DÉJÀ LOUCHE

Just to Be Close to You opens with an immaculately coiffed and mustachioed Cam Poter stepping before the packed audience at the Broadwater Studio as his alter ego, the renowned lounge singer, Carl Poteraychke, and immediately announcing, “For my last song – ”

And we are off to the races.

Poter is a clown skilled in the art of absurdity. Those addicted to America’s Got Talent will undoubtedly recall the four tux-suited performers who so distressed Simon Cowell by prancing about, spewing water everywhere, including into each other’s mouths, to the melodic rhythms of “My Heart Will Go On” as sung by Celine Dion. (Despite Simon’s obvious pain, Howie Mandel gave them the “Golden Buzzer.”) Poter was one of that infamous quartet.

Looking like a cross between a lobotomized Tony Orlando and a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming Formula One racer, Poter’s Poteraychke begins crooning, “Just to be close to you, girl, just for an hour, okay – ?” The song is so silly that the audience applauds. Poter so expertly fans the flames of that applause that shouts of encore are soon heard. This is Poter’s cue to repeat the song verbatim, and he goes on repeating it for the next hour, with very minor alterations suggested by audience interplay, beginning each time with “For my last song –”

At first, you expect (and later hope) that perhaps he will deliver a different (if no less brainless) song. But no. This appears to be the only one he knows.

Glancing at someone in the second row like a Lemur pup seeking its mother, he repeats,

“Just to be close to you, girl, just for an hour, okay – ?”

To break up the monotony, there is an occasional exchange with “Song Boy” (Cam’s brother Jeremy Poter), who is running Poteraychke’s lights (badly, and clearly not to Poter’s satisfaction). Then, for his last song,

“Just to be close to you, girl, just for an hour, okay – ?”

Far from being boring, there is a hypnotic quality to Poter’s performance, and before you know it, you find yourself and all the rest of the audience joining in the serenading of –

“Just to be close to you, girl, just for an hour, okay – ?”

Poter has managed to infect us all with his absurdity, which is the hallmark of clowning at its best.

Just to Be Close to You
The Broadwater (Studio), 1078 Lillian Way
part of The Hollywood Fringe Festival
ended on June 29, 2025
for tickets, visit Just to Be Close to You
for more info, visit Cam Poter