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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 22 November 2018
Q&A: Steve Martin, Martin Short on friendship and a new tour

By LINDSEY BAHR AP: It is incredible that sing-
Associated Press ing and the banjo are 'side
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Steve talents' for you two.
Martin and Martin Short are Martin: You know, Marty
back on the road again for would never do this, but he
their new tour "Now You could make a serious al-
See Them, Soon You Won't bum and I would listen to it
." all the time. I find his voice
The two comedy legends so beautiful.
spoke to The Associated Pitch perfect. Beautiful
Press recently about the tone. He sings 'Send in the
tour, which kicks off its 2019 Clowns' in the show and it's
leg on Jan. 12 in Atlanta, just gorgeous.
their friendship and when Short: Well, thank you. And
they knew that roasting I of course have all Steve's
each other was OK. albums and I one day plan
Remarks have been edited to listen to them.
for clarity and brevity. AP: Was there a moment
AP: Is "Now You See Them, when you realized this was
Soon You Won't" mostly more than a showbiz friend-
new material? ship?
Martin: A lot of it is. It's very Martin: Yeah, I would say
hard for us to judge what very early on. We perse-
is new because a lot of it vered. When you finish do-
is new but it's in the same ing a movie, mostly every-
framework. What we tried one drifts away from each
to do is salvage or keep other. We just went and
what we suspected the had dinners and saw each
audience wanted to see other.
again, but we try to re- Short: I think you make that
place lines and do it a little choice. You have to be
different. But if somebody conscientious and say, you
saw the show, they'd say know what? I don't want to
'that's mostly a new show!' In this June 8, 2017 file photo, Steve Martin, left, and Martin Short appear at the 45th AFI Life lose that person.
AP: What is your process for Achievement Award Tribute to Diane Keaton in Los Angeles. Associated Press Martin: We also ended up
determining what to cut vacationing together with
and add? is that with one voice you Martin: Day one. nostalgia tour would be if our families.
Martin: It's really tri...well, I have this kind of groan. Short: It's very natural for I came out as Ed Grimley Two weeks on an island,
should let Marty talk. AP: I do always worry that people in comedy to do and we did the 'Wheel of you'll know if you like that
Short: Go ahead, Steve, I'm somehow the voices will it. I think it's very natural for Fortune' sketch and hope person or not, you know?
just doing something else. blend when you go to tran- friends, close friends to do that that would get some I'm talking about our wives.
Martin: OK. It's trial and er- scribe. it. And we probably started nostalgia applause. If a AP: Is there anything else
ror. We work with writers, we Short: They won't. One doing it playing scrabble singer comes out and sings you want people to know
work on our own and we won't even come out. in the trailer while making all old hits, then that is a about the show?
put things in, we take things Martin: Well, let's put it this 'Three Amigos.' nostalgia tour and there's Martin: Our goal, and
out, and every night after way, you'll be able to tell Martin: The first day we met, nothing wrong with that sometimes we achieve it, I
the show we walk off stage which mine is because I Marty zinged me. He came and that's great and that's think, maybe I'm a little ar-
and we go, 'What should speak grammatically. to my house to pick up the what I'd rather see. rogant, but we want it to
we do, how should we fix Short: But, for some odd script to 'Three Amigos' and Martin: I think a nostalgia be one of the best shows
that, should we move that reason, you'll find yourself he saw all of the paintings tour implies that you'll come the audience ever saw.
line up to the front?' dozing off for no reason and he said, 'How did you out and say, 'You know, la- We want to give the audi-
AP: Do you allow for spon- and you'll realize the con- get this rich? I've seen the dies and gentlemen, when ence their money's worth
taneous moments? nection. work.' I first started, I did a little and really make them
Short: You absolutely allow. AP: Do you use one anoth- Short: And I was looking for movie called "The Jerk.'" laugh and make them re-
What a set show gives you er as a test audience? the script for 'Three Amigos' And then you stand there ally have a good time and
is the confidence to go out Martin: Well, I think each and Steve handed it to me and wait for applause. leave that theater feeling
because you know you're other is our first test audi- and said, 'Can you give this Short: And I'd love that better than they did when
prepared, and you have ence. And then I tend to to Martin Short, please?' show. they came in.
lots of great material, but just try out material on my AP: You said the previous AP: Will there still be singing Short: Totally agree. And
then you go out there and wife and on my dog and tour was not a nostalgia and banjo playing in this you don't always achieve
you're so loose that other on the band. And finally tour. Is that still true and go-around? it, but it's awfully fun to
things happen and some- on the audience, who, of why was that important to Martin: Absolutely. We de- have a goal.
times they're the most de- course, has the ultimate specify? scribe the show as a lot of Martin: How could I possibly
lightful. say. When I first started out Short: Well, because it comedy and a little bit of achieve it with you next to
Martin: You are fantastic. people would say, 'You wasn't a nostalgia tour. A music. me?q
I'm going to let you speak have a great sense of hu-
all the time now because mor.' And I would say, re-
you just nailed that beauti- ally, the audience has the
fully. great sense of humor.
Short: I did. And remem- AP: When did you figure it
ber that the difference be- was OK to roast each other
tween my voice and yours like this?