I met Adam Sandler after his appearance as the opening comic on a bill at the Green Bay City Center in 1990. It was before all the movies. Before Saturday Night Live. Before his network TV debut on Letterman. We chatted for about 20 minutes about baseball and how the Yankee’s sucked that season (he was wearing a Yankee jersey) and where he could find “pretty girls” in Green Bay.
It blows me away that this week that fresh faced kid received the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the Kennedy Center. The fact that I’ve seen him go from a virtual “nobody” to receiving what is essentially a lifetime achievement award couldn’t make be feel more old. Those years sure flew by.
The broadcast of the ceremony this past weekend on CNN included hilarious ribbing and roasting from friends such as Chris Rock, Dana Carvey, Ben Stiller, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Steve Buscemi, Conan O’Brien and more.
It also included a delightful performance by singer/actress and Broadway star Idina Menzel (or Adele Dazeem as she will be forever be known to John Travolta) as Opera WOMAN, the gender opposite version of Adam’s own Opera Man. Funny stuff! See for yourself. Whobbity doo!
