Children of public broadcasting know Steve Smith as Red Green, the king of duct tape inventiveness. His Canadian program held its place on the dial for 300 episodes, inviting all who tuned in to receive Smith's folksy dispatches from Possum Lodge, a quirky men's club resting just beyond the periphery of fictional Port Asbestos, Ontario.
When the program finally closed and Red Green created his last duct tape contraption, the man behind the famous plaid shirt hung up his suspenders and happily entered retirement. But like all plans in life, his would face inevitable disruption: it seems the world's inhabitants weren't ready to part ways with their backwoods fix-it man neighbor. He was offered and accepted a book deal. Then he learned something important: book tours are boring. In order to shake things up and promote the publication's release, he wrote a one-man performance piece and toured it everywhere to sold-out audiences. He donated the ticket sales back to PBS. "They were very good to me and I wanted to give back," explained Smith in interview.
He wound up loving the experience, so tonight Red Green returns to Lakewood Theater for his one-night-only show The Red Green Wit and Wisdom Comedy Tour. "There are so many positives for me," said Smith regarding the one-man resurgence, "I get along with everyone in the cast, and anyone who's even the slightest bit ambivalent about me is not there!"
Those attending tonight's Red Green performance should expect an evening of conversation, along with handyman tips, like "never guess between electricity and where it wants to go," renegade project ideas, and "about 400 punchlines, a couple of which are actually quite funny," assured Smith. Also, it'll be a clean night; Red Green doesn't go blue. "I don't want to be lectured to or cursed at, and I'm not particularly angry, which has probably held me back" he laughed.
He won't turn a close dryer into a popcorn machine this evening, but Red Green will enlighten you with a hearty dose of folksy wisdom and leave you feeling uplifted about your station in life. Get a gander at the man behind the duct tape tonight at 7 p.m.; there are still tickets available and they run $45.50. Get 'em here.
