Southern Californians could be seeing a lot of Steve Martin and Martin Short in coming days.
Season Two of their series “Only Murders in the Building” will debut June 28 on the subscription streaming series Hulu, and the actors are bringing their live show to the region.
They will be performing at Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage on Saturday, June 18 and will headline the Fourth of July show at the Hollywood Bowl July 2-4.
In between, the show will be at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, an amphiteater on San Diego’s waterfront, on June 19 and at the Wynn Las Vegas, June 24-25.
All are within driving distance from most points in Southern California to people willing to pay for gasoline.
“That’s why we’re play so many places, so people won’t have to drive very far,” Martin said.
The pair have been friends since they made the 1986 comedy “Three Amigos!” with Chevy Chase and have been doing live shows together since 2015. This edition is called, “You Won’t Believe What They Look Like Today!” Poster art features a photo of Martin from the 1970s, when he became a star during his “wild and crazy guy” stand-up period, and a shot of Short from early in his career, when he became known from his work on “SCTV” and “Saturday Night Live” in the 1970s and ’80s.
They are now 76 and 72, respectively.
In a joint phone interview, Martin said Short came up with the title.
Martin: “I thought it was a good click bait title.
“I don’t know if people are getting it, or just ignoring it, or just think those are current pictures of us.”
Short: “I think that they’re looking at it and smiling. They’re not laughing. Don’t get me wrong. But they’re smiling.”
That’s the kind of humor that fills their live shows. They spend the evening making fun of each other and themselves as well as show business egos.
“Of all the people that I have a fake showbiz relationship with, I feel the fake closest to you,” Short tells Martin in a 2018 show that is available on Netflix.
“You know what I like about touring about with Marty Short?,” Martin says. “No paparazzi.”
Their act includes banter, a slide show, props and music. The cast includes Jeff Babko, Short’s accompanist, and the Steep Canyon Rangers, a bluegrass group that frequently is joined by Martin, who is a banjo player.
Martin: “It’s very jam-packed, a million, jokes, a million bits, different characters. It’s a fast-moving, very, very funny show. And I will say my banjo playing sometimes gets a standing ovation.”
Short: “You can tell people are standing to leave.”
Martin: “Oh, I see.”
Most of the material is new, according to Martin.
“There are a lot of changes, but the shape is the same. We like the shape. We like certain things. We keep it. We have a new closer. We have a new encore. So there are a lot of things that are different. Plus, our audience is older. They won’t actually remember what we did.”
Martin and Short will do their full show in Rancho Mirage. Their Hollywood Bowl show will be shorter because the program also includes the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Thomas Wilkins, and fireworks.
Martin: “We can only do an hour and 10 minutes, and our normal show would be almost two hours. I think the audience will miss Marty, but we had to cut.”
Short: “As long as the check clears, I have no issues.”
Their chemistry is on display in “Only Murders in the Building,” which also stars Selena Gomez. The three play amateur sleuths in New York City who bond creating a true-crime podcast about the murder of a neighbor. The cast includes several Broadway actors, including Nathan Lane, TV stars such as Tina Faye and Jane Lynch, and quirky guest stars. Sting, playing himself, is one of the murder suspects.
Season Two will begin where the first season left off, according to Hulu, with the trio being arrested for a new crime after solving the murder.
Martin said new episodes will follow the same formula as Season One, with lots of twists and guest stars, including Shirley MacLaine.
“We’ve seen it. We’ve seen everything but the final episode, and we really like it.”
Working so frequently with Martin has deepened their friendship, according to to Short.
“I think it made it more intense. When you get to hang with someone you enjoy hanging with, it confirms what you always know, and that’s a good thing.”
Their wisecracks may surprise their audiences, but they don’t surprise each other.
Martin: “Marty makes me laugh. I don’t know if that counts as surprise.”
Short: “If I never made you laugh, that would be a surprise, yes.”
Steve Martin and Martin Short
Rancho Mirage: 8 p.m., Saturday, June 18, The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Rancho Mirage, 32-250 Bob Hope Drive, $130-$170 plus fees. aguacalientecasinos.com
San Diego: 7:30 p.m., June 19, Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, Embarcadero Marina Park South, 222 Marina Park Way’ sold out but may be available through ticket brokers, theshell.org
Las Vegas: 8 p.m., June 24-25, Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd S., $140-$275 plus fees, wynnlasvegas.com
Los Angeles: 7:30 p.m., July 2-4. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N Highland Ave., $21-$305 plus fees, hollywoodbowl.com
Information: stevemartin.com
‘Only Murders in the Building”
When: Season One is streaming now on Hulu. Season Two will debut on June 28.
Information: hulu.com
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