Have you heard of Cape May?
New Jersey?
Right. My wife and I would often go to Cape May. We liked the architecture and the atmosphere in general.
On one visit, in the evening, we went to a comedy club where we enjoyed the sketches put on by the team of Bobby Alto and Buddy Mantia.
At one point, they came out into the audience to pick a “volunteer” to take part in one of their sketches. And they picked me.
What did they want you to do?
They would whisper to me what to do. Part of it was to yell out my name at several points in the routine.
Why was that?
Not sure. But something interesting came of it. I’ll tell you about it later.
Okay.
So one of them put a red-headed wig on my head
and told me to sing like Shirley Temple.
And you did?
Yeah. I clowned around a little and, in my best falsetto voice, I sang “On the Good Ship Lollipop.”
How did that go over?
I guess it went okay. After the show I chatted with the two guys, and they autographed a videotape of theirs that I bought.
Any idea why they singled you out?
I wondered about that myself. Later I figured that, being an older guy, there was a better chance that I knew something about Shirley Temple.
It’s possible.
Now here’s the postscript to the story. While walking back to our hotel we heard someone call my name. I asked him, “Do I know you?” He replied “No.” But he had been at the same comedy club and had heard me shout my name during the sketch.
He recognized you from your performance.
Yep. And so ended my brief career as an amateur comedian.