{"id":16445,"date":"2019-07-24T16:54:56","date_gmt":"2019-07-24T20:54:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/?p=16445"},"modified":"2020-05-06T17:05:43","modified_gmt":"2020-05-06T21:05:43","slug":"two-amigos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/two-amigos\/","title":{"rendered":"Steve Martin &#038; Martin Short"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none; width: 100%; height: 400px;\" src=\"\/\/e.issuu.com\/embed.html?backgroundColor=%23fefefe&amp;backgroundColorFullscreen=%23fefefe&amp;d=ja19_flipbook&amp;hideIssuuLogo=true&amp;pageNumber=70&amp;u=portlandmagazine\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"p1\">Two Amigos<\/h1>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>Interview by Colin W. Sargent<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">July\/August 2019 | view story as .pdf<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-16485\" src=\"http:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/JA19-Two-Amigos-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"JA19 Two Amigos\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/JA19-Two-Amigos-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/JA19-Two-Amigos-200x134.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/JA19-Two-Amigos.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>W<\/span><span class=\"s1\"><i>e\u2019re looking forward to seeing both of you yuk it up at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor on September 14! Please tell us about your first-ever visit to Maine, what your impressions were, and what was happening in your life<\/i>.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p2\"><strong>Martin Short:<\/strong> Wow. Maine means a great deal to you, I see. It was in 1976, when I started my career as a comedian. I actually go to Maine fairly frequently\u2013I can\u2019t tell you where for privacy reasons\u2013because a friend of mine has a ranch there. [<i>He pauses.<\/i>] A farm. I think of Maine as being very dense\u2014with trees. [<i>I pause. Have I just been insulted? Part of the job. Short continues&#8230;<\/i>] But 1976? That\u2019s like 110 years ago!<\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">The two of you touring together is fun! But isn\u2019t there a rule of threes? Where\u2019s Andrea Martin (born in Portland)?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>MS:<\/strong> She\u2019s a genius. We\u2019d be lucky to get her. The truth is, we talked about having her here with us. Couldn\u2019t be scheduled.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Steve Martin:<\/strong> You should let it out more that she\u2019s from Portland. Everybody thinks she\u2019s Canadian.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>MS:<\/strong> She has a star on the Canadian Walk of Fame, just this year. And\u2026the Maine Walk of Fame!<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">You and Andrea both were on the 1972 Toronto cast of <em>Godspell<\/em>. How good was she singing \u201cDay by Day\u201d? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>MS:<\/strong> She was brilliant. Fabulous. She is the aunt to my children! <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>SM:<\/strong> She works more than Marty and me.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>MS: <\/strong>She\u2019s been nominated for more Tony Awards [five for Best Featured Actress in a Musical] than any other actress.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p6\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">I\u00a0<\/span>had a dream about this interview. I said: \u201cMaine. What\u2019s the opposite of that?\u201d and\u00a0you answered \u201cMaine.\u201d But what would you really say?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>SM: <\/strong>That was a good dream.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>MS:<\/strong> Opposite of Maine is Arizona.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>SM:<\/strong> Perfect answer. Like all the trees of Maine grew downward. Upside down.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">If you had written a vignette set in Maine in <em>Cruel Shoes<\/em>, how would it have gone?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><strong>SM:<\/strong> That\u2019s hard. In <em>Cruel Shoes,<\/em> none of the stories are set anywhere. It would not have occurred to me. I wrote it in college in California.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">Martin, if you had ghost-written a vignette about Maine in <em>Cruel Shoes<\/em>, how would it have gone? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>MS:<\/strong> It would have gone badly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>SM:<\/strong><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I just thought of something. Isn\u2019t Maine known as the Pine Tree State? There was a Pine Tree Shilling, wasn\u2019t there? Maybe that has something to do with Maine, from way back.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\">[<i>*Pine Tree Shillings, circa 1652, when we were part of Massachusetts, are available on eBay for several hundred to several thousand dollars.