Rick Cleveland: My Buddy Bill
I kind of blew my mind wondering if this is a preview or a review. But hey. Only a one-letter difference, right? Let's not dwell.
Last Friday, I attended the Comedy Central taping of My Buddy Bill, a monologue-type show written and performed by Rick Cleveland. And though I wasn't quite sure what to expect, I was pretty psyched to check it out. Rick has served as a writer/producer for both The West Wing and Six Feet Under–two of the smartest, most inspirational shows ever created imho, lol, rotflmao, etc.
My Buddy Bill covers Rick's unlikely friendship with Bill Clinton towards the end of his presidency, and involves a wide array of characters, including: Christopher Walken, Billy Bob Thornton, and of course, Ms. Hillary Rodham. And though Rick never seems overly comfortable on stage, it actually works to his advantage quite well, heightening the everyman-type quality with which he tells his story. Which is what really carries the whole thing in the first place: the story. Totally engaging, expertly written, and very, very funny. Kudos to the CC mothership for picking this up.
Keep an eye out for My Buddy Bill, airing sometime after the holidays.
Read:
* Variety's review of the theatrical production last year
* An interview with Rick on the Six Feet Under site
* A touching story about Rick's father, and the Emmy acceptance speech he never got to give
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