In 1949, Maurice Chevalier was the first member of the Friars Club to be roasted. The tradition began as a raucous and sometimes obscene way of honoring members of the entertainer fraternity—by making them the butt of the joke. In the 1960s it evolved into a spectacle broadcast as part of The Dean Martin Show, and more recently it became a staple of Comedy Central. The events are no longer contained exclusively within the walls of the Friars Club in New York City or limited just to men, as the club was until the late date of 1988. Now one midwestern comedy show is proving that the target of a roast doesn’t even have to be a real person.
“I have trouble prolifically writing stand-up jokes, but when I have an assignment like ‘roast the Terminator as Bill and Ted,’ then I get it,” Fleming says. “It becomes more about getting into character than getting to the roast jokes.”
Sun 5/7, 9 PM
Laugh Factory 3175 N. Broadway laughfactory.com/clubs/chicago
$20 plus two-drink minimum, $17 plus two-drink minimum in advance
