He did survive: Tony Clifton returns for charity gig
Tony Clifton, an alter ego of the late comedian Andy Kaufman, will headline a July 31-Aug. 17 run at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division, to benefit Comic Relief’s work on behalf of artists affected by Hurricane Katrina.
The lounge singer character will be backed up by burlesque dancers and a band of Gulf Coast musicians.
(File)
Kaufman used to open his own shows as Clifton, an obnoxious lout who was famously banned from the set of Kaufman’s sitcom “Taxi.”
The actor who’ll be wearing Clifton’s distinctive mustache and sideburns here was not revealed, but Comic Relief honcho Bob Zmuda (a Kaufman friend and former Chicagoan) was known to play the role both before and after the comic’s death in 1984.
Tickets for "The Return of Tony Clifton," part of a national tour, are $15 and go on sale Friday morning at tonyclifton.net and (888) 512-7469.