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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

HBO Comedy Half-Hour

Judy Gold

HBO · 1995 · 28 min

A fast-paced half-hour of family neuroses and domestic exasperation.

Judy Gold takes the stage at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium leaning hard into the mechanics of guilt, family dynamics, and the reality of being a six-foot-three Jewish woman in the mid-1990s. At a time when she was co-starring on the sitcom All-American Girl, Gold uses this half-hour to cement the hyper-observational persona that would serve as the foundation of her act for decades.

Taped in June 1995 as part of an HBO showcase hosted by Alex Bennett, the set leans away from the broader political commentary she would adopt later in her career and focuses squarely on the domestic. Gold’s delivery is manic, presenting every minor familial interaction as a crisis that requires immediate attention. It is a time capsule of a comic locking in her voice — turning her mother’s neuroses and her own physical presence into a sturdy, dependable act.

The set list

2 bits

  1. Answering-machine messages from her mother

    Recounting and imitating her mother's distinct answering machine sign-offs ('...so long.')

  2. Lip-synching 'And I Am Telling You'

    A theatrical, tour-de-force lip-sync finale routine to the musical showstopper.

How it plays

Tone
Acerbic, offbeat, brassy, and unapologetic.
On stage
Unapologetically big, brassy, loud, and spontaneous, using her 6'3" physical presence, acerbic wit, and an offbeat edge without softening herself for the audience.
Pace
High-energy and wildly spontaneous, taking every opportunity to holler, honk, and command the stage.
About
Mother-daughter relationships, Physical presence and height

What the critics said

Praised retrospectively as an exhilarating stand-up performance, spotlighting Gold's big, brassy comedic delivery and memorable routines.

In the room: Kept off-center by Gold's acerbic wit, wild spontaneity, and imposing stage presence.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: themoviedb.org, azmovies.net, medialib.net, decider.com, thecouchcritic.com, en.wikipedia.org, thecreativecoalition.org, tvinsider.com.

Backstory

Part of HBO's signature 1990s 'HBO Comedy Half-Hour' series spotlighting prominent stand-up comedians.

Details

Released
Runtime
28 min
Where
HBO
Director
Keith Truesdell
Honors
CableACE Award
Topics
After
Comedy Central Presents (2000)

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