LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Will Durst to Headline "Live at the Orinda" March 2nd


Will Durst - PointTaken Photo Junior Hansen Jr.

Schizophrenically described as "a modern day Will Rogers" by The Boston Globe and as "The Dark Prince of Doubt" by The Washington Post, political satirist Will Durst is, in fact, a nice guy.

Bugs Bunny is one of his heroes. Always "the object of someone's mayhem or bedlam," says Durst, Bugs "never instigated an altercation. Not once." But he didn't back down, either.

Durst, a baby boomer "forged in the crucible of the Vietnam War," has been doing stand up since 1974 and earning a living at it since 1981. Like many Americans, he grew up watching Carson, and says that his whole family made each other laugh.

"Humor was a currency around the dining room table."

The five-time Emmy and seven-time Stand-Up of the Year nominee has appeared on venues as diverse as the Fox Network, Showtime, Letterman, and the BBC. Durst has also received accolades for a solo, off-Broadway show, "The All American Sport of Bipartisan Bashing."

Currently, he's hard at work mining the humor gold of the current election cycle in "Elect to Laugh! With Will Durst & Friends," his popular show at The Marsh in San Francisco, and also performs for corporate and professional association events.

"You cannot believe how lush and rich a tropical forest," he says of the Republican primaries, as well as the Obama years. The show has remained fresh and topical as candidates and hot-button issues have continued to rise and flame out one state after another.

"The way it's lining up," he cautiously predicts of the Republican primaries, "it could well go to the convention."

Durst is also somewhat of a golf god. He was invited back to blog for the Master's for a fourth year by Augusta National while being interviewed for this article.

All of this is very good news for Bay Area residents who need a laugh break. Durst will be headlining the Orinda Chamber of Commerce's third annual "Live at the Orinda" comedy night on March 2nd.

The event will be held at the Orinda Theatre, and will raise funds to support local non-profit organizations, as well as Chamber programs, and promises to "be one of the best," says the event's originator and Chamber Director, Rick Kattenburg. Co-collaborators include Tommy T's Comedy Clubs and The Lamorinda Film & Entertainment Foundation.

Comedians Kabir Singh (Kabeezy), Dan St. Paul, and Johnny Steele will also perform and, for the first time, there will be live music, along with a reception featuring full no-host bars, beginning at 6:45 p.m. Master of Ceremonies Michael Fender will also lend his voice, presenting music from Sinatra to Lady GaGa. Tickets are $35 in advance (ages 17 and older) or $40 at the door (if available). See the Orinda Chamber of Commerce web site for more details: www.orindachamber.org.