By Ruth SOWBY

In his show “Unassisted Living,” funnyman Fritz Coleman has gone from reporting on the weather to joking about it. At the sold out matinee performance on April 27 at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, Coleman kept his mature audience on the sunny side of the street as he geared his material to the older folk