SUN TIMES February 25, 2015 9 INSIDE THE ARTS Ron James putting the Pedal to the Metal


Tour brings veteran comedian to Yates Theatre Feb. 28


Richard Amery For the Sun Times


T


oronto-based, Cape Breton-raised comedian Ron James is excited to be back doing what he does best — making people laugh — after


taking some well-deserved time off. “I’ve been checking things off my bucket


list,” said James, who just returned from three weeks off visiting his daughter as well as hiking in Chile. “I went on a 130-mile hike. I was the


only Canadian surrounded by American Republicans,” he quipped. He has had a busy couple of years. In


December, he filmed his most popular New Year’s Eve special and said goodbye to his weekly television show on CBC. He is back on the road for his Pedal to the Metal Tour, which brings him back to the Yates Theatre Feb. 28. “The New Year’s special was on a big


stage at the Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls. It was different because the other specials were regional based. This special was more life specific. There is a lot going


things make more sense,” he said, adding the tour’s material is similar. He is not touring as hard as he used to


earlier in his career. This tour has shows every other day. “I’m playing a lot of casinos on this tour. There’s 10 dates across Western Canada. And I’ve got days in between them,” he said. Stepping back from heavy tour schedule


and the rigours of putting together a weekly TV show has allowed James to recharge and work with charities like the Global Poverty Project. “It helps improve sanitary conditions in


the Third World like bringing them toilets,” he said. While he enjoyed working on the TV


show, he is glad to not have to answer to the executives. He noted it is important to question the status quo and despite a few first world problems, Canadian comedians are fortunate to be able to talk topical. “There is a reason there aren’t


comedians coming out of China and Russia,” he observed, adding he started in the Second City comedy troupe in Toronto for nine years, many of whose members went on to Saturday Night Live, which always did topical comedy. “In Second City we never played to the


Ron James


on today, so this helped connect some of the dots for people to help them make


lowest common denominator, we always played to the highest level of the audience’s intellect,” he said. At age 57, James is at a stage in his life


where he is looking back on his career. “I can’t see myself doing this when I’m


65 or 70,” said James, who is also writing a book for Random House. “I was talking to my daughter who is in


university and people are encouraging her not to get a bachelor’s degree. I’m fortunate to have a career after 30 years. Everybody I went to university with went into business and banking because they were more stable careers, but I’m the only one of them who hasn’t had to change careers five times,” he observed. He noted the world has become a lot


busier and it is more difficult to be a successful entertainer. “You can have a television show, but


now it isn’t enough. You have to have another show about backstage of the television show. And you have Facebook and Twitter and Instagram. And you have to have content for all of them and you have to keep it interesting,” he said. He noted his routine includes a lot


about technology, politics and world events, but while there is a serious edge to his routine, it is all about making people laugh for two hours. “I love how language trips off the


tongue. I like to get an engineer and a plumber sitting next to each other laughing at the same thing. In a world that has become increasingly polarized, I can get 500 people together in the Yates Theatre and laughing at the same thing,” he said. Ron James performs at the Yates Centre at 8 p.m. Feb. 28. Tickets are $55.


Whether it’s our scrumptious crêpes, delicious French toast, mountains of fresh fruit or our defining egg dishes, you will find something to delight your taste buds!


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