Mokel solo show always smells good for Turner

Deep into his second decade with Ricky Mokel skits for the Alabama Theater’s house shows from February through December, Grant Turner likes his own nights out, too.

The Atlanta native, known for his clean, family humor – and a penchant to flash his percussion skills on stage – will go solo for the “Ricky Mokel Comedy Show” at 7 p.m. Saturday at the theater, on the north end of Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach. As Mokel, Turner also is the comedian for “One the Show,” which opens Feb. 3 for a new year of performances.

Q: With 17 years now, adding laughs at the Alabama Theatre’s house shows, what signature line has never worn out its welcome, whether because of longevity, the constant changing audiences and seasons, or other factors?

A: Tough question. It made me think for almost a second. “What’s that smell?” is the winner. I’ll be pumping gas, and I’ll hear it. I’ll be sleeping in bed with my wife, and I’ll hear it. I’ll be best man in my son’s wedding, and I’ll hear it. And I like it. The reason we ask it is, maybe, humans used to depend on smell to not die. Getting agreement on a smell could also help this country to not die – you don’t know.

Q; When you’re on stage making us laugh, are you the one laughing even more in the inside, getting even more out of Ricky Mokel’s ramblings and off-the-cuff observations than maybe we do?

A: People ask me the same two questions, “What’s that smell?” and “How do you not crack up when you’re up there?” The reason I don’t crack up is I’m there for the audience. To laugh would ruin it. Plus, lots of times I’m thinking about something else. Almost all the time, really. And yes, sometimes my mind throws up stuff during the show that is none of the audience’s business.

Q: How are your solo nights just for Ricky Mokel scheduled? Seems this time of year is always ripe for a night out that’s all Ricky?

A: The shows are scheduled according to Wolf Blitzer’s eye appointments.

Q: A couple of years ago, at my wife’s urging – after I gave her the book as a gift, after his long run on a season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” – I read Bill Engvall’s third book, “Just A Guy: Notes from a Blue Collar Life,” co-written with Alan Eisenstock, and Engvall’s recountings made me laugh aloud. If you were to pen a biography on Ricky Mokel, who would be ideal to write the foreword?

A: After I found out who he was, I’d get Alan Eisenstock to write my foreword, or Flojecka Dingdongerston – the great cashier at Sunbright Dry Cleaners. If she couldn’t get to it, I’d ask Eric Trump.

Q: An autobiography, “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Me,” by the late Rodney Dangerfield, still awaits my eyes to enjoy. What books by fellow comedians have engaged, and might later, engage, your time, heart, and sense of humor?

A: I just read “Kicking Through the Ashes” by Ritch Shydner. It’s about his experiences in the 1980s comedy boom. He was a great stand-up comedian who got close, was on the Johnny Carson, David Letterman and Merv Griffin shows, and had a bit part in the movie “Roxanne,” but never got to be much of anything people knew about. Now he’s 64 years old and can’t get a job as a tour bus driver because he’s too old. Martin Short’s book, “I Must Say: My Life As a Humble Comedy Legend,” was great.

Steve Martin’s “Born Standing Up” was slightly more great because I actually saw Steve Martin do his “Wild and Crazy Guy” act in an Athens, Ga., nightclub in 1977, just before he exploded and did stadiums and “Saturday Night Live.”

Q: Dana Kamide, a well-traveled singer, songwriter and producer who also spent three years headlining in Las Vegas, sure had people laughing this past December with his parody music video, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time in Eight Years.” Like the former JibJab video masterpieces in political satire from 2000 to 2014, and the “Weird Al” Yankovic videos that made their stamp in the 1980s world of MTV – when that channel still had music – what special level of creativity and sense of humor makes the comedian and well-read person in you salivate at seeing such talent?

A: “Bad Lip Reading” videos make me want to work for them. I would stalk them. Find out where they write and record this stuff. Sneak into a meeting. Blend in. “South Park” is bold, making fun of political correctness. With my grown kids the other night, we had a great movie marathon. We watched the old movies, “Homeward Bound,” “Milo & Otis,” and finsihed up with my favorite, “Arthur” – My youngest had never seen it. A New York City advertising guy wrote “Arthur” but died not long after the movie was made, so his killer scripts tapered off.

Q: Digressing here: Remember Yankovic’s takeoff “Ricky” on Toni Basil’s “Mickey”? Were you a fan of “I Love Lucy” reruns on TV in your childhood?

A: “I Love Lucy” was OK. But my morning TV rerun festival – what I watched when I had a sore throat, in summer – “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” and my favorite, “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” What I got from “I Love Lucy” was the idea of playing the bongos and that making fun of someone’s accent is always funny.

Q: What’s making animated fare on the silver screen such as “Zootopia,” “Sing,” and another sequel in the “Despicable Me” series due out this summer, tickle people’s funny bones so much? Is it because their material does not leave any age group out?

A: Laughing together at something is extra-especially pleasure-soaked. But be careful. The movies have found a way to get you thinking something is good for all ages, but then once you’re watching. it’s like being pelted with Seth Rogen’s rolled-up underwear. I love to make kids and seniors and everyone laugh. Well, you can’t make “everyone” laugh. Just look at CNN.

Q: Ever get free to venture a couple of doors south within Barefoot Landing some Thursday night to see a taping of the “Sqrambled Scuares” game show, new episodes of which air almost weekly on HTC Channel 4? If Ricky were to compete, what color shirt would look best on him?

A: I’ve been on “Sqrambled Scuares.” It was fun. I look best in orange, especially this year. Go Clemson Tigers! Hey, I should get Dabo Sweeney for my foreword.

This story was originally published January 22, 2017 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Mokel solo show always smells good for Turner."