Bob Mackin

News Reporter bmackin@nsnews.com

MASONIC halls are a mys- tery to most people.

Canada’s most famous one has to be the 83-year-old Masonic Temple on Yonge Street in Toronto. CTV saved it from the wrecking bail and turned its base- ment into the studio for Open Mike with Mike Bullard.

Bullard and his quick wit ar beamed from the “temple of come- dy" into Canadian households weeknights via the Comedy Nerwork and CTV Network. It's seen locally on VIV at midnight.

Open Mike launched in 1997 in

photo Insight Production Company

a makeshift studio at Wayne THE Masonic Temple on Yonge Street in Toronto Gretzky’s Restaurant in Hogtown. is home of Open Mike with Mike Bullard.

The Great One never appeared as a guest, but comedian and Gretzky-lookalike Denis Leary did.

“We had a problem there, we were in the banquet room and had to air a re-run every time Gretzky’s wanted to rent it out for a bar mitz- vah,” Bullard jokes. “We gave (Gretzky) first and last month's rent and never saw him again. He was there a couple of times, he came and said hi wo the audience. Y’know Wayne, he likes to keep a low profile.”

The zemple wasn’t always the domain for masons and their ancient, secret rituals. The basement housed a rock club where U2 and Led Zeppelin once played. The Rolling Stones used it to rehearse for their Bridges to Babylon tour. Its bar remains for audience members te grab a beer before the show. Surprisingly, none have overindulged.

“J wish we had more drunks, because we'd be making more moncy off the bar,” said Bullard. “The bar offsets our expenses.”

Those expenses amount to $27,000 a show — a drop in the bucket compared to the six fig- ure budgets American network gabfests run on. Speaking of the states, Bullard resists the lure to move the show south to cash in on greenbacks.

“I like doing something here that has never really been done before, as opposed to the stztes where, yeah, you"ll make a lot of money but

: you'll be one of five million lucky talkshow sts.” "He would like to move out of Toronto from tine to time — to Halifax or Vancouver— but production costs are a barrier. Fans who can’t get

to Toronto made do with last summer's cross- country stand-up cour. ft yielded the Stick 2 Comedy album produced by Open Mike band- ader Orrin Isaacs and an accompanying book. This surnmer he'll spend his hiatus producing a new shaw with his team. Open Mike was creat- ed with high school buddy Al Magee and includes a writing staff of three: Lawrence Morgenstern, Sean Tweedley and Greg Eckler. Last year Tweedley’s Warm-Up Show was given a weekend slot on the Comedy Network.

Bullard is a relative newcomer to TV, unlike brother Pat. The other Bullard produces the ABC sitcom Tie Guys and a Girl and got his start hosting CBC Vancouver’s Downtown Saturday Night talkshow in the mid-’80s.

Meanwhile, Mike was an officer with Peel Regional Police in Turonto and later director of corporate investigations for Bell Canada. The part-time stand-up comic since 1987 held the latter job until nine weeks before Open Mike started.

Ex-prime minister Pierre Trudeau, actor Donald Sutherland and rock icon Neil Young are among Bullard’s wish list for guests. His

Friday, February 18, 2000 — Morth Shore News - 17

Painter at the piano

nas |

NEWS photo Pau! McGrath

favourites so far include Jewel and John ARTIST Raymond Chow composed music for each work on display in his new

Mellencamp.

show at West Van's Silk Purse Gallery. Last week he performed a concert of the

“The only people who bug me are the ones pleces and gave a talk at the gallery. The art work is on exhibit until Feb. 20.

who come and say ‘where’s the TelefrompTer, where’s the scrip?”, We’re the only unscripted taikshow in North America.

“You're not here to solve the ills of the world or heal a country. You're here to be funny for five minutes.”

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