Howard Johnson's Blog

Terry Jones was a true Renaissance man. I’ll let the journalists describe all of his talents and the various roles he played in his life, but they included director, children’s book author, historian, and Mr. Creosote. And he was brilliant at all of them.

What many people don’t know is what a kind man he was. He couldn’t pass a homeless person on the street without putting money in their hands.

H…

Michael Palin’s knighthood did not come as a total surprise to me. I heard rumors in recent weeks from rather reliable sources, so when the official announcement came, it was not a shock.

Still, the news that Michael would become a real-life k…nigget is a little amazing, yet completely Pythonesque. Knowing him over the past 40 years, and seeing him play one of the Knights Who Say Ni, there was…

I don’t post much lately, but there’s something so important that it’s actually got me blogging again.

My old friend and Baron’s Barracuda Brother Steve Burrows has gone through hell over the past ten years, but he’s done an incredible job making lemonade out of a real-life horror story.

His mother went into the hospital for a routine hip replacement, and wound up in a coma with brain damage.…

For me, as with so many things, I knew Professor Stephen Hawking best for his work with Monty Python. Professor Hawking was one of those rare scientists who, in addition to incredible scientific achievements, managed to achieve mainstream recognition against all odds. In addition to his success as a bestselling author, lots of people instantly recognize him for his appearances on “The Big Bang…

At Last the 1948 Show!

Another great rehearsal today for At Last the 1948 Show! Lauren Pizzi and Bill Russell are going to kill with “The Wonderful World of the Ant.” We’ll be opening on September 8th at the iO Chicago, featuring the lovely and talented Camilla Cleese–you won’t want to miss it. Nuff said!

At Last the 1948 Show–Live!

I’ve been waiting a long time to make this announcement, and at last I can tell you what I’ve been working on lately. Have you ever wondered what sort of comedy show John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Marty Feldman would be writing if they had been born 50 years later in Chicago with ovaries? Well, wonder no more. Coming soon to Chicago’s iO Theatre is the first-ever stage…

My Next Project…

  The Python Historian becomes the Python Historian. Only at Engle Lane in Streator, starting July 9…   #montypython

Del Close would have been 83 years old today. I think he’d be pretty happy. The new iO theatre building is attracting students and audiences from all over the world, and Charna is continuing to carry on his work. Long form improvisation is still growing in popularity every year, and has become accepted as a legitimate entertainment in its own right, and more than just a way to develop sketches…