his act one way. With the Democrats in charge, he uses another script.
Russell expected to be sweating out the Tuesday vote right up to the last minute.
``I anticipate some scrambling before we go on the air,'' said Russell.
Remember. He's live tonight.
Three or four days ago, Russell didn't think much of Dole's chances. If Dole did, indeed, pull an upset it would be the ``single most surprising thing to happen in American politics ever,'' said Russell.
I guess Russell forgot Dewey vs. Truman in 1948.
Russell in Norfolk will perform as he does on PBS - solo on the stage, standing before a piano in that ring of stars, belting out song parodies in a deep baritone as he needles the politicians, spin doctors, Generation Xers and even British royalty.
``PBS put the stars there so that the audience wouldn't think I'm an anarchist,'' he said.
Why no piano bench?
``The Republicans cut public broadcasting's budget so much, I can't afford one.''
There's no piano bench, but Russell will have a full season on PBS.
``Me and Barney,'' said Russell.
In Norfolk, look for him to do bits about the Navy (he's an ex-Marine), Norfolk's ever-changing downtown, the upcoming Titanic exhibit at Nauticus and Virginia's politicians. When Sen. John Warner's camp rigged a TV commercial in which a photograph was doctored, it gave Russell 10 minutes of material for a recent appearance in Fredericks-burg.
``I don't believe it bothered Chuck Robb if John Warner's people put Mark Warner's head on his body in that ad. Robb and John Warner are friends.''
As the hour of his live show from Washington approached, Russell continued to believe the pollsters who said Bill Clinton would win, and prepared to do four more years of Bubba and Hillary material.
``I'm forever hearing from women who ask me to be tougher on Hillary. I thought women liked her.''
As for Elizabeth Dole, Russell said he observed that she was almost always at her husband's elbow, helping to steer him through the campaign.
``When he rambled on, she was there to discreetly whisper into his ear, `It's time to go home, dear.' ''
Russell's appearance in Norfolk is a sellout. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
Mark Russell
[Norfolk Forum, Nov. 19, Sold Out] by CNB