News of Rick Perry’s indictment broke on Friday, after the script for that Sunday’s Top Story! Weekly was locked. And we didn’t really have anyone in the cast to play Rick Perry. But when I saw that Perry’s troubles arose out of the drunk driving arrest of a political rival, I realized that was the way to hit the story. I churned this out in about 40 minutes, and Stacy Rumaker did an absolutely awesome job as the drunk D.A. explaining the case. And at the end is our tribute to Robin Williams who had passed away the preceding Monday.
ROSEMARY LEHMBERG EXPLAINS RICK PERRY’S INDICTMENT by Michael Hughes
I did a take on the Donald Sterling/Clippers matter by using the old “slice of life” approach. The pace is too slow in this scene, but I think you’ll get what I’m going for.
The concept of a Johnny Carson sex tape was so rich for comedy that we did two sketches in one show on it. The first – by Sean Tierney – probably played a little better, but mine was fun too.
Hey! It’s been a while! But when our show’s most loyal fan, Herb Koss, celebrated his 80th birthday a few days before our March 9th show I knew we had to do something to address it. Brian Vestal does an absolutely amazing characterization of Herb here – even if you don’t know him, you’ll really enjoy it!!
I was in the show this week so I went to the writers’ meeting to generate some material. And out of that came this idea for a sketch about the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination, which I co-wrote with our director Adam Campbell-Schmitt and one of our top writers, Sean Tierney. I was backstage so I didn’t hear how great the audience response was until I watched the video – and I was really happy with the results!
This sketch didn’t go quite as well as I hoped – I don’t think the audience was that familiar with “Scandal,” and some of the dialogue wasn’t as precise as it needed to be – but I do love watching Grasie Mercedes play Olivia Pope!
This one came out well. Obviously this past Sunday in Top Story! Weekly we had to hit the Jason Collins coming out story. But I wanted to do something more on the reaction, almost uniformly supportive. I thought about making it supportive to a ridiculous degree, and some really good acting all round made it pay off big time!
With Justin Bieber back in the news due to his rough week in London, and Tillery Johnson in our cast, it was time for another Bieber sketch. And this one Tillery helped me write!
Whattya know? After two months I finally get a sketch in Top Story! Weekly again!
Our writing staff is so good that I hadn’t been able to get a sketch in since November. But when Brian O’Connell guest directed I knew I could try to go a little dark. And when the story (which turned out to be a fake) about Justin Bieber fans cutting themselves to try to get him to stop smoking pot, I knew I had just the right angle!
So this sketch started out as a two-liner, but then I had the idea to turn it into an extended blackout. And this is also a rare instance where I not only wrote the sketch but I’m in it as well. Mitch’s character’s name, the director Gershwin B. Shaw, is the same one that Sean Cowhig had in the third sketch from this show in 2009, where a sketch by Matt Blitz had a somewhat similar theme. And some of us on stage did not break when we saw Mitch’s costume!!
Mike Hughes' blog 
Watch “Rosemary Lehmberg Explains Rick Perry’s Indictment” From Top Story! Weekly Episode 262: “Perry Deep Trouble”
August 22, 2014News of Rick Perry’s indictment broke on Friday, after the script for that Sunday’s Top Story! Weekly was locked. And we didn’t really have anyone in the cast to play Rick Perry. But when I saw that Perry’s troubles arose out of the drunk driving arrest of a political rival, I realized that was the way to hit the story. I churned this out in about 40 minutes, and Stacy Rumaker did an absolutely awesome job as the drunk D.A. explaining the case. And at the end is our tribute to Robin Williams who had passed away the preceding Monday.
ROSEMARY LEHMBERG EXPLAINS RICK PERRY’S INDICTMENT by Michael Hughes
Starring Stacy Rumaker (Rosemary Lehmberg), Matthew Harris (Matt) and Brent Pope (Brent)
Directed by Kristina Adelmeyer
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Tags:Adrian Cronauer, Aladdin, Ashleigh Hairston, Austin Texas, Bennie Arthur, Brent Pope, Dead Poets Society, district attorney, drunk driving, Genie, Good Morning Vietnam, Good Will Hunting, Hook, John Keating, Matthew Harris, Michael Hughes, Mike Hughes, Mitchel Baldwin, Mork, Mork and Mindy, Mrs. Doubtfire, Oh Captain My Captain, Peter Banning, Peter Pan, Rick Perry, Robin Williams, Rosemary Lehmberg, Sean Maguire, Stacy Rumaker, Texas Public Integrity Unit, Top Story! Weekly, Zach Zucker
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