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Seinfeld Has Fresh Approach

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By RYAN BAUER

rbauer@tbo.com

Published: February 27, 2009

ST. PETERSBURG - As Jerry Seinfeld took the Mahaffey Theater stage Thursday night, he told the sold-out audience that he was happy to be in St. Petersburg, "A tiny city without one curb. Don't you guys like curbs?"

Most of the 54-year-old comedian's material touched upon his life after marriage and having three children. But if you think that married life falls between airline food and the differences between Los Angeles and New York on the cliche-o-meter, be assured that he offers a fresh spin.

He avoided social and political fodder, choosing to rant about the insane presentation of the nightly TV news rather than the stories that appeared on it.

Seinfeld has remained largely out of the spotlight since the last episode of his hit sitcom, "Seinfeld," aired in 1998, ending a nine-season run as one of the most successful shows in history. But last year found him busy as the voice of Barry B. Benson in DreamWorks' animated film "Bee Movie," and he appeared alongside Bill Gates in an ad campaign for Windows Vista.

On Thursday, The Associated Press reported that Seinfeld has inked a deal to return to NBC as the producer of a comic reality series called "The Marriage Ref." It's not clear whether Seinfeld will appear on the air or remain behind the scenes in his producer role.

Opening Thursday's show was comedian, actor and Seinfeld friend Larry Miller. His 20-minute set was a superb fit and felt like a tasty appetizer.

The 90-minute show ended with a standing ovation for Seinfeld and a quick Q&A encore with the audience.

"Do the show again," shouted one fan, to which Seinfeld replied, "I'm old, I'm rich and I'm tired. And it's a result of your kind support over all these years."

Seinfeld has two shows tonight at the Mahaffey Theater.

Reporter Ryan Bauer can be reached at (813) 259-7518.

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