Tommy Koenig’s Baby Boom Baby comes to Owego

National Lampoon veteran, comedian, author, songwriter and voice-actor Tommy Koenig showed up in Owego late last month for three week run of his hit show, Baby Boom Baby, at the Ti-Ahwaga Community Performing Arts Center. The musical comedy production runs through July 9th. I caught up with Koenig recently to talk a bit about it:

In the recent production of Baby Boom Baby in Buffalo, you played over 30 different characters. What's it like playing all those parts on stage, solo?

I don't know. I have to ask myself - about 30 times! Actually, you know, it's great being up in Buffalo. Did you know the Beach Boys wrote a song about Buffalo?

(sings)

Oswego, Oswego, baby, why don't we go

Niagara, Batavia, on our best behavior

Cheektowaga, Tonowanda, baby, Lackwanna

Go to Buffalo!

When summer ends, they start shoveling snow

There, I can't feel my toes

Way up in Buffalo!

Hmm, never heard that particular Beach Boys tune before. Must be a promotional single or something!

Well, you watch my show, you'll hear a lot of songs you think you've heard before, changed a little bit! That's what I do in my show - I change around quite a few lyrics to some famous songs and create quite a stir.

I see. So, that's what Baby Boom Baby is.

Well, it's basically the history of a baby boomer told through the eyes of me and all the musical and pop culture influences along the way that we all had to deal with and try to relate to or emulate. It's hilarious to pack 70 years into one 90-minute show!

You became a professor at Brooklyn College shortly after graduating yourself. You actually taught the actor Jimmy Smits (from LA Law) while you were working toward your Masters in Theatre. What was that like?

Well, Jimmy Smits - for those of your readers who aren’t familiar with him - is a very tall, handsome gentleman. When I taught him, he was a little, fat bald kid who couldn't act... I'm just kidding! It was wonderful seeing him grow, but more incredible to see him take off and have an incredible show business career. That's every teacher's dream, you know, to have somebody succeed beyond their own self!

I'm an old National Lampoon fan from way back. How did you come to write for that magazine?

Well, I was in one of their sketch shows, which was called If We're Late, Start Without Us. And then I was in another sketch show that they did. These were two that they did off-Broadway and took on tour. The other one was called Class of '86, and by being a cast member, I wrote many of the pieces in the show. And then they invited me to write some articles in the magazine. I also appeared as an actor in some of the visual sketches that they had. And so, that's really how it all started.

You’ve said you met George Carlin when you were a kid. Please tell us about that.

George Carlin was an idol of mine before he became a counterculture hero. But when he did, I went - and I recount this in [my] show - I had the courage to ask a girl out on a date to go see him, and I snuck backstage and asked George for his advice. I'm not going to tell you what he said. I think people have to come see the show to hear what George Carlin actually said to a young, budding comedian that led me on my way! But it was his influence and his style that I most emulated and admired.

What's the one thing George Carlin taught you that you still use to this day?

Oh, I don't know if it was just one thing, to tell you the truth. The guy was so incredible. I think it's just full commitment. Commit to everything you're doing on that stage with all your heart and soul, and really stand by what you have to say. It's sometimes not just jokes; you're not up there just telling jokes, especially with a guy like him. You're expressing a lot of feelings that are inside people that are political, socio-economic. All these things that he touched on I found really brave. So I think that bravery is one of the biggest things I learned from George Carlin.

You're pretty versatile. Your acting credits include parts in Miami Vice, voiceovers in cartoon series like Scooby-Doo, and even voice work for the video game Grand Theft Auto, San Andreas.

Yes, I've done a lot of voiceover work. When you're a character guy like me who does impressions and characters, it's a natural to be involved in the voiceover world. I like the idea of showing up in different places, whether it's my voice or my acting, and people aren't quite sure that was me, and they're not sure if it was the same guy they heard in some other place. So, I like the idea of being kind of a chameleon!

You were one of the original emcees on what eventually became Comedy Central. How did you land that gig?

Well, if you recall, there was something called the Comedy Channel which was produced by HBO. There was another channel which was competing at the same time called HA!, which was produced by MTV. And eventually, they both merged, and became Comedy Central. And unfortunately, when they merged, they purged! They changed everything entirely, they started from scratch. But the good news is, if they didn't fire me, John Stewart would never have had a job, because he took over the show that I was hosting!

Your loss was his gain.

Exactly!

You're also a songwriter. You've written music for people, including P-Funk's Bernie Worrell, who just passed.

Well, my manager had a group called The Invasion Group that managed several different musical artists as well as myself, so I got to meet those musical artists through him. And one of them was Bernie Worrell, who was the keyboard player for Parliament and P-Funk before joining Talking Heads. We became friendly. He had his own solo album called Rock of Ages which was coming out, and he had people like Keith Richards and Bootsy Collins playing on it. He needed help with some songwriting, and he had a song in particular that needed a little bit of my comedic flair. So we co-wrote a song called Papa Chubby together.

I have written other music. There are original songs in Baby Boom Baby as well as parodies. So I've always been a bit of a songwriter, as well.

You've directed shows like Damn Yankees.

Well, I've directed throughout my career, as well as acted, and this was one of those where I was a counselor at a summer camp up near Poughkeepsie for a couple of years in ‘70s. And the first show that I chose to direct was one of my favorite musicals, Damn Yankees. And the second one was Li'l Abner. So those are the two musicals I directed.

My sister was involved in a production of Li'l Abner some years ago.

Ah, Sadie Hawkins Day!

Indeed!

The girls chase the guys! If only that were the case in real life!

Baby Boom Baby opened on June 23rd at Ti-Ahwaga Performing Arts Center, 42 Delphine Street in Owego, but don’t fret, there’s still a few chances to catch it live, on July 1st-2nd, and 7th-9th. Tickets and showtimes available at tiahwaga.com, or by calling (607) 687-2130. More info on Tommy Koenig is available at tommykoenig.ning.com.