Showing titles in Arts & Entertainment

A tragedy, a comedy, and a history all rolled into one, the story of the tyrannical Richard III ranks among Shakespeare's most popular plays. Opening with the famous "Now is the winter of our discontent" soliloquy, this masterful work follows its antihero as he plots to steal the throne of England, causing murder and mayhem all along the way. A full cast, including Robert Stephens and Dame Peggy Ashcroft, brings this devilishly entertaining work to life.

In this collection, Harley, one of today's most prolific and celebrated kid's performers, explores the troublesome and troublemaking times in our life (particularly between 4th grade and middle school). Hear him sing with his trademark hilarity "In the Back of the Bus" and perform "Bottlecaps" (about the confiscation of his world-class bottlecap collection) and "Mr. Anderson," who was Indiana State Bus Driver of the Year (an honor brought upon mostly because he had eyes in the back of his head).

Remember 6th grade, where the question, "Are you cool?" takes on cosmic proportions? Acclaimed storyteller Bill Harley revisits the excitement (or was it torture?) in these hilarious true (or at least real!) stories. His wacky tales capture the essence of what it feels like to be a kid, and will delight and engage children and parents alike.

These wacky, but true, stories from growing up are about trying to figure out how the adult world works, and about having fun no matter how old you are. In this collection, Bill Harley, one of the most prolific and celebrated storytellers of our time, performs "Grownups Are Strange" (and, yes, kids are too!).

In It's O.K. to be a White Male, Jeff Wayne asks the question, "How did the majority become the minority?" As he stomps through the minefield of "political correctness", his is the voice that heretofore has been silenced by the whimpering of gays, blacks, vegetarians, non-smokers, and Donahue devotees who have declared it "open season on my white ass". On the cutting-edge of controversy, Wayne's brand of comedy is never cruel, and always very, very funny.

Gaston Leroux's phenomenal novel, which inspired the hit Broadway musical, remains one of the most original suspense stories ever written. Erik, a brilliant but hideously disfigured musical genius, lives in the basement of Paris's National Academy of Music, where he haunts the opera crowd in his mask and fancy clothes. A haunting tale of obsession, a touching story about internal beauty, and a top-notch detective drama, The Phantom of the Opera is a remarkable novel, narrated to perfection by Henry Butler.

Margaret Cho has a way of disarming her audience, dismantling preconceptions, and delivering punchlines that sting with wit and veracity. She derives much of her material from her upbringing as a second generation Korean American in San Francisco.

Everybody knows an Aunt Edith - picky, disagreeable, animal-hating, who couldn't possibly ever have been a kid herself. Well, if you know that Tricky is Jack's escape-artist hamster, you can just imagine the fun in the story "Aunt Edith Meets Tricky." This is just one example of the potential for silliness loaded in this engaging collection, in which master storyteller and songster Bill Harley presents originals, as well as his own, unique takes on old favorites. Others include "Wacka Wacka Woo," "Soap Soap," "Is Not, Is Too," "Tara and the Magic Sack," and "Aiken Drum."

In Lunchroom Tales, Bill Harley and his band - the Troublemakers - return to the Delaware Trails Elementary School where Bill once roamed the halls as a student. They kick off their show with the song "Everyone's a Little Bit Different" - but soon, memories get the best of Bill, and he begins to recount adventures and disasters from his former days of glory (or was it torture?). Meet Mr. Hambleman, the custodian (not janitor!) and Mrs. Nottingham, the terrifying 3rd grade teacher (are teachers human, or are they a different species?), explore super cool places like the back of the bus, and enjoy Harley's engaging recreation - through song and story - of what it feels like to be a kid in school.

It's funny! It's clean! And it's quite possibly George Carlin's earliest recording. A must for die-hard fans.

Saturday Night Live veteran Ellen Cleghorne has appeared in such major films as Armageddon and The Perez Family. In this live performance, she reveals her true self in such bits as "Sights and Sounds of My Gym", "Pet Names", "The Time I Met Oprah", "Black TV", and "Aren't Kids Wonderful?"

Tucson native Pablo Francisco has a natural ability to create vividly funny living pictures that will have listeners in stitches. He brings forth authentic, off-the-wall sound effects and brilliant impressions. In this live performance, you'll hear grimly narrated action-movie previews, with Arnold Schwarzenegger as a tortilla vendor targeted by the mob, a hilarious spoofing of those intensely melodramatic Telemundo soap operas, and what Denny's would be like if the waiters were male exotic dancers.

Fasten your seatbelts! Here are four female comics with attitude: Andrea Abbate, a favorite guest on Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect, finds it fun to be insensitive on stage in a time when everyone is so concerned with being "politically correct". Felicia Michaels, a.k.a. "Pottymouth", a $100,000 winner on Star Search, has since been seen on just about every comedy show ever aired. She won the "Best Stand Up Comic, Female" award in 1999 from the American Comedy Awards. Sheila Kay could definitely not be described as demure, coquettish, or dainty. She could be described as overbearing, blunt, and bawdy. Carole, known as "The Ivory Girl with an Attitude", has been seen by millions who have enjoyed her stand-up routine in "Crazy Girls" at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. For Adults Only. Explicit language. Must be 18 years of age to purchase.

The Gay Comedy Jam is the first and only gay comedy national touring show that features all gay and lesbian performers. Breaking many barriers, their first show in Houston sold out weeks before the performance date, requiring that additional shows be added. Since then, the Gay Comedy Jam has appeared at over 200 mainstream venues, large and small.

She gained millions of fans with her campy character Rhonda on the television show USA Up All Night. Now she'll make you laugh as she shares her views on everything from her boyfriend holding the "clicker" and watching ESPN while making love, to a ménage a trois, to the gift women want most! She's been called the "Goddess of Puberty" and the "Campy Queen of the Night"; find out why in her hilarious, sexy audio debut.

Kate Clinton is America's premiere "fumerist" � that's shorthand for feminist and humorist. This hilarious performance includes political material as fresh as the daily news, savvy send-ups of modern family relationships, and illuminating perspectives on life as a gay American. There are no skeletons in this Clinton's closet! She has appeared on Comedy Central, Good Morning America, and Entertainment Tonight.

Steve is a man for today. He was born in Oklahoma in the 50s and grew up thinking that the world was a wonderful place. Just like the Cleavers, he thought that everyone in the whole USA was like the people in his neighborhood - honest, hard working, God-fearing people. Then he started traveling around the country. Boy, was he wrong!

A captivating storyteller, Dana Gould ricochets across the stage, taking the audience on a wild ride. He engulfs them in twisted stories about the intricacies of his peculiarly eventful life. Be it as mundane as a quest for fair auto insurance, or as bizarre as a trip to the hospital to get a live moth removed from inside his ear, Gould's act redefines the art of stand-up comedy.

Meet Marga Gomez: a Latina who can't do the Macarena; an out, proud lesbian willing to undergo a painful bikini wax so she can audition for Baywatch; and a comedian who defies preconceptions. This underground debutante has been featured on HBO, Showtime, and Comedy Central. She has performed all over the country, from Yankee Stadium to universities, concert halls - and even a bowling alley in El Paso.

Named 1998 Female Stand-Up Comic of the Year, Maryellen Hooper has been described as "if Lucille Ball and Dick Van Dyke had a baby girl". This performance was recorded live at The Ice House in Pasadena, California.