Posted on: Friday, August 10, 2001

Wayne Brady tackling variety genre

Gannett News Service

With all the reality TV shows scheduled for fall, "The Wayne Brady Show," a new series airing 7 p.m. Wednesdays on ABC, is a rarity — a prime-time variety show.

Variety shows once filled networks. As the big networks dropped variety shows, little ones tried. Lately, even small networks have resisted.

Wayne Brady is bent on making the genre work.

He was raised in Orlando, Fla., by his grandmother, a native of the Virgin Islands. Brady didn't pick up her island accent or his classmates' drawls. Instead, he copied everyone. "I wanted to be able to polish my voice," he says. "I wanted to read people; I love studying people."

After his first high school play, Brady was hooked. In Florida, he ranged from serious theater to theme parks. Next came Las Vegas, Nev., and cruise ships and more. "I was a werewolf in the 'Beetlejuice' show. I did birthdays, bar mitzvahs, anything," he recalls.

It was during a revue in Hawai'i that he met his wife, Mandie, a singer-dancer.

Brady succeeded in his audition for the improvisational comedy show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" and soon showed a knack for being able to instantly make up songs in any musical style.

ABC suggested his own show. He insisted on variety. The result is "The Wayne Brady Show." Don Mischer, who has won 13 Emmy awards, is producing.