Whenever I have the opportunity, I love to hang out with funny people – particularly funny gay people.  Last week I was having fun in the sun in Fort Lauderdale with funnymen Frank DeCaro and Jim Colucci.  I had to cut our time short to zip up to NYC and see Judy Gold off-Broadway in Yes, I Can Say That! at Primary Stages (closing April 16^th).  Comedians doing one-person theatrical shows can be a tricky venture.  Quite often, the conceit is basically a transplant of a stand-up set.  Not so with this show, cleverly staged by BD Wong and effortlessly (and breathlessly) performed by Gold.  Using her best-selling book of the same name as a jumping-off point, this is a cross between history lesson, confessional, and cautionary tale – with plenty of laughs.  If history has taught us anything, it’s that it can be repeated.  Judy draws a compelling line between the rise of Nazi Germany and today’s political climate.  She also reminds us that the most effective weapon against hate speech is more speech.  Whenever times are bleak, it is comedians that not only speak truth to power, but also provide us with the courage to face anything and everything.  Judy’s not only one of the funniest people I know – she’s one of the smartest.  Catch her whenever you can!

I’ll be sitting down with Judy Gold for a special episode of Billy Masters LIVE on Wednesday, April 12^th at 2:30PM Eastern.  Check us out on our YouTube channel, Billy Masters TV, or on BillyMasters.com/TV.