63. NL Show Touring Company, Ottawa Performance

November 18, 2003

Q: In about 1975 I caught a NL Touring show at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre as a lad of 15. I’m pretty sure it was before the beginning of SNL, and it had Belushi, Radner (they did an visciously physical sketch of “Rhoda Tyler Moore” as an effervescent blind Rhoda with Belushi as a torturous boyfriend), and possibly Chevy Chase… Also, there was a musical sketch about Patty Hearst (“It’s my fault, I’m a female fag”). Can you confirm who the castmembers were for this show? This has always haunted me.

A: According to Michael Simmons, who was involved in the show, it played in Ottowa in 1976 with the second company, which included Meatloaf and Ellen Foley. See the Comments below for more info.

Comments

I saw a NatLamp stage show at Univ. of Mass. in Amherst and at Clark Univ. in Worcester, Ma. I'm sorry I don't remember the exact date but it was early 70's. The two main stars I remember was Meatloaf and Ellen Foley and they did the Rhoda Tyler Moore sketch. In fact when Meatloaf's first LP came out I bought it on the strength of his performance in the NatLamp show.

—Bruce Meservey

December 9, 2003 12:41 pm

It was '74, not '75 and we never played Ottawa. Only Canadian dates were London and Toronto and one other college town in Ontario (but not Ottawa). I was company manager.

—Michael Simmons

February 21, 2004 1:06 am

Thanks, Michael. I wonder what show the guy saw in Ottawa...

—Mark

February 21, 2004 9:12 am

You were right about the cast members. Maybe YOU were the young lad I saw being hustled out of there by his parents during a wonderfully distasteful sketch about "toxic shock" syndrome. I thought the Ted Kennedy/Cappaquidik (sic) jokes were great too.

—Kent

June 4, 2004 1:23 pm

Mark and Michael, I certainly saw the show in Ottawa, and according to the National Arts Centre archivist, it was one show only on February 14, 1976. If Michael thinks it was 1974 maybe he wasn't company manager in '76. I dunno, go figure.

—Dennis

November 29, 2004 2:44 pm

My error, Dennis and Bruce. You saw the National Lampoon Show, 2nd company, with Meatloaf and Ellen Foley. I was company manager for the 1st company in 1974.

—Michael Simmons

March 25, 2005 7:54 pm

I saw the show in Redding, California's Civic Auditorium. I'm not sure of the year, but I'm guessing around '76, possibly '77. I remember laughing so hard that I left the auditorium with a stomach ache. I only vividly remember one cast member -- Richard Belzer. I saw him sometime later on TV and immediately recognized him from the stage show.

—Ray Garton

September 4, 2007 2:06 am

I saw a Natlamp Radio Hour Touring Show at My Father's Place, Old Roslyn, Long Island, NY. It was definitely pre-SNL.Probably '74? I definitely remember Belushi and pretty sure Gilda too. Anyone know who the other cast members might have been at these shows? As I recall it was a cast of maybe 10 or 12 performers. Of course, it was the '70's so who know what I remember! :)

—Kevin Casey

January 10, 2013 1:06 pm

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