<\/i>]<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>MS:<\/strong> Now we\u2019re onto something! Which brings us back to Maine\u2026in 1976!<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">What Maine artists would you consider collecting? Many Andrew Wyeth paintings are cosmic jokes. Marsden Hartley was born in Maine. Hopper painted in Portland during the summer in the 1920s. <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>SM:<\/strong> I have in my life owned work by all three artists. In fact, I do now. I didn\u2019t know three were all connected to Maine. Marsden Hartley\u2026 his Maine pictures are quite profound. [<i>Steve Martin created auction buzz when he sold Hopper\u2019s<\/i> Hotel Window <i>at Sotheby\u2019s for $26.8M.<\/i>]<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">Can you summarize the worst joke you ever told? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>SM:<\/strong> I\u2019m trying to think, \u2019cause all my things are so great. It\u2019s 1973. Here\u2019s the joke. No one will get the references, because it\u2019s from the 1970s. \u201cI did the <i>Bishop<\/i> Show. Bishop Sheen was great!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><em><span class=\"s1\">The telephone line goes silent.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>SM:<\/strong> You\u2019d have to know I was talking about <i>The<\/i> <i>Joey Bishop Show<\/i> and know who Bishop Sheen was for the switch to Sheen to mean something.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">How do you and Martin adjust your show in Maine after an appearance in, say, Santa Fe?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>MS:<\/strong> I say, ho, so great to be in Maine! <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>SM:<\/strong> \u201cThat one doesn\u2019t work in Chicago. We do make subtle changes for local politicians, people and events from the area, things like that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p9\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">P<\/span><span class=\"s1\">lease name a song you won\u2019t play on banjo, even on request.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>SM:<\/b> \u201cFoggy Mountain Breakdown.\u201d That\u2019s because so many banjo players who play far better than I have recorded it. Besides, in my act, I play all my own songs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">I didn\u2019t know you played the piano, too.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>SM:<\/b> I don\u2019t really play the piano, but I can play enough to play one song: \u201cSend in the Clowns.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">What\u2019s your favorite lobster dish?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>SM:<\/b> I have one! Lobster Caesar Salad.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>MS:<\/b> I\u2019m allergic to lobster, since I was 24. I had a rash on my cheek, two years before I came to Maine. It swelled up. Maybe it\u2019s good that it was before my first trip to Maine in 1976. Otherwise, it could have been blamed on Maine. I can see it: Embossed on my cheek were the letters <i>Maine<\/i>. Allergic to Maine Lobster. <em>[I didn\u2019t ask if Canadian lobsters were safe\u2026]<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>SM:<\/b> That could be the title of this story!<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p9\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">W<\/span><span class=\"s1\">hat\u2019s your favorite Stephen King novel or movie?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><b>SM:<\/b> I like Stephen King. I always liked <em>Carrie<\/em>. He\u2019s a musician, you know. He plays with the Rock Bottom Remainders\u2014Stephen King, Dave Barry, Amy Tan. By their nature, they\u2019re a very terrible band.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">What\u2019s the most \u2018Canadian\u2019 thing you\u2019ve ever seen Martin Short do? I mean, do you find ways of getting him to say \u201ctomato?&#8221;<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>SM:<\/b> Just in general, Canadians have a very different demeanor than Americans. A notch above. Maybe not a notch above, a notch sideways. There\u2019s just a politeness and courtesy. It\u2019s just a coincidence that I really like Canadians and Marty, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Comedians Steve Martin and Martin Short strike Maine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,943],"tags":[429,192,354,25,365,127,428,323,427],"class_list":["post-16445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-personalities","tag-celebrities","tag-comedy","tag-entertainment","tag-interview","tag-live","tag-maine","tag-martin-short","tag-portland-magazine","tag-steve-martin"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16445"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16445\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18647,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16445\/revisions\/18647"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}