Comedy legends Steve Martin, Martin Short to perform in Columbia
Timing is everything in comedy, and 2020 was not the right time for legendary comedians Steve Martin and Martin Short to perform in Columbia.
Their scheduled show at the Township Auditorium was one of many events cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But a little more than a year after they were supposed to bring their tour to Columbia, Martin and Short are scheduled to return to South Carolina’s capital city.
The comedy legends will perform “The Funniest Show in Town at the Moment” at the Township Auditorium on Oct. 23, venue officials said on Twitter.
Tickets went on sale Tuesday for the performance by the “Saturday Night Live” regulars, and prices range from $75-$250, according to the Township Auditorium’s website.
Jeff Babko and the Grammy Award-winning Steep Canyon Rangers — from Asheville, North Carolina — will also appear at the performance, venue officials said.
“Hi Columbia, I’m Martin Short, and I’m ... well you know,” the two said on Facebook, before Martin continued to promote the upcoming event. “We are so sorry we missed you this September, but we can’t wait to bring ‘The Funniest Show in Town at the Moment’ to the Township Auditorium on Oct. 23, 2021.”
The comedians continued to banter, with Short saying, “Ooh, I’m excited. Tickets will be on sale soon, so keep your eyes out for it.”
“Keep your eyes out, or keep your eyes peeled?” Martin asked.
“No, no. I mean literally take them out,” Short responded.
The chemistry between Martin and Short is obvious in the post. They met on the set of “The Three Amigos” and have been touring together since 2015. Their sold-out tour “An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life” inspired a 2018 Netflix special that earned four Emmy Award nominations.
Before the 2020 performance was cancelled, Martin joked on his website that “Marty and I love touring, especially while we can still tolerate each other.”
“There are few people that I truly admire,” Short said on the site. “And Steve Martin is very close to being one of them.”
Martin began his career as a television writer and stand-up comedian before finding cinematic fame as the star of movies “The Jerk,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” “Parenthood” and “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” and “Bowfinger,” The Tribune reported. He’s been a host on “Saturday Night Live” 15 times and appeared as a special guest 11 others.
Short rose to fame as a regular cast member on sketch comedy shows “SCTV” and “Saturday Night Live,” before starring in movies including “Captain Ron,” “Clifford” and “Innerspace.”
In addition to “The Three Amigos,” he also appeared with Martin in the “Father of the Bride” films.
The comedy show is one of several performances that have been rescheduled at the Township Auditorium. Cody Johnson & Friends (Sept. 3), The Price Is Right Live (Oct. 21), Brett Young (Nov. 18), Travis Tritt (Nov. 20), and KC & The Sunshine Band (Jan. 21, 2022) have all slated new dates for events in Columbia that were postponed by the coronavirus.
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This story was originally published June 8, 2021 at 12:08 PM.
