The Seventh Python movie and two-thirds of The Hudson Brothers combine for a historic evening at The Comedy Shrine

The Comedy Shrine in Naperville, Illinois was the center of the show business universe last night with a screening of The Seventh Python and a performance by its producer Brett Hudson and brother Mark Hudson in a special evening outside Chicago.

Frozen Pictures' acclaimed, award-winning film about Monty Python cohort Neil Innes made its fourth Chicago area appearance at the legendary comedy club and museum, while the Hudson brothers took time from their fan-flocked weekend at the Fest for Beatles Fans at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare.

The crowd of comedy and music fans gave a rousing reception to both segments of the evening. A delay in getting the Hudsons from the Beatlefest to the club was covered by a raffle and a Q&A by Seventh director Burt Kearns that began to reach its stretching point around the time he played the audience music from his iPhone to explain Frozen Pictures' new film about Chris Montez (which will be previewed at noon today at The Fest for Beatles Fans).


It was generally agreed that the Hudsons were hilarious, working off Mark Hudson's solo show material that was highlighted by his story of a Hudson Brothers song about Joni Mitchell whose trajectory to hit status was derailed by the line, "Joni, I want you to blow me..." The fact that the next phrase was "blow me a kiss..." didn't matter.


The Comedy Shrine, with its extensive comedy collection (just about every inch of the 4800 square-foot place is filled with comedy memorabilia), is one of the most unique attractions in all of America. Located in an upscale minimall in downtown Naperville, the pop culture treasure is the brainchild and labour of love of veteran comedian and Emmy winner Dave Sinker, a longtime friend of the Hudsons.

Dave Sinker in his Comedy Shrine

More on The Comedy Shrine to come...

Comedy vet stirred by Jerry Lewis display

Jerry Lewis fans the world over were taken aback and moved by his display of emotion and mortality at the close of the 2010 MDA Labor Day Telethon.

Among them is Dave Sinker, the Emmy-winning comedy writer, comedian, actor, Second City vet and genius behind the legendary, acclaimed Comedy Shrine outside Chicago.

Dave writes:

It has been so easy for people to belittle this man, to poke fun at him, and to trivialize his work. But for me, Labor Day means Jerry Lewis and this telethon. I remember watching it every year as a kid, glued to my tv set when my friends were outside trying to squeeze in one last ballgame in the last few hours of summer vacation before the start of the new school year.

I remember watching it on a black and white tv set.

A parade of real celebrities entertained me. These were television icons, real talent, not reality "talent."

I remember Sinatra reuniting Martin and Lewis. I remember Ed McMahon as his co-host predicting the final donation total. I remember the firefighters, the letter carriers and Seven Eleven executives handing over monster checks ... and my mom sending her usual twenty bucks. And always I recall the playful man-child Jerry with his greasy, jet black, slicked back hair. He never seemed to age.

I've missed the last few years or maybe it's been a decade. The years have flown by faster than those fleeting last hours of Labor Day when I was a kid; the final day of summer.

I caught a glimpse of the telethon this morning. Jerry looked old to me for the first time in my life. He looked every bit of his 84 years. The ten year old boy in me would have thought that by 2010 there would surely be a cure. I think the child in Jerry felt the same way this year. There was more sadness than exhaustion in his eyes at the end of this year's telecast; as he tried to get through the closing number.

It was poignant, it was real, and bitter sweet. Thanks for sharing this video.

The Seventh Python returns to Chicago!

Friday, August 14th, The Comedy Shrine
22 E. Chicago Avenue Naperville, Illinois 630.355.2844

So what is it with The Seventh Python and Chicago? The veddy-Anglocentric award-winning nonfiction feature about the veddy-British musical satirist, rock 'n' roll legend and Monty Python compatriot Neil Innes from our pals at Frozen Pictures returns to the Chicago area on Friday, August 14th, with a one-night-only screening and (two-thirds) Hudson Brothers performance at The Comedy Shrine.

The announcement is great news for comedy and Monty Python fans... but begs the question why, after entertaining audiences and winning standing ovations around the world-- from Perth, Australia to the New Jersey Meadowlands-- The Seventh Python keeps returning to the City of Big Shoulders in the American Heartland?

Since the film's premiere at the American Cinematheque's Mods & Rockers Film Festival in Hollywood, it's played at:

The Chicago Fest for Beatles Fans...

The Chicago International Movies & Music Festival...

The Wilmette Theatre...

and now..

The Comedy Shrine
22 E. Chicago Avenue
Naperville, Illinois
630.355.2844

So what's the secret to Chicago?


"The secret to Chicago is-- there is no secret," says Seventh Python director Burt Kearns. "Chicago is a comedy capital. They've got The Second City there, but also universities, where some of the finest comics and comedy writers were schooled. There are a lot of comedy legends in and around Chicago."

One of those legends is Dave Sinker. The longtime Hudson buddy, Emmy-winning writer and Second City veteran runs The Comedy Shrine, and came up with the idea of bringing back The Seventh Python for a return engagement.

The Friday evening show on Chicago Avenue in Naperville is set to begin with a screening of the hilarious film starring John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Aimee Mann, Matt Groening and many others, followed by a special performance by Brett and Mark Hudson (they'll arrive after they appear at The Fest for Beatles Fans at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare). Brett produced the film. Mark, the noted music producer and performer, was music supervisor.

Click here for tickets. Arrive early so you'll have some time to check out the extensive comedy memorabilia collection. They don't call it The Comedy Shrine for nothing.