Bostonist loves Billy Connolly

Billy Connolly is performing for a week-long stint at the ART in Harvard Square and Bostonist was in the audience last night. Let us tell you right now - this show is well worth your entertainment dollars.

Bostonist and our guest had suffered through a very trying day and evening before making our way to the theatre, and we were more than a little grumpy. The first two minutes of Connolly's act were enough to make us forget the day's trouble and focus just on trying to catch our breath between guffaws.

For those unfamiliar with Connolly's style, he relates observational comedy in a seemingly scattered conversational manner, often leaving one train of thought altogether only to return to it much later in the show. His thick Scottish accent lends a charm to nearly every word to come out of his mouth - even when he wasn't being overtly funny, we felt that we could listen to him for hours.

Connolly's material stayed clear of current events and instead focused on personal anecdotes. (A few favorite moments of ours were descriptions of a stint performing in Norwood, MA decades ago, and a list of close-encounters with vomiting women.) The effect of this anecdotal style was a sense that we were listening to our funniest friend, rather than watching a performance - indeed, we were left wondering how much of his act was "material" and how much was (brilliantly) ad-libbed.

We will be eagerly awaiting our next opportunity to see Connolly - don't miss his show!

"Billy Connolly LIVE!" runs through June 23 at the ART's Loeb Drama Center in Harvard Square. Shows start at 8pm. (Image courtesy Jemma Lambert)