Guest Host, Nathan Lane. Mr. Lane's guests: Mel Brooks; comedian Mario Cantone; and star of Broadway and Tony Winner, Kristin Chenoweth. PLUS: A video of How Nathan Got The Job!

Well now, that was really something! That was laugh-out-loud fun and I rarely laugh out loud. Nathan Lane did a fantastic job, making it all look too easy.

I was busy doing other things during the show so I'll have to do this much from memory.

Nathan Lane came out, dressed in all black, to a rousing ovation. He did a very strong monologue, telling jokes (HIS JOKES) that related quite well with The Late Show. It is obvious that Nathan watches the show. And he told his jokes well, very smooth and comfortable, not a groaner in the bunch.

Nathan followed his monologue with a little song called, We Only Got An Hour Here. Again, it was well written and performed brilliantly. I was amazed at how well the first ACT went when I think of the amount of rehearsal time involved. Nathan came on stage at 6:40, 10 minutes after the completion of the taping of Friday's show. He rehearsed for a half hour. This sports-minded jock was very impressed.

MEL BROOKS: Took him 5 minutes to sit down. The rapport between Mr. Brooks and Nathan was thoroughly enjoyable to watch. Nathan did a fantastic job of interviewing. He introduced Mel with, "...Ladies and gentlemen, it's a true honor to welcome, Mel Brooks" and I think that was the last thing Nathan said till after midnight. Mel just took off from there. When Nathan was eventually able to get a word in, I really liked his interview manner. When Nathan would come up with a good line, he wouldn't stop and smile at the camera, satisfied with his wit while waiting for the audience adulating reaction. No. Nathan would throw out a line and continue with the questioning without signalling to the audience "I made a funny." If you (the audience) were not listening closely enough, you would have missed it but in Nathan's thinking, you deserve to miss it. I like that. We learn in the ACT that Mel got his start in the show business with the help of a Pincus Cohen.

Mel stayed out for two ACTS, the second ACT reserved to feature Mel's genius in wine. Blind folded, Mel could tell the year, make, and model of a wine simply by sniffing and tasting. (I am not well schooled in the vino. Is it appropriate to classify wine by "year, make, and model", or is that only when talking cars?)

Anyway, right as Mel took another sip of the wine, Nathan mentions that this particular wine was bottled by Pincus Cohen. Mel was caught in that dreaded place of spit or not. He had to laugh but could not with a mouthful of wine. So he quickly ran behind Nathan and spit the wine back by the windows, much to the delight of the Ed Sullivan Theater rats. (I'm not sure if that's exactly how the name "Pincus Cohen" came up again but I do know the name was the impetus for Mel's having to spit.) It was a good, strong two ACTS with Mel Brooks and the comedian was next.

MARIO CANTONE: dressed in all black - High energy! The crowd loved him as Mario went the way of Broadway. Did a great Carol Channing, Liza Minnelli, Marlon Brando, and Siegfried and Roy. Being not as familiar with the Broadway theater as I should be, I probably missed much of the inner jokes from Cantone but I found him engrossing none the less. A very strong 5 minutes and much appreciated by the enthusiastic crowd.

KRISTIN CHENOWETH: Tony Award winner for her performance in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown. Kristin came from the hotbed of Broadway stars of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Kristin says she is a huge fan of Mel Brooks and not surprisingly, Madeline Kahn. After a brief chat, Kristin and Nathan sang "You're Just In Love" to finish off the show.

It was a great show from start to finish and the best thing of all, Nathan takes a great commercial cue. Did you hear Nathan thank Barbara Gaines and Matt Roberts during the good nights? Nice touch.

note: there is also a picture from the show with the caption "This was no 'Ishtar,' no 'Heaven's Gate'. In the end, funny guy Nathan Lane made it all look so easy."

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