Comedian Bill Cosby Thrills Arts Center Crowd of 8,000

by Marilyn Nason, The Post-Star, September 2, 1969

The return of comedian Bill Cosby to the stage of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center Sunday afternoon before 8,000 people was a mutual admiration society. Cosby seemed extremely pleased to be back at beautiful SPAC and the audience, largely families, just delighted in his every movement and word.

Some segments of his show were repeats of last year, especially the “what in heck is the matter with that kid?” routine about his father and him and some of the tales of his wife, Camille, in advanced stages of “urpness”, otherwise known as pregnancy.

Funny as Ever

But despite this, Cosby was simply great, as funny as ever, as thoroughly at ease and achieving instant rapport with the audience and, all in all, providing a pleasant afternoon.

He even brought Saratoga Fire Marshal Paul Varley onstage in the second half and had a brief, very humorous and unrehearsed exchange with him. His skits ranged from a critique on sports to the aforementioned pregnancy of his wife for their third child, the latest doings of his two older daughters and some random views on marriage.

At the start of the show, he alluded to the fact the show was in the afternoon, although some thought it was in the evening. He was referring here to the mistaken announcement throughout Saturday and Sunday of an Albany TV station announcing Cosby for 8:30 p.m. instead of 3:30. Showing how implanted in his own mind this had become (and he talked at some length about it backstage, too), Cosby closed his show with “thank you and good night” to his audience.

This year, Cosby brought an other excellent entertainer with him, Odetta, folk singer. Last year it was O. C. Smith, who returned this year on his own to star with Buddy Rich.

Odetta is a handsome woman, with a superlative voice whose range seems limitless in both directions. Accompanying herself on the Spanish guitar, she offered a variety of tunes—folk, spiritual, Negro “moan.” etc.

But undoubtedly the highlight of her program was her singing of “Home on the Range,” in which the audience participated, all sans accompaniment. Her final note was as clear, beautiful and stirring as any the SPAC stage has ever heard and drew rightful applause.

SPAC reopens for an unprecedented late fall weekend starting with Dionne Warwick on Thursday, Sept. 18.

Cosby has long been known for his athletic ability and he really proved his agility Sunday. Walking across the stage, waving to acknowledge the applause, he literally kept right on going. He jumped into a waiting cab at the stage door ramp and was midway up the roadway along the side of the theatre lawn before the audience had even realized he was not returning for more applause. All within a matter of seconds and rivaling his leaping into a waiting limousine last year at the concluson of his show.