By Caroline Dobuzinskis
Ottawa is an excellent cultivator of performing arts, but takes itself too seriously.
Stand-up comics have very few venues in downtown Ottawa. Aside from a Yuk Yuk’s on Albert Street, there is Parliament Hill (always good for a few laughs).
Admittedly, the National Arts Centre welcomes comedy or variety shows to its stages. The Just For Laughs Comedy Tour, taking off from Montreal, recently made a stop there on their cross-Canada joke fest.
On any given Saturday night there are usually an array of theatre performances at several venues, a ballet or opera at the National Arts Centre, and some live rock shows at local clubs and bars, but very few comedy acts.
According to Howard Wagman, manager at Yuk Yuk’s in Ottawa, more comedy venues would not attract more comedy aficionados. Last year Yuk Yuk’s tried to open another location in Kanata, but it didn’t last.
“Comedy is something that people do occasionally,” said Wagman. “You wouldn’t go to a hockey game or a circus every week because it would get boring.”
Nonetheless, in other major Canadian cities, comedy venues are not as scarce. Vancouver and Montreal have their own comedy fests. Toronto has the renowned Second City (which has featured big names like Jerry Stiller and Martin Short) and a host of other venues.
So what’s the deal? Ottawa is a funny place. The city itself is a political circus, with its cast of bouncing boondoggles and hoop jumpers.
And its been home to funny people. The notorious Tom Green, Dan Akroyd and Jessica Holmes (who now has her own show on CTV) are all from the city with the longest ice rink in the world. But sadly, they have to go somewhere else to make it.
Maybe it’s the long winters. If people are going to lace on their boots, shovel their driveways and scrape ice off the windshields of their all-wheel drive vehicles to venture out into the cultural scene, they don’t want to watch a comedian bomb on a lonely stage. A better bet might be another Oscar Wilde play.
On the other hand, Ottawa audiences tend to be very receptive to risky outside-of-the-mainstream dance and theatre. The popularity of the very contemporary dance company, LeGroupe Dance Lab is a case in point.
Maybe people in this city just need to learn to laugh at themselves.
The other day, I was cruising down Elgin Street in the peoples’ Cadillac (also known as the number 14 bus), when it got stuck on the sidewalk.
This overloaded bus was not moving and the bus driver yelled a meek “I am stuck!” from the front.
The situation was far from hopeless, but no one seemed to have a light take on it. Everyone just stared blankly. A few people got off to ease the load. But no one laughed. No one even spoke.