Producer says themes in 'Defending the Caveman' are 'universal'
-
Rob Becker began performing his one-man show, "Defending the Caveman," on Broadway in 1995.
Share with others:
Rob Becker has had his regrets about titling his show "Defending the Caveman," a misnomer of a name that implies a heartfelt defense of knuckle-dragging chauvinists and an indictment of feminists. The show actually has harmony and understanding between the genders on its mind.
Turns out, this is more of a date-night show than one just for the guys. Perhaps that's why it was the longest-running one-man show on Broadway and has spread its word on five continents.
"The way we always describe it is, it will have you falling love with your spouse all over again. The things you love about each other, you will discover all over again," said Todd Grove, the show's producer, who also has worked on John Leguizamo's "Sexaholix," "Eric Idle Exploits Monty Python," "The Comedy Addiction Tour" and HBO's "Comic Relief."
Where: CLO Cabaret at the Cabaret at Theater Square, Downtown.
When: Through Jan. 8. 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays (some 1 p.m. Thursday matinees).
Tickets: $34.75-$44.75; pittsburghclo.org or 412-456-6666.
He said the demographic for "Caveman" has proved to be women and couples ages 35-54, and repeat business comes as women tell other women it's a must-see. Mr. Grove finds it "amazing" that the show has been running in dozens of markets in German for a decade. "It's just universal. From South Africa to Australia, there are so many different ways women relate to men in many different cultures, yet it always seems to work."
Mr. Grove came onboard as producer a few years into the initial run by Mr. Becker. who started writing in 1987 and began performing the show in San Francisco comedy clubs in 1991. It moved on to a year of sold-out engagements in Dallas that gave it a boost into theaters in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Chicago before "Caveman" opened on Broadway in 1995. It occupied the Helen Hayes Theater for more than 21/2 years and 702 performances to enter the Broadway record books.
The title wasn't so much a tough sell as it was a beacon of macho expectations. That changed quickly as word-of-mouth spread.
"I think people may have come thinking they were getting something different than it is, like a Tim Allen [on 'Home Improvement'], those kind of sitcoms. And then they were pleasantly surprised. It exceeded their expectations, even if the bar was low," Mr. Grove said with a chuckle.
He can laugh, because he's seen those record ticket sales and the laughter that comes from the mirror "Caveman" apparently holds up to most relationships. For example: If a man doesn't understand what a woman is saying, he thinks she's mysterious. If a woman doesn't understand what a man is saying, she thinks he is wrong.
First Published October 13, 2011 12:00 am
