Andy Kaufman

Andy Kaufman never considered himself a comedian. If given the choice, he would rather have been introduced to audiences as a song-and-dance man. Andy felt being introduced as a comedian put pressure on the audience to laugh. Besides, sometimes they didn't laugh and Andy wanted it that way. Andy worked to create real reactions. He wanted people to laugh from the gut, get sad from the gut - or get angry from the gut.

No one could put a label on Andy because he was more than a song-and-dance man -- some say he was a performance artist. Perhaps they're right, Andy didn't tell jokes; he explored ideas. At any given moment he could be his invisible twin brother Dhrupick, a wrestler, a comic, Elvis Presley, an immigrant, a folk singer, Tony Clifton, an evangelist, Nathan Richards, a fakir, Tony Piccinnini, a magician, Nathan McCoy, a robot butler, a provocateur or a spy.

Dismissed by many as eccentric, Andy's refusal to break character - to let the audience in on the joke - sometimes pushed his art over the edge. His performances were more avante-garde theater than traditional stand-up comedy. Offstage, he continued to push the limits of reality, and casual observers found it difficult to understand the real Andy Kaufman.

Yes, despite what you've heard, Andy Kaufman is gone. Andy left us on May 16, 1984 -- Eighteen years later his legacy continues. Join us for a look into the life and times of Andy "Troubadour" Kaufman.

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