Neil Innes has landed in America and will launch his pre-summer concert tour tomorrow night in New Jersey. The Seventh Python's one-man, multimedia jaunt into the Heartland all leads up to a slambang finale at the historic, hip Wilmette Theatre outside Chicago, where the musical satirist and very funny genius will take questions, talk and perform around a screening of The Seventh Python, the acclaimed, award-winning Innesmovie produced by our pals at Frozen Pictures.
The Wilmette Theatre, as these photos show, is gearing up for an all-star comedy audience on Tuesday, June 9th. The Q&A following the screening will include director Burt Kearns, producer Brett Hudson, Monty Python historian Kim Howard Johnson and, as moderator, comedy legend (SNL, Police Academy, Curb Your Enthusiasm) and local hero Tim Kazurinsky.
Tuesday, June 9th, 7 pm.
(Later that week, Neil lands in Hollywood, where he'll be appearing live Thursday, June 11th and Friday, June 12th at Martin Lewis' Secret Policeman's Film Festival at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre.)
Musical treasure and legendary satirist Neil Innes lands in America tomorrow to kick off a pre-summer tour that will be capped off with live appearances alongside some very special films: in Wilmette, Illinois for a command performance of The Seventh Python, the nonfiction musical comedy about his life and work from our pals at Frozen Pictures, and alongside Martin Lewis as the Mods & Rockers film program kicks off a monumental bicoastal festival dedicated to the The Secret Policeman's Ball concert film series.
"Off to USA tomorow," Innes twittered hours ago. He'll be landing in New York and opening his acclaimed one-man multimedia concert tour in New Jersey, before touching down June 9th at the historic Wilmette Theatre outside Chicago, where he'll perform live before an audience that includes Chicago's comedy elite after a showing of The Seventh Python.
Two days later, he'll be onstage at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard (where The Seventh Python had its world premiere last summer), with impresario and producer Martin Lewis to launch the film festival that will be showing the entire series of Amnesty International benefit concert films that began 30 years ago (the shows started out as comedy galas featuring popular British comedic performers and later expanded to include top rock stars, inspiring musicians like Bob Geldof, Bono, Sting and Peter Gabriel and events like Live Aid and Live 8):
Thursday June 11, 2009 - 9:30 pm The Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood
Opening Night Extravaganza! Three World Premieres in one night! Series star Neil Innes and series co-creator/co-producer Martin Lewis in-person
REMEMBER THE SECRET POLICEMAN'S BALL? (2004, 75 min) THE SECRET POLICEMAN ROCKS! (2009, 60 min) THE SECRET POLICEMAN'S RARE NUGGETS! (2009, 15 min) The Opening Night of the festival features no less than three premieres and an in-person appearance by Neil Innes (Monty Python and The Rutles) to share his memories of appearing in three of the first four Amnesty shows. There will be the World Theatrical Premiere of a superb documentary about the “Secret Policeman’s Ball” series – crammed full of vintage clips and contemporary recollections by the stars. This will be followed by the World Premiere of a new special celebrating 30 years of rock performances for Amnesty. And finally the World Premiere of some wacky outtakes and rarities from the Secret Policeman’s vaults. Given the wealth of Monty Python fans and Amnesty supporters in the entertainment community – the opening night audience is likely to be rather star-studded…
Friday June 12, 2009 - 7:30 pm The Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood
Double-bill of the first two shows before they had the "Ball" title Two US Premieres! Series star Neil Innes and co-creator/co-producer Martin Lewis in-person
PLEASURE AT HER MAJESTY'S (1976, 101 min) THE MERMAID FROLICS (1977, 52 min) THE SECRET POLICEMAN'S RARE NUGGETS! (2009, 15 min) The “Secret Policeman’s Ball” title was first used for the 1979 Amnesty show – but the seeds of the series were planted in 1976 and 1977 with these two pioneering shows organized by John Cleese. These shows subsequently became regarded as part of the “Secret Policeman’s” canon. “Pleasure At Her Majesty’s” is the film of the 1976 show “A Poke In The Eye (With A Sharp Stick)” which was to British comedy what George Harrison’s 1971 “Concert For Bangladesh” was to rock music. A gathering of the British comedic tribes. Never before screened uncut in the US. Includes the only-known documentary footage of the Monty Python troupe rehearsing. “The Mermaid Frolics” stage-directed by Monty Python’s Terry Jones has never been seen in the US in any form. Never on TV, VHS or DVD. This double-bill of rarities is a delight for fans of Monty Python, Beyond The Fringe and British comedy. Followed by a quickie nightcap of outtake treasures from the vaults. Expect to see familiar faces among the many aficionados of British comedy in the audience…
Here's the Innes itinerary:
Neil Innes US Tour
Saturday 5/30/09 The Record Collector 358 Farnsworth Ave Bordentown, NJ 08505 609-324-0880 (website)
Sunday 5/31/09 Rams Head Tavern Annapolis 33 West Street Annapolis, MD 21401 (410) 268-4545 (website)
Tuesday 6/2/09 8:00 PM B.B. King's Blues Club and Grill 237 W. 42nd St., New York, NY 10036 (website)
Wednesday, 6/3/09 Sellersville Theater 1894 24 W. Temple Ave. Sellersville, PA 215-257-5808 (website)
Thursday 6/4/09 The Bop Shop Atrium (formerly Bodhi's Cafe) 274 N. Goodman Rochester, NY 14607 (585) 271-3354 (website)
Friday 6/5/09 The Winchester 12112 Madison Avenue Lakewood/Cleveland OH 44107 (216) 226-5681 (website)
Saturday 6/6/09 7:00 PM The Abbey 342 W. Grace Chicago, IL 60618 (website)
Sun 6/7/09 8:00 PM Magic Bag 22920 Woodward Avenue Ferndale, MI 48220 (website)
Tues 6/9/09 Screening of Seventh Python Mini-concert & Q&A with Neil The Wilmette Theatre 1122 Central Ave. Wilmette, IL 60091 (847) 251-7424 (website)
Thurs 6/11 9:30 Friday 6/12 7:30 Secret Policeman's Ball Film Festival Grauman's Egyptian Theatre 6712 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028 (website)
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