All in the Multiethnic Family
David R. Cohen is the former Associate Editor of the Atlanta Jewish Times. He is originally from Marietta, GA and studied Journalism at the University of Tennessee.
Steve Solomon brings one-man comedy show to Atlanta
Steve Solomon is the star and creator of one of the longest-running one-man comedy shows in history.
“My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m in Therapy” has run more than 12 years and has been seen by nearly 1 million people. On Sept. 30, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native will bring the show to the Earl Smith Strand Theatre at Marietta Square.
The show shines a comedic light on Soloman’s upbringing in New York and covers his life and interactions with both sides of his family, Italian and Jewish.
In a phone interview, Solomon talked about his show, his comedic influences and his early years in Sheepshead Bay, N.Y.
AJT: Where have you been so far on tour, and where are you headed next?
Solomon: Next is, of course, Marietta at the Strand Theatre. I have a few local tours here, and my other actors are touring across the country. The heavy touring starts in September and October. Then I’m nonstop until March. The show is busy.
AJT: You say other actors; are there other people who perform your shows?
Solomon: I have four different shows. I’m doing the original one in Marietta, and I have three other actors. They work everywhere from South Africa to Canada and all over the United States. They all do at least two of my shows.
AJT: Tell me a little bit about your original show, “My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m in Therapy.” What can people expect?
Solomon: They can expect to have a good time. The show ran on Broadway for two years, and it’s a lot of fun. You don’t have to be Jewish or Italian to relate to it. Everybody can identify with something in the show. In the 12 years since we started, almost 1 million people have seen the show.
AJT: The show is based on your upbringing in Brooklyn, N.Y. Tell me about your background.
Solomon: I was born and raised in Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn amid a great ethnic diversity there of Italians and Jewish people. I was bar mitzvahed. Half my cousins beat me up because my mother was Italian; the other half beat me up because my father was Jewish. It was a wonderful environment. The story is everything from Day 1 to why I’m in therapy.
AJT: You tour all over the United States. Do you find that your jokes translate better in certain places?
Soloman: The stories relate to everyone. Part of the reason it translates well is just the shock of the characters. All of the sudden you hear these voices coming out, and I become my 3-year-old granddaughter, or I become my son, or I become both of my grandparents, and that’s part of the big laugh of the show. The biggest joy I have is when people are walking out of the theater holding their sides saying, “That was my uncle” or “That was my father.” I think that’s why the show has been successful.
AJT: Who are some of your comedic influences?
Solomon: No question, Jonathan Winters and George Carlin. I opened for him a couple of times, and he was just incredible.
AJT: What else can you say about your show?
Solomon: People are going to have a great time. They’re going to love the show. I’ve been touring for 12 years without one letter of complaint. I should also mention that it’s deliciously politically incorrect. So if you want a little playful political incorrectness and a little insight into what my life is about, come to the show.
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Who: Steve Solomon
What: “My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m in Therapy”
Where: Earl Smith Strand Theatre, 117 N. Park Square, Marietta
When: Sept. 30 to Oct. 18
Tickets: $30 to $45; earlsmithstrand.org
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