# Yakov Smirnoff on Broadway? What a Country! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 14, 2003, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050 "2003-02-14T14:02:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/1 "2003-02-14T14:02:04Z")
Unless I was half-asleep and having a horrible nightmare, I heard a radio commercial this morning for Yakov Smirnoff on Broadway. I even remember the “joke” he told: [broad Russian accent] “In this country they say the man is the head of family. That means the woman is the neck, because she makes the head turn this way and that—and that is why the man says he has pain in the neck!” [/broad Russian accent] Mind you, that was the joke they thought was the _best_ to promote the show! I wonder who his opening act will be, Ray-Jay Johnson? ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/2 "2003-02-14T14:17:04Z")
What did Branson, Missouri finally run him out? Or is this just the off season there, if there can be such a thing. Or did Broadway decide they needed someone whose material is even more tired and unfunny than Jackie Mason? ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/3 "2003-02-14T16:22:13Z")
“in Soviet Union, _Broadway_ is on _you_!” ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/4 "2003-02-14T16:37:40Z")
Looks like there’s still hope for Margaret Cho! ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/5 "2003-02-14T17:22:52Z")
“In America, you eat pizza… in Russia, pizza eat YOU!” Maybe next year, Andrew Dice Clay will be on Broadway, reciting dirty nursery rhymes. (Hey F. Scott, what was that about “no second acts”?) ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/6 "2003-02-14T17:47:17Z")
Good lord, it wasn’t a [dream!](http://www.playbill.com/news/article/77234.html) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/7 "2003-02-14T17:56:39Z")
In Soviet Russia, _dreams have YOU!_ OK, enough of that. ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/8 "2003-02-14T18:02:51Z")
The scary thing is there are people who’ll pay the $55-$65 to see this guy. ---
**Author:** ![Papermache\_Prince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Papermache\_Prince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papermache_Prince)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/9 "2003-02-14T18:05:22Z")
From the Playbill cite Eve linked to: A press statement read: “Yakov has shifted his focus to an even greater challenge, guaranteeing him long-term job security—the relationship between men and women.” [sound of moaning and whimpering] ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/10 "2003-02-14T18:12:34Z")
…and, continuing in the ‘keep 10 years behind the times’ vein, Rich Little now does a Bill Clinton impersonation. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/11 "2003-02-14T18:26:30Z")
Not only that, but he’s apparently ripping jokes off from _My Big Fat Greek Wedding_. (No, I didn’t see the movie, but a similar line appeared in the Post’s Weekend section review of the film.) ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/12 "2003-02-14T18:37:06Z")
Anybody think his voice reminds you of Dr. Nick. “Hi Everybody!! Men say make me my big fat dinner … Women say dinner make you big fat” Hyyyahheee Hyyyahheee. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/13 "2003-02-14T19:32:54Z")
It sounds like somebody decided to see if the plot of THE PRODUCERS would really work. I wonder just how many shares of Smirnov were sold. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/14 "2003-02-15T02:30:54Z")
Maybe this is why the nation was put on “High” alert. Could we get Chuck Barris to freelance one more “job” and prevent this thing from happening? ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/15 "2003-02-15T17:48:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astorian \* > \*\* > (Hey F. Scott, what was that about “no second acts”?) \*\* He wasn’t thinking about comebacks; he was thinking about how we’d rather not think about what we do next (the “second act” of Greek drama). In addition, I think Mr. Barris wants to be on Broadway to. (Jaye P. Morgan will be his girl singer, and Jamie Farr his opening act.) ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/16 "2003-02-15T17:52:42Z")
I meant too, not to. (BTW, what would you rather pay for, “Yakov Smirnoff on Broadway”, “An Evening With Chuck Barris”, or “F. Scott Fitzgerald and his Big Band”?) ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/17 "2003-04-23T23:24:36Z")
Reviving a very old thread: Interestingly, Smirnoff is only having shows on either Fridays and Saturdays, or Saturdays and Sundays (I forgot which). That, combined with the fact that, originally, he only planned to do two weeks’ worth of shows (thought, unfortunately, it’s now been extended to six weeks’), implies that he’s renting out a theater. That, in turn, suggests that he’s fallen so far on the pop culture scale that he’s the only man that would book Yakov Smirnoff. ---
**Author:** ![Payton\_s\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@Payton\_s\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payton_s_Servant)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/18 "2003-04-24T02:02:14Z")
Christ, his 15 minutes were up, the day Reagan left the White House for good!!! ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/19 "2003-04-24T03:20:35Z")
I know. Can’t he go home now? Or, at any rate, please promise that he won’t be performing on Broadway when I’m in the NYC area in a couple of months? ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yakov-smirnoff-on-broadway-what-a-country/155050/20 "2003-04-24T05:13:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > \*\*In Soviet Russia, _dreams have YOU!_ > > OK, enough of that. \*\* Hehe, good think the SDMB doensn’t have filters like the boards on Fark.