Jimmy Tingle: Humor and Hope for Humanity

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[avatar user=”Brett Singer” size=”96″ align=”left”] Brett Singer, Critic[/avatar]

Comedian Jimmy Tingle made his off-Broadway debut at the old American Place Theatre in Jimmy Tingle’s Uncommon Sense in 1994. He had been known primarily as a standup comic but decided he wanted to branch out, do longer bits that were more political and didn’t require the rapid-fire punchlines you find in comedy clubs. Thirty years later, he’s still at it, and still going strong.

The show, Jimmy Tingle: Humor and Hope for Humanity, goes in chronological order of Tingle’s life and career, beginning with his days as a street performer in Harvard Square (he’s from Boston). He plays harmonica and delivers quick jokes like, “I just got back from Europe. What a country!” adding “The nice thing about performing in Harvard Square is you actually get that joke.” Then he gets away from punchlines and tells us about how he came to be where he is now, the intimate Huron Room at the SoHo Playhouse. There is a bar open before the performance begins, and most patrons had a drink or two before settling in to enjoy Tingle’s musings.

The basic set is two stools and a flat screen TV on which Tingle plays various videos, including clips of himself as a commentator on 60 Minutes II and part of his commencement speech at Harvard when he went back to school to get his Master’s Degree in Public Administration. No designers or director are credited but the show flows smoothly and looks great. He also shows his Tonight Show with Johnny Carson appearance, which boosted his career immensely.

Watching Jimmy Tingle is like encountering a fascinating guy at a bar :  you listen, you’re engaged, you’re just enjoying the ride. Tingle has been at it a long time, and he has stories to tell as well as political takes on events past and present. In his 60 Minutes II segment, he discusses the possibility of a presidential candidate Donald Trump, sounding prescient since this is many years before it actually happened.

As for Trump, Tingle doesn’t go off on him the way you might expect. He does say that he likes Joe Biden, “because he makes me feel young” and also paraphrases the current President as saying, “don’t compare me to the Almighty. Compare me to the alternative.” He’s also very fair politically, saying that he doesn’t care what side of the aisle you’re on, as long as you get involved.

If you’re looking for a pleasant evening of comedy and thoughtful anecdotes, look no further than Jimmy Tingle: Humor and Hope for Humanity.

Jimmy Tingle: Humor and Hope for Humanity (through June 2, 2024)

Huron Room of the SoHo Playhouse, 15 Vandam Street, in Manhattan

For tickets, visit http://www.sohoplayhouse.com/upcoming-events/jimmy-tingle

Running time: 80 minutes without an intermission