For Dan's birthday, I took him to see Steve Martin and Martin Short perform their variety show: An Evening You Will Forget the for The Rest of Your Life, at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage. 

This was a popular, sold-out show and unfortunately, I didn't buy the tickets when they went on sale. Luckily, the venue is fairly small. Every seat provides a great view. I managed to score seats that were in the middle, which also helped. Here is a panorama shot that shows our actual view. 

With the exception of a ten-year-old boy sitting in our row, we were the youngest people in the audience. I think this is more reflective of the glut of retirees living in the Palm Desert area, than it is of the nature of the show. The show actually started nearly twenty minutes late and I believe it was due to the large number of people requiring extra help to their seats- lots of walkers, canes, and wheel chairs! It wasn't a big deal for us, but perhaps if you plan to see a show in Palm Desert, have patience. 

The show started with a montage of their greatest film and television moments. I had a momentary worry that the show was going to be like when we saw John Cleese in Portland, which was nearly all film clips and a huge disappointment. I'm happy to report that Martin and Short were NOTHING like Cleese. 

I'm a huge fan of Steve Martin, primarily his fiction writing. I wasn't a huge fan of Martin Short, but seeing him on stage has changed my mind. He's hilarious. Short and Martin both have quick wit and excellent timing, which shines when they are improving with audience members. They roast each other throughout the show, but it is clear that they are close, long-time friends who enjoy sharing the stage. I'm guessing that neither of these men need the money, so they tour for the love of performing. 

A majority of the show had both Short and Martin performing together, but there was a small segment where they each show-cased their own talent. Short spent this time talking about his early career and singing. Martin played the banjo, sharing the stage with the Grammy winning bluegrass band, Steep Canyon Rangers. Martin left the stage, to allow the Steep Canyon Rangers to play a song from their latest album. Acclaimed musical, Jeff Babko played the piano throughout the show, even getting in on the comedy act with Martin and Short.

We throughly enjoyed the entire show and left the theatre with sore stomachs from laughing. I would not hesitate to buy tickets the next time Martin and Short are in town. They are both class acts and well-worth the ticket prices.