Otis Lee Crenshaw
Rich Hall @ Nova 2
9:30pm, Sun 10 Mar 2002
Score: 8
Short Review: As Per Usual
Rich Hall’s alter-ego, Otis Lee Crenshaw, returns to the Fringe on a prisoner-exchange program once again. And, as required reading, one should check my review of Otis’ last appearance in Adelaide.
So what’s changed since last visit? Well, in essence, not a lot – he’s still got his guitar and bass offsiders, and a lot of the songs are familiar (the return of the Adelaide Song, “He Almost Looks Like You”, “Penitentiary Song”), but let’s face it – they’re good material. The newer songs were great, too – “Bag Lady” is a cracker, and “Kicking that Smack for the Red, White and Blue” was amusing too.
But the beauty of Rich Hall is his impromptu serenades and wordsmithery: tonite the subject of his derision was Michael the Number 2 Chef. As always, Hall’s ability to come back from comedy death with a pearler of a verse is awesome. Hecklers were handled without any trouble, and his Elvis comments (“buried in the backyard like a hamster”) had me in stitches.
If you saw Rich Hall / Otis Lee Crenshaw in ff2000, you probably don’t need my recommendation now; if you didn’t, get on down and see him now.