Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Host Elva told the ladies that Coca-Cola bottle shape is still in style, even the one and two-litre types. - Photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Saturday night's USA-Jamaica Comedy Connection fell short in many regards, but where it was good the laughter flowed copiously at Backyaad, Constant Spring Road, St Andrew.

The most striking shortcoming was the audience, a sea of empty white chairs extending behind those who clustered mainly in the front (headliner Michael Blackson suggested in his graphic way that it was not a case of too few people but too many seats). And Blackson was the only performer after the overlong intermission, slated performers Apache Chief and Sarge not performing.

Ironically, part of the shortcoming was the length. The Comedy Connection started a hour and a half past the slated 7:00 p.m. and the near three-quarter intermission after only one comedic performer, Dwight Samuels, did not help. And when Blackson indicated the stage area behind him with a sweep of his right hand and asked if it was finished being built, there was a gust of laughter.

Microphone glitches

Occasional microphone glitches, especially in the early stages of the production, did not help either.

However, the Comedy Connection served up 'extras' on the laughter, not only in the sense that host Elva was a riot in discussing her 'rooster bully' ways, daggering and all, and was a performer all by herself, but also there was poetry from Emperor and fashion by Biggy.

Emperor, who opened the show, had the audience's attention with his quiet, unaccompanied delivery of short poems, where the emphasis was on content and not theatrics. "If comedy is medicine, then poetry must be at least food," he said before he started after 'Mission Impossible', as the audience chuckled, he commented, "You see poetry can be funny". 'Wildflower' and 'A Party for the Broken-Hearted' came before, he said, "poetry is food, but sometimes it is sweet and sometimes it is bitter. So I'm going to leave you with the bitter." With that, he closed with 'Reality' to an appreciative audience.

Biggy's collection

Among Biggy's fashion, presented by a trio of female models, was a brown bustier style top and a low on the hips long skirt, connected by a strip of blue denim running from the neckline to the hemline.

Samuels hit the ground at a good pace, saying that a man's phone rang with the music "are you coming over tonight, I'm feeling lonely" and then he answered "yes mi dupes".

Samuels named a few terrorist politicians in Jamaica, including Bin Shootin', Bin Lyin' and Bin Tiefin' and named seven types of sex that Jamaicans practice, ending with Courtroom Sex.

Samuels was on a roll, dismissing women's requests for an hour or more of performance with "either you come when me come or you wait 'till me come back".

Samuels closed strong with his son refusing to drink out of a bottle because his teacher said "the brave soldiers of the JDF fought in may battles".

After the long intermission, Elva warmed up the audience with extensive commentary on deejays concentrating on homosexual and ignoring the women. Then Blackson was on, his Ghanaian heritage showing in his attire and his American experience showing in his copious and consistent use of the 'b' word and other curse words.

The audience was not offended and Blackson got big laughter from the small turnout, saying that he was having sex with a woman and, when she asked him to tell her something dirty, he said "your kitchen".

Skin deep

A lot of his performance was spent on matters of colour and size, Blackson saying that when he went to America he was called every African name imaginable, including Kunta Kente and Shaka Zulu. In addition, he was given every possible description of black, including 11:59 p.m. "You know how dark that is? Why you can't call me 12:01?" he pleaded to laughter.

And there was laughter when he said "when I went to America, I thought all fat people were rich".

He said American sports teams should be named after the outstanding characteristics of their home cities. So there would be the New York Crackheads, the Jersey Carjackers and the DC Snipers. There was a final laugh when he said that a pitbull from San Francisco gave a high-pitched 'hmmmm' instead of the expected deep bark.

In the end, the USA-Jamaica Comedy Connection was as Elva said at the beginning: "We are small in number, but we can still create a vibe".

BET Comic View comedian Michael Blackson shows the audience at Comedy Connection a photo album with 'pictures' of his family.