Air America Rhodes Show?

Metropolitan Talent Presents‘ John Scher and Air America Radio talk show diva Randi Rhodes are working to take a different kind of show on the road – one that will combine political commentary, satire, music and comedy in a national tour of theatres and performing arts centers in 2006.

“It’s in the very early planning stages, kind of in the think tank,” Scher told Pollstar. “Air America has some generally well-known names like Al Franken and Janeane Garafalo, but Randi’s become this regular hurricane force in its daily programming. She has a wildly loyal following, and it’s just growing.”

Scher and Rhodes envision a show with three parts: comedy, music and a “Politically Incorrect”-inspired panel discussion with people from both the left and right sides of the political spectrum.

Rhodes told MediaWeek.com she hopes to take the show to some of the 70-plus markets that have Air America affiliates.

“I don’t want people to come watch me do radio because I really can’t imagine what’s more boring than that,” Rhodes told the trade paper, adding she hopes to “really entertain them in a big way and a different way than they get from me on the radio. I’m so excited to do it.”

Scher considers the tentative tour an example of his strategy for Metropolitan Talent Presents.

“My partner, Al Cafaro, and I have a long old relationship with (former Artemis Records CEO) Danny Goldberg, who now runs Air America. Danny is a card-carrying lefty and a good friend of ours and so we started having some dialogue,” Scher explained.

“One of the things we’re doing as a company right now is exploring live entertainment from a niche perspective. There’s plenty of Clear Channels, AEGs, House of Blues and so on out there trying to control national tours of big superstars.

“We’re not suggesting Randi’s going to become an arena attraction but we feel confident that the small theatres and the performing arts centers will be something that we can be very successful at with her, and also extend the Air America brand beyond just radio airwaves,” Scher said. “It’s the first of many things like that you’ll be hearing from us in the next year or so.”

– Debbie Speer