Jan Kober and live comedy

By Bruce Bulloch

The Admiral Theater is in a transitional phase, slowly it's finding its way back to some refection of its former glory with a remodel underway and new entertainment acts being booked. And, there's something about this in-between place - the energy of change, the informality of a work in progress - that makes it a great venue for stand-up comedy.

A case in point is Jen Kober's performance on Jan. 12. Kober is a rising star on the national comedy circuit with appearances on HBO, Comedy Central and Good Morning America under her belt, as well as The Comedy Store and the Purple Onion. She introduced herself to West Seattle with an edgy routine that managed to whip up a polite northwest audience into gales of laughter.

Jen Kober was ready for this audience, and the audience, it turns out, was ready for her. Making the most of the intimate setting afforded by The Admiral's not quite finished stage, she drew her audience into a give and take about eating habits, hurricanes and a fellow southerner's critique of a Texas drawl.

Not much was off limits and Kober's humor was biting and uncensored leaving this reviewer with the problem of what can be repeated in a family newspaper, but for the audience at The Admiral that night it was all they were looking for and more.

Kober introduced a sad story about buying a house near the Louisiana coast six weeks before Hurricane Katrina struck with the line, "It was a house that Jesus, apparently, did not want me to have."

A lot of Kober's humor centers around her weight (she prefers to think of herself not as "fat" but rather "hard to kidnap") and she launched into a funny riff on the indignities facing an overweight person trying to fly on small commuter aircraft. At one point she found herself jammed into the undersized seat with another heavy woman seated next to her while across the aisle sat a solitary little child. "I don't know where this plane was supposed to be heading," said Kober, "but it was obvious that it was going to be turning left."

Once Kober had ramped up her act she held the audience in thrall to her sarcastic, razor-sharp wit, happy to follow her wherever she went. Her rant against skinny women and dieting drew out several calls from the audience and she quickly worked them into a hilarious improvisation.

The opener for Jen Kober's act, Susan Jones, held up her end of the bargain with a very funny bit about her teenage son's foray into rebellion by dressing as a goth. His dyslexia managed to steal some of the dramatic thunder of the tattoo he had designed for himself.

Jen Kober's appearance is part of The Admiral's efforts to add live performances to its traditional film offerings. The theater's management has already booked several shows and has been negotiating to bring a few legendary acts to West Seattle, including B.B. King and the Smothers Brothers.

Watching Jen Kober on stage, it wasn't hard to see the possibilities of The Admiral's vision. The size of the two theaters is the right scale for live entertainment. The rooms have an intimacy that keeps the connection between audience and performer very much alive.

Out on the street there were plenty of options to make it a full night of entertainment. Seven restaurants sit within an easy one-block walk, offering a variety of dining choices from the Blackbird Bistro, to Circa Alehouse, to Pailin Thai Cuisine.

Of all the Seattle neighborhoods, West Seattle is remarkable in its self-containment. We are almost an island - given our druthers, almost a separate city - with a whole range of activities to keep ourselves occupied. Live performances at The Admiral promise to add some interesting spice to that mix.

Bruce Bulloch may be reached via wseditor@robinsonnews.com