A Headliner's Headliner: Jimmie JJ Walker Takes the Stage at The Park Theatre

Critically acclaimed stand-up comic and award-winning actor Jimmie JJ Walker brings his brand of comedy to the Park Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 15. James Carter Walker Jr., known professionally as Jimmie Walker is best known for portraying James Evans Jr. ("JJ"), the oldest son of Florida and James Evans Sr., on the CBS television series "Good Times" (1974–1979). Known for his famous motto "Dyn-o-mite!", this is Walker's first appearance at the Park Theatre. In 1972 he was working as the main attraction in all the top comedy clubs and his soaring popularity prompted Time Magazine to name him "Comedian of the Decade." Walker appeared on countless films and television shows including: "Airplane!" and "Airport '79" and he was a regular on television shows like "The Love Boat" and "Fantasy Island." In recent years he's made scene-stealing appearances on "The George Lopez Show," "Everybody Hates Chris" with Chris Rock and "Scrubs." Even with his demanding schedule, Walker continued to appear as the headliner at top comedy clubs, including the world famous Comedy Store in Los Angeles. His joke writing team included a young David Letterman, Jay Leno and Byron Allen. When reached by phone on the road recently, Jimmie Walker says he doesn't have a home base now per se. "I'm all over the globe. I work constantly and I'm on the road all the time. We just keep movin'." He says he performs about 40 to 45 weeks a year, so his tour bus is putting on thousands of miles. "You get on the bus, Gus, and go. You do it so often it's like getting up and going to the bathroom," Walker says with a laugh. Walker's early comedic influences are many, including Dick Gregory and Godfrey Cambridge. "I've been through five decades of comedy and now it's a whole new thing. We go back to Will Rogers, Mark Russell and Henny Youngman," adds Walker. He got his start in stand up at age 19 and performed in all of the coffee houses in New York. "We were lucky that we worked all over. TV was different then. The lead dog was Johnny Carson. When I saw the Bob Dylan film recently, I said, "That was my life!" That is the way I started … exactly from the Gaslight Café to Gerde's Folk City." When Walker started stand up 50 years ago, the number of stand-up comics were about 150. "Now there are over 11,000 stand-up comics! Can you imagine?" Walker remarks. When asked who some of his favorite up-and-coming comedians are now, Walker replies, "Dustin Ybarra. Then there are veterans like George Wallace, (Lavell) Crawford is good, you could name 100 out of the 11,000. Steven Wright — you almost can't laugh because the jokes are so good. I just go "Oh My God, Steven's so good!" He's one of the most avant garde guys out of there." Walker mentions South Bronx native and his friend, comic Susie Essman, who is best known for her role as Susie Greene on "Curb Your Enthusiasm." "She is fabulous! She plays that character so well and she is not even close to that. She's the sweetest person." Walker reminisces about other great stand-up comedians including Jim Carrey and Michael Keaton. "Even (Andrew) Dice Clay — his acting — you can go, "Wow, that is the Dice man." Everybody has what they like to do." His television series "Good Times" is still so popular today. "Many streaming series play "Good Times" reruns today so Walker's got two generations of fans following him," says Steve Jackson Jr., CEO and managing director of the Park Theatre. "We do a lot of stand-up comedy at the Park Theatre and it resonates really well with our audience. Jimmie is such an icon of sitcom television with his show "Good Times." We're proud to present him. It will be a ton of fun," adds Jackson. SHOW DETAILS Jimmie "JJ" Walker & Friends at the Park Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Eppes Auditorium at The Park Theatre, 19 Main St., in Jaffrey. Doors open at 6 p.m. with music by Eve Pierce in The Lounge. Tickets are $35, $40 and $45. All seats are reserved. Buy tickets in advance at www.theparktheatre.org or call the box office at (603) 532-8888.