My last post tried to explain why our bookings sometimes aren’t announced until maddeningly close to the date in question. Right after I wrote it, I was reminded there is an even worse circumstance that arises which is also based on the hope for an ultimately great booking. It’s when a customer comes to the door with tickets that have been purchased in advance for an act they now find is not going to be there.

That happens rarely but when Mo Mandel was not present for his advertised Friday, February 12 appearance. Comedy fan Jay Fields let us have it in a strongly worded email demanding a refund. It’s easy to understand how upsetting the situation was to Jay. All things considered, his tone was admirably civil.

The thing of it is though, Mo had to cancel just the day before (and we had to understand and perhaps even were expected to support his decision as it was going to cost him money) because his agent had just told Mo he was in the running for a cast member role on a new TV series that was going to star Tim Allen.

“It’s the chance of a lifetime for me,” Mo explained, “I would be one of his kids. The producers like me but they need to see my chemistry with the guy they like for playing my brother. We have to do a kind of a Lenny and George reading for them.”

Today Ron Reid forwarded a blurb he read in a trade newsletter: “Jere Burns will star in Fox’s comedy, Strange Brew, along with newly added Aya Cash, Skylar Astin and Mo Mandel.”

Holy shit, he got it! I called Mo and, perhaps for the last time, he personally returned my call and quickly rattled off, “I’m going to be playing a 22-year-old. Tim Allen is out. It's about a dysfunctional family with major problems that revolve around their running a family brewery in Colorado (no not Coors) that has fallen on hard times since the death of its founder.”

Break a leg, Mo. Don't forget who let you out of that gig so it could all happen. Hope we can get your back at the end of the first season.

Oh and if anyone is wondering whether Mo will be the Lenny or the George character, “I went in going to be the smart brother and came out being the dumb one.” If that doesn’t answer your question, Google Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.”