Finding the humor in life

Anyone can tell a joke, but it takes talent to turn life’s dysfunction into something an audience can relate to and still laugh about.

Writer-comedian and Petaluma resident Rick Reynolds did just that by turning the story of his difficult childhood into “Only the Truth is Funny,” a one-man comedy show that earned him two Emmy nominations in the early 1990s.

“It was as big a hit as hoped for and we sold out many shows in San Francisco, Los Angeles and off-Broadway,” said Reynolds. “When we were done with the show, people wanted it to go across country and play everywhere, but my wife and I had just had a baby and I kind of wanted to stay home. The show ends with the birth of my son, Cooper.”

And now, 17 years later, Reynolds is gearing up for the Jan. 28 debut of “Only the Truth is Funny 2009” on the Cinnabar Theater stage. The show picks up where he left off and brings the audience up to date with where life has taken him.

“Cooper is going off to college now, so I decided to redo the show and reconfigure it,” said Reynolds. “It’s an updating. I’ve had an unusual life and I’m amazed at how many people came up to me after the original show and said how they didn’t necessarily have the same experiences, but they felt the same things I did, and could relate.”

Those who saw “Only the Truth is Funny” may remember Reynolds sharing the details of his abusive, dysfunctional childhood, and how he survived it and picked up the ingredients for happiness along the way. It’s different from the stand-up comedy he started out doing, which was about telling jokes and poking fun. That kind of stand-up comedy left him feeling unfulfilled.

“I got to thinking about how I hang with intelligent people, but then I’d get on stage and talk about toasters and my wife’s big butt,” he said. “I was pandering. That’s when I got to thinking about writing a show that was really smart and still funny. I did it and was stunned by the audience reaction. My favorite thing now is having people feel connected to me. Actors get on stage and pretend to be someone else. Comedians pretend to be themselves. I get on stage and I truly am myself.”

“Only the Truth is Funny,” as well as its updated version, offers laughs about the silly moments in Reynolds’ life, but also shares some difficult, personal struggles he’s had through the years.

“A lot of people have told me I’m very brave for talking about something so personal, but I don’t feel brave at all,” said Reynolds. “This is what I do. I have no secrets. I talk about everything. The show is uplifting and sentimental. It’s a belly laugh for the heart.”

The best part of the show for Reynolds is being able to connect with his audience in a way that doing ordinary stand-up comedy couldn’t.

“I was a stand-up comic for years, and a successful one, doing appearances on Leno and Letterman,” he said. “It used to be that I’d get applause after a show and that meant, ‘I think you’re funny.’ With this show, the reaction I get is, ‘We like you and we think we know you.’ It’s a whole different type of connection. I love this show and I love performing it.”

The original show became a Showtime special and spun off into the CBS sitcom, “Life and Stuff.” Reynolds said the updated “Only the Truth is Funny” may head to San Francisco for a while and hopefully go on the road.

“It’s hugely entertaining and I can’t wait to perform it,” he said. “I know that people are going to respond positively to it. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Showtimes for “Only the Truth is Funny 2009” are at 8 p.m. Jan. 28-29 and Feb. 1, 5-7, 12-13 at Cinnabar Theater, 3333 Petaluma Blvd. North. Tickets are $20. For more information, call 763-8920 or visit www.cinnabartheater.org.

(Contact Yovanna Bieberich at yovanna.bieberich@argus courier.com)