Armadeo Fusca in “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus Live!” at the Adler Theatre -- March 7.
Thursday, March 7, 7:30 p.m.
Adler Theatre, 136 East Third Street, Davenport IA
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the off-Broadway sensation, the nationally touring comedy Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus Live! lands at Davenport's Adler Theatre on March 7, with the show's original writer Eric Cable and director Mindy Cooper back to inject new life into the script, ensuring its relevance and resonance with audiences on 2024.
Before it became a stage smash, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus was a book written by relationship counselor Gray. His work stated that most common relationship problems between men and women are a result of fundamental psychological differences between the sexes, which the author exemplified by means of its eponymous metaphor: that men and women are from distinct planets – men from Mars and women from Venus – and that each sex is acclimated to its own planet's society and customs, but not to those of the other. One example is men's complaint that if they offer solutions to problems that women bring up in conversation, the women are not necessarily interested in solving those problems, but mainly want to talk about them. Gray's book went on to assert that each gender can be understood in terms of distinct ways they respond to stress and stressful situations.
To date, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus has sold more than 15 million copies and, according to a CNN report, was the "highest ranked work of non-fiction" of the 1990s, spending 121 weeks on the bestseller list. The book and its central metaphor have become a part of popular culture and the foundation for the author's subsequent books, recordings, seminars, theme vacations, one-man Broadway show, TV sitcom, workout videos, a podcast, men's and ladies' apparel lines, fragrances, travel guides, and even his-and-hers salad dressings.
Moving swiftly through a series of vignettes, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus Live! is a seamless blend of theatre and standup, and covers everything from dating and marriage to the bedroom. Now in its tenth year, this hysterical show will have couples elbowing each other all evening as they see themselves on stage, and while the sexy and fast-paced comedy is definitely for adults, it tends to leave audiences laughing and giggling like little kids!. When Mars and Venus collide, the adventures are earth-shatteringly hysterical in this popular touring event that finds a little storytelling blended with laughs and a dash of sage wisdom from the book, resulting in a delicious evening of entertainment.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the show's "martian" Amadeo Fusca has now performed Men are From Mars Women are From Venus Live! in more than 60 cities over 30 states and in front of 70,000 people and counting. In 2013, he won the legendary Friars Club "So You Think You Can Roast?" competition, beating out 55 other comedians roasting '80s child star Ricky Schroeder and NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman in the process. As the winner, Fusca was among the dais to roast Jack Black along with comic legends such as "Roastmaster" General Jeff Ross, Sarah Silverman, Amy Schumer, Bob Saget, and Jerry Lewis, and his success at the roast landed him two quotes in Entertainment Weekly's list of funniest jokes from the event.
The touring production of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus Live! comes to Davenport on March 7, admission to the 7:30 p.m. comedy are $27-55, and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 and visiting AdlerTheatre.com.
