St. Louisans who enjoy laughing are in for a special treat. Hani Skutch, a St. Louis-born stand-up comedian, is coming home to share her humor and life story as an American-Israeli cat-loving, coffee-drinking, purple-haired wife, mother, sister, friend and daughter. She performs at comedy clubs throughout Israel, the U.S. and Europe, but is making a special trip to St. Louis.

“I have an aunt who lives in St. Louis and when I’m in the U.S. I like to visit her so that’s why I’ll be in St Louis,” said Skutch.

It’s also her chance to come home, literally.

“I was born in St. Louis and was a Cardinals fan early on. Both my parents were from St. Louis and though I left as a little kid, it always held a certain mystique and feeling of roots for me,” said Skutch, who made aliyah in 1997 with her husband, David Freedman, and two children. She now lives in Rehovot, a small town 12 miles south of Tel Aviv.

Skutch comedy

For this visit to St. Louis, Skutch is not playing a theater or a local comedy club. Instead, she will be performing her “Comedy with a Side of Purple” show at the Mirowitz Center on Friday, March 1.

“As of now, I am not performing anywhere else in town, and I am excited about performing at Mirowitz. I have a few friends in town and cousins who helped me make contact,” said Skutch. “Isn’t that what friends are for, ‘sung in the style of Dionne Warwick?'”

What to expect

Like most Israelis, Skutch lives with the daily reality a war brings. Her comedy reflects that.

“I live a 4-minute walk from the military cemetery of my town and the early days in October after the 7th it was heartbreaking,” said Skutch. “There’s not much funny there. But life is still funny, but you have to look for it. You have to recognize it. You have to be open to it, which of course is hard to do when your heart is breaking.”

That said, Skutch hopes her St. Louis audience will have a great time laughing, smiling and getting inside her head for a short time.

“I think what makes comedy work is that there’s a universal truth that we all understand. Mostly I hope they’ll have a good time,” said Skutch.

Comedy with a Side of Purple!

When: March 1, from 1 to 2 p.m.
Where: Mirowitz Center, 8 Millstone Campus Dr.

More info: Open to the public, Free, but please register in advance.

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