Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
The Strand Theater in Hudson Falls presents “A Comedy Matinee with 90-Year-Old Marlene,” Saturday, March 4, at 4 p.m.
Marlene Osier tells The Chronicle she started doing comedy in her 60s, between acts as part of the Sweet Adelines women’s barbershop chorus. Word spread, and she paired with Patricia Joyce, the longtime Glens Falls-area resident and LARAC director, doing comedy sketches as the washerwomen “Maude” and “Gert.”
Eventually, Mrs. Osier took Gert out on her own as well.
Much of her humor is in the style of Henny Youngman, she says, joking about her husband “Murray” — something her real husband Dave enjoyed while he was still alive, she said.
She does reunions, family gatherings, conventions, even cruise ships.
“I’m very clean,” she says of her jokes — though she also says about 10 years ago, to help an event organizer play a prank on a buddy, she dressed up as “The 80-year-old Playboy Bunny,” complete with faded grey tail and droopy ears, to deliver an ancient copy of the magazine to her unsuspecting prey.
— Cathy DeDe
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