Jackie Mason is 'Ready to Rumble'

Jackie Mason is a force to be reckoned with. The tireless comedian/entertainer is never at a loss for words and always ready to share his frank observations on topics of the day.
As Mason likes to say, “If it’s in the news, it’s in my show.”
And indeed it is. Best known for his political satire, observational comedy specifically covering American politics, international relations, current events, race relations and Jewish culture, Mason covers a lot of ground — and still has plenty more to say.
Born in Sheboygan, Wis. in 1931, Mason has come a long way from his Lower East Side upbringing in Manhattan, surrounded by rabbis. His father, grandfather, great grandfather, and great, great-grandfather were all rabbis, as are his three brothers. It’s no surprise that at age 25, Jackie Mason was ordained a rabbi.
Three years later, he quit his job in a synagogue to become a comedian because, as he says, “Somebody in the family had to make a living.”
From humble comic beginnings in New York, the Borscht Belt, and comedy clubs around the country, Mason rose to be one the hottest comics in America in the early 1960s. He reached the apex of American entertainment when he became a regular performer on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” only to fall into Sullivan’s disfavor over the interpretation of a now legendary hand gesture during a live performance in 1962. That an incident cast a shadow over Mason’s career for more than a decade.
Mason first emerged from that shadow in Los Angeles, where his one-man show, “The World According to Me,” originated in 1984 to wide acclaim. Yet the great triumph was his return to New York and his success as a one-man show on the Great White Way.
“The World According to Me” began its unprecedented two and a half year run on Broadway began in December 1986 winning triumphant reviews and reestablishing Mason as one of the nation’s premier comics. The show earned him a Tony Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, an Ace Award, an Emmy Award, and a Grammy nomination, and it toured successfully in America and Europe for two years.
Mason returned to Broadway in 1990 with “Jackie Mason: Brand New,” which was followed by a series of shows through 2008. Along the way he garnered consistent commercial success and collected an impressive array of nominations and awards including an Emmy and an Ace award for the HBO special, “Jackie Mason on Broadway.” His last show “Fearless” played for sell-out crowds at the Wyndhams’ Theatre in London’s West End.
As if that is not enough, over the years, Mason has appeared in a variety of films and television shows, most notably “Caddyshack II,” which won him a new, younger, hipper urban following and the TV sitcom, “Chicken Soup,” which taught him that he’s only happy when he’s performing his own material.
He combines his pungent political satire and observations on the foibles of life that always resonates with audiences.
The Herald caught up with Mason prior to his appearance at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury on Saturday.

Why did you decide to do another tour? And what keeps you going?
Cash. A lot of cash.

Do you think you’ll ever get to the point where you say I’ve had enough and I’m ready to call it a career?
No, I am too big of an egomaniac to ever quit performing. While I have no interest in doing long runs on Broadway, I will always do one nighters and short dates.

How is Ready to Rumble different from your previous shows?
All of my shows are different. While I always give my classic material, which I know they [audiences] love, 80 percent is new material. Being that this is a political year, there is so much to talk about. Just on Trump alone I can do about a half hour.

What can people expect from this show?
Side splitting comedy.

How have your audiences changed over the years?
I started out with 100 percent Jews, now I have 80 percent gentiles.

How would describe your ideal audience?
Gentiles from the Midwest. They really are the greatest audiences I have ever performed to, because they are appreciative no matter what I say. When I perform for Jews, every Jew has a complaint, a problem, an idea, a thought, they can write it better.

Do you think of yourself as a primarily Jewish comedian?
No, I am a comedian that is very Jewish.