Do you know Al Canal? St. Louis booker has shaped comedy careers for decades – STLtoday.com

With most successful comedians, theres a team behind the scenes that helped them reach their full potential. Al Canal is one of those background players. The St. Louis man with the memorable moniker has left an indelible impression on the world of comedy.

Now the general manager for the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville, the 58-year-old says his career in comedy on the stage and as a booking agent happened completely by accident.

Canal graduated from Horton Watkins High School in Ladue and says he often felt lost as a child. He was born with a speech impediment (a tick which has never been explained, he says) that was often ridiculed by classmates.

I took a lot of flak growing up for the way I speak, but now I know that my impediment has been a blessing its me, Canal says through a grin.

In fact, it was his lack of elocution that captured the attention of a young Pauly Shore, the actor and comedian.

I dont mean to be politically incorrect when I say this, but when I first met Al, I thought he was a short bus person, and I still do, Shore says. In all seriousness, Al is an awesome person, and I enjoy hanging out with him whenever I play the Midwest.

Gallagher performs for a sold-out crowd at the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville, Ill. on Saturday, June 24, 2017. Photo by Jon Gitchoff

Canal never set out to be a stand-up comedian, but a couple of serendipitous things helped set the stage.

One of those: his last name, which was given to him by a group of friends in 1977. He had been joking about a root-canal procedure that he was upset about. The name Canal stuck.

(His real surname? He prefers to keep that a mystery though caller ID will give him away.)

A short time later, as a joke for his friends, he ordered a batch of custom hats from a University City printing shop. His catchphrase I Know Al Canal. Do you? was born.

Canals introduction to comedy came in 1980 while sitting in the audience at a little Clayton club called Bilbos Back Room. Local comedian Craig Hawksley invited him onstage to answer a simple question. Canals answer got a laugh from the crowd, and that was enough to hook him.

Comedy is a big commodity, but the bottom line is entertaining people, he says.

He performed stand-up for nearly a decade. A 1981 Post-Dispatch article described his act as built around outrageous props, such as a beginners bowling ball with training wheels, a Hare Krishna outfit for airport travelers and pet food for designer shirt emblems.

He also expanded his line of I Know Al Canal memorabilia to include red bumper stickers, which have found their way onto cars and lamp posts all around the world. Forty years later, Canal estimates that there are at least 10,000 of his stickers in circulation.

Even legendary comedian Bill Engvall admits to having one of them in his possession.

Canals stage days came to an end when he started booking talent for the Funny Bone at West Port Plaza, from the late 1980s to the mid-90s. In 1988, a Post-Dispatch writer called Canal the governor of dreams because of the power he wielded in determining which open-mic comedians got onstage at the club.

I call it the selection of the good, the bad and the ugly, he told the Post-Dispatch then. Ive got to make sure the audience sees a good show.

Theres no school for being a comedian. The open mic is where the dues are paid.

Today, Canal lives in Creve Coeur with his wife of 28 years, Peggy. They have a 24-year-old daughter, Madeline. Those are the accomplishments he says hes most proud of.

For nearly a decade, Canal worked as a booking agent, meeting talented comedians who went on to bigger things. After a while of booking these acts every week, its like having an old friend come to visit you, he says.

Popular performers such as Kathleen Madigan (a Florissant native) and Ron White have been touched by his hand. White even asked Canal to be his manager at one point.

My only regret is probably not taking Ron up on his offer to become his manager, Canal says, but I declined, knowing he would need someone who could take him further than I could have.

Some of the comedians hes worked with, such as Latin King of Comedy Alex Reymundo, even consider Canal to be part of the family.

I met Al in 1989 when mullets were cool, and we both had one, Reymundo says with a laugh. We have become so close that my wife even refers to the guest room in our home as Als room.

Hes just a class act both personally and professionally, and Im always amazed by how many people love him. He is just a wealth of knowledge.

St. Louis comedian Jessie Taylor says he resisted the idea of opening his own comedy club

Jessie Taylor, a local comedian who owns the Laugh Lounge in Florissant, has known Canal for nearly three decades.

He is a legend and the last of the great booking agents, Taylor says. Al books by funny, not by color, and if not for him there is no way people like (St. Louis native) Cedric the Entertainer, Percy Crews and (the late) Rahn Ramey would have been able to be booked at the bigger clubs.

At the Funny Bone, Canal was the first booking agent in the Midwest to hire Jason Stuart, an openly gay comedian, to headline in the 1990s. Im proud of that, because before that, Jason could only get work on the East and West Coasts during that time, Canal says.

Comedy magician Mac King, who has opened for the past 17 years at Harrahs in Las Vegas, credits Canal for his popular show.

Al has flown out a number of times over the years, and Im always amazed by the vision that he has, King says. He has given me a few suggestions for my show, and they work every single time.

Canal also spent time working as a traveling consultant for comedy clubs. But everything changed in 2013, when he attended a show at the Wildey Theatre. He was instantly taken by the historic venue, and when he learned it needed a general manager, the rest fell into place.

Since taking over the Wildey in March 2014, Canal has managed to turn a profit.

General manager and talent buyer Al Canal (right) chats with comedian Artie Fletcher in the lobby of the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville, Ill. before a sold-out show on Saturday, June 24, 2017. Photo by Jon Gitchoff

Its a good gig, Canal says, but its a joint effort, and at the end of the night when the audience, artist and staff is happy thats my gratification.

Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton is pleased with the changes Canal has brought to the 108-year-old theater. After a restoration, the city reopened the long-shuttered venue in 2011.

Al has a passion for entertainment, always focusing on professionalism with the performer and the satisfaction of the guests, he says. He brought the old theater back to life. His energy and quick sense of humor create a great atmosphere at the theater and our city.

The 326-seat Wildey is no stranger to sell-out crowds for a variety of acts, from comedians to musicians. Canal has elevated the quality of the shows, and a buzz has been building among entertainers who would like to play there.

The long-running rock band Gypsy chose the Wildey to be the setting for its final shows Nov. 3-4.

Edwardsville is lucky to have Al, says James Walsh, the bands founder. Hes the real deal, and you feel like family with him.

Weve been around for 50 years, and we could play our final show anywhere in the country. But because of Al, we are choosing to play our last show at the Wildey.

Go! Magazine's go-to guide for the weekend's best entertainment in and around the Lou, delivered weekly to your inbox.

The rest is here:
Do you know Al Canal? St. Louis booker has shaped comedy careers for decades - STLtoday.com