Northshore Center for the Performing Arts presents MY SON THE WAITER

Brad Zimmerman has had quite a few achievements – particularly in stand-up comedy. He started working with Joan Rivers in 2003, and has opened for various, famous comedians including Brad Garrett, Susie Essman, Gabe Kaplan, and even George Carlin. Zimmerman has toured the U.S. with his one-man show, and held a successful 15-month run Off-Broadway in New York.

However, My Son the Waiter, A Jewish Tragedy does not talk about his successes. Instead, Brad Zimmerman shares the story of his journey, and the struggle that he experienced keeps the audience laughing from start to finish.

My Son the Waiter, A Jewish Tragedy

Over the course of 90-minutes, Zimmerman traces his journey from childhood through his choice to move to New York, and the battles he had to face in order to make it in the arts. We go from Bunk 11 at sleepaway camp,, to Rollins College when he decided to start auditioning for theater, and later, when he had to overcome his fears in order to put his talent and comedy out there for the world to see.

The roller coaster of a journey is honest. It may be Zimmerman’s personal story, but most of us can relate. From self-confidence in one’s career to parental pressures for marriage, there is something with which anyone can find a connection.

Lovely Relationship with the Audience

For a one-man show, the second character is always the audience, and that can present a challenge. However, Zimmerman plays that relationship with ease, and keeps the audience with him over the course of his journey – though, he certainly challenges the audience at the same time, which only adds to the overall experience.

At the very beginning of his show, Zimmerman shares three jokes. He explains that because he does not have an opening act, he will have to warm up the audience himself. The audience eats them up, and the jokes only grew in length and humor. At the end of the third joke for this particular performance, one audience member in the back yelled, “That was a good one!” Zimmerman stopped everything, looked at the individual, and asked her to repeat. She yelled the compliment out again, and he said, completely straight-faced, “Oh, would you like to rate the rest of them too?” This interaction brilliantly set up the audience for the comedy-act that was about to unfold, and of course, everyone seemed to laugh in response, even the individual in question.