Just back from a chat with Martin Short, who will be headlining Saturday night’s Bishop’s Gala at the Hilton Anatole. Having survived last year’s featured celebrity, it was with anxiety that the opportunity to have a one-on-one with “Marty” was undertaken. Would he be Mr. Movie Star Attitude or “I’m-The-VIP” here? Those types always suck the oxygen out of the lungs of everyone in the room.
So not the case for Short. He walked in on time, greeted each person with a handshake and smile and could not have been more accommodating or pleasant. While some may have expected Ed Grimley or one of the Three Amigos, the group got an articulate professional who graciously made time for one and all.
When one person asked him about a certain “Saturday Night Live” character, he gracefully suggested that she was thinking of Dana Carvey in such a way that no embarrassment was felt.
When asked about the three comedians who influenced him, he answered without hesitation, “Jonathan Winters.” After a bit of prodding, he added Jerry Lewis and Mike Nichols.
If you have tickets to the event, you’re going to have a good time with a very nice gentleman. If you don’t, you can still try. There are a handful of tickets left and as Marty said, “It’s for a very good cause.”
Oh, and all you Notre Damers can ask Marty about his connections to ND.