Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Thoughtful Collins keeps perspective in check

Lisa Ferguson

Friday, Jan. 30, 2004 | 8:28 a.m.

Bobby Collins might well be a philosopher trapped in a stand-up comedian's body.

The New York born-and-bred funny man peppers his conversation with quaint adages and other nuggets of knowledge gleaned, he says, from growing up in a "poor" family; as being a husband and the father of two nearly teenage girls; and, of course, from having seemingly "seen it all" during his more than two decades working in comedy.

"People have always told me, 'You have a lot of wisdom. You're so grounded. Where'd you learn that?' Hey, you learn it from looking around ... and hopefully not making the mistakes that you've seen the members of your family -- maybe your parents -- people around you" have made, Collins explains.

Also, he makes certain to keep a "balance" in his life: "God first, family second, career third ... If you put one in front of the other, you've always got to get back on where you get off."

Despite numerous television, big-screen and comedy credits, Collins is likely best known as the guy who in the early '90s took over Rosie O'Donnell's gig hosting VH1's "Standup Spotlight." Though he typically headlines large theaters, showrooms and other venues throughout the country, on Sunday he wraps a rare, weeklong club gig at The Comedy Stop at the Tropicana (ticket prices for the special engagement are $25).

Meanwhile, he's in the process of cramming as much insight as possible into a book for publisher Simon and Schuster, tentatively titled "Street Smarts: Everything I Wish Someone Told Me as a Kid." He hopes the tome will hit shelves in September.

"There's a lot of things people are missing out there, and the best way to get the message across is through humor," Collins contended during a call earlier this month from Lake Tahoe, where he was performing. "What better way of using the solid examples that have happened to me in this comedy business for 23 years," as well as "all the lifelong lessons we've learned?"

Those may be the most beneficial -- albeit quirky -- of the bunch: "Never get out of the shower to pee. Always take your own car. Never go back to a good party once you've left, because it's never the same."

"It's the wisdom of life, of seeing things. I don't think people get those ... and to me they were so plain." Probably because while growing up, Collins says, he had so few material possessions. That type of everyday knowledge was "all we relied on."

"You've gotta remember, it's one thing to entertain; it's another to educate, but you don't want to be a preachy guy," he explains. "There's an old saying: 'The truth has a funny ring to it.' Once people hear something, they ... see the ridiculousness of their own lives." Such wisdom is also the basis for his observational brand of humor. On this latest CD, "I Wanna Go Home!," he pokes fun at such mundane topics as cell phones, computers and even his family's dog.

"How hard is it to look around and get more material than you can imagine?" he asks. "We're comics. We're the court jesters now. We've gotta go around from village to village and tell it like it is."

That he does: Collins performs every weekend, and says he is grateful each time he takes the stage. "I thank God every day for what I do. I could be out on the construction crew having a cup of coffee in the freezing cold going, 'What the hell do we gotta do this for?' "

What he won't do -- unlike other comics, he contends -- is sell himself short for a paycheck. "Some of these guys ... they think it's about the money. It's not about the money. I say to them all the time, 'Think about why you got in the business. It was for the thrill, the comedy writing ... a flow of words, of energy coming together.'

"There's an old saying: 'If your heart's full, your wallet's full. Don't put your wallet ahead of your heart.' A lot of guys forget that because they realize it's a business."

But the 49-year-old Collins -- a former exec with fashion designer Calvin Klein's company -- gave big business the boot years ago. During those couture days, he moonlighted in comedy before deciding to pursue laughs full time.

Now he's the one being pursued -- by Hollywood. The Los Angeles resident solidified his small-screen standing when, after replacing O'Donnell, "Standup Spotlight's" ratings doubled. "I'm always considered for things because they go, 'People like this guy.' That's what they always come back with."

Collins claims he's most recently been courted by a major network to host a televised variety show that would originate from Las Vegas. He remains tight-lipped, however, about the show's specifics.

"I keep getting calls from them asking, 'Hey, Bob, how would you handle something?' " he says. "I go, 'Look, I'm a stand-up comic. I live my dream. I love standing in front of people. I've hosted my own television show. I can do this with my eyes closed. But if you guys are looking in another direction, that's OK, because if it's not this one, God will send something else in.' "

Out for laughs

The curtain will fall for a final time Saturday at Catch a Rising Star at Excalibur. The club, which has been at the property since 2000 (and was previously housed at Bally's and MGM Grand), closes following performances by Danny Bevins and Andy Campbell.

Meanwhile rumors are flying about Catch's future in Las Vegas. Word on the street is the club has already signed a very long-term deal to reopen at an undisclosed property in town. The Rio, Palms and Sahara have been bandied about as potential landing spots.

As for plans for a new local home, Lynn Garlock-Wright, who is president, chief operating officer and a partner in Catch a Rising Star, confirms the company does have "something in the works," and says an official announcement will likely be made next month -- prior to the March 1 reopening of Catch's flagship New York club (which closed a couple of years ago) at its new location in Times Square.

Log onto www.ifmstudios.com and check out "By the Sword," a short (six-minute) film by comic-turned-filmmaker John Bizarre, who was profiled in the Nov. 28, 2003, installment of Laugh Lines. Back then, Bizarre explained that after 20-plus years in the business, he intended to abandon funny business and devote himself to creating independent flicks. At the time, he was hard at work on "Buddy & Salazar," which followed a down-and-out, fictional comedy team.