Windsor fans will likely hear some different jokes than American audiences when two comedy icons hit the stage.
Steve Martin is American and Martin Short is Canadian. They say their nationalities aren’t the focus of their routine, but there is a difference in their shows depending on where they are performing.
"When we play America, we don't do any Trump jokes because it's a political situation and we just don't want to enflame half the audience or they're not there to be preached to, but in Canada there's a different perspective on American politicians so we just go crazy when we're in Canada," says Martin.
"We would do a Trudeau joke in Windsor, where we might not do it (elsewhere)," adds Short.
The comedy industry has changed since Martin, 74, and Short, 69, started out, but there are still certain topics they avoid.
"I think it's tougher probably in a politically correct world to be as funny as you could be," says Short.
Martin and Short met and became friends on the set of the 1986 film "Three Amigos”.
“I think that you make a choice at the end of an occurrence like that of whether you want to keep up with those people or not and Steve and I both conscientiously said, ‘we like that guy’ and the rest was endless, thousands of dinners and a billion laughs," says Short.
They took their friendship on the road in 2016 with their first live show together and have been touring across North America since then. Their latest tour is called “Now You See Them, Soon You Won’t.”
"It's fun, that's the headline of why we do this. We're not trying to cover the rent anymore. It's to actually look forward to something," says Short.
Being veterans in the industry, they always get asked for advice from people trying to make it in comedy.
"I always tell them to not take it personally, because it is terribly defeating you know?” says Short.
"I wish you'd told me that a long time ago Marty!" Martin quipped back during the phone interview with CTV News.
The comedians made a stop at Caesars Windsor in November, 2018, but they have some new material this time around.
"Yeah I think we do have two major new bits at the end. Jokes are always swapped out, ideas are swapped out," says Martin.
They insist some of the popular bits will still be there.
"To perfect something, to make it a perfect three jokes in a row, it takes so much time and you don't want to ever short change the audience. If they've heard the three jokes before, but it still kills, then I'd personally have to do it again," says Short.
Aside from polishing their performance together, the comedians have earned several accolades on their own throughout the decades.
Martin has earned an Academy Award, five Grammy awards, an Emmy, the Mark Twain Award, and the Kennedy Center Honors. Short, also an Emmy winner, was awarded the Order of Canada in 1994 and was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame in June 2000.
Showtime at Caesars Windsor on Friday is 9 p.m. The supporting acts for are Della Mae with Alison Brown. Jeff Babko will be on the piano. Tickets are available online or at the box office.
