The Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre continues to develop alternative programming for its Marquee Room and for that Mesa and all of Maricopa County should be most grateful. Currently packing the intimate Marquee Room is comedian Mark Cordes who has brought his work-in-progress, The Spouse Whisperer, to the East Valley. Cordes and The Spouse Whisperer will play Thursday through Saturday Evenings through September 25 and if you love to laugh then you should not miss this entertaining evening of scripted and improvisational humor.
The Examiner saw The Spouse Whisperer Saturday night and shared a laugh-filled 2 1/2 hours with a sold-out, wildly appreciative crowd. Mark Cordes entertains us with his very funny, acerbic observations on relationshps and how to make them work...or not. He is always warm and congenial and has a great comedic rapport with his audience.
The show starts in high gear with a filmed introduction of a horse race, a metaphorical look at life, hilariously narrated by Cordes, followed by an immensely funny, satiric BBC documentary, illustrating the, ahem, "inferiority" of women and how to keep them in their "proper" place. It's a great beginning and when Cordes makes his entrance the evening only gets better and better. Throughout the night, Cordes randomly fields pre-performance, written questions that the audience has submitted. His spontaneous responses are consistently priceless, sidesplitting observations.
Cordes informs us that 44% of marriages end in divorce and 56% end in death! Speaking of death and the confusion as to whether have an open or closed casket, Cordes muses, "I would have them put a foot peddle on it, like a wastebasket."
Regarding his marriage, he claims that he is in revenue creation and his wife is in disbursement! His wife coaxed him to have a man-to man talk with his two stepsons. What was his learned advice? He told them, "Sons, don't marry a woman with kids!" How can you resist?
Do you need more encouragement? Cordes says that at his age, "Sexual foreplay with my wife consists of us checking each other for lumps." He whimsically reminisces, "Sex used to be a bottle of wine and a CD and, sometimes, I had to replay that CD." He adds, "Now sex is a shot glass and a ring tone!"
At evening's end, Cordes gives out some fine and then some funny prizes to his audience. The greatest prize, of course, is having the opportunity to enjoy a complete evening of convivial mirth with a great comedian. Seriously, what are you waiting for?
Tickets to The Spouse Whisperer may be purchased online at the Broadway Palm Web Site, by phone at (480) 325-6700 or at the Box Office. Ticket Prices range from $15 to $20.
PLEASE NOTE: Recommended for mature audiences.
Performances are Thursday through Saturday Evenings in the Marquee Room: Doors open at 7:00 PM. Cocktails and Appetizers will be available for purchase. Show Time is 8:00 PM.
Next up in the Marquee Room is the return engagement of last Spring's smash hit drama Bill W. and Dr. Bob. Bill W. and Dr. Bob opens October 14 and will run through November 7. For background information on this great play, see The Examiner: Bill W. and Dr. Bob to open this week and its subsequent review. Please note that the cast may be different from those mentioned in the review.
Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre 5247 East Brown Road Mesa 85205
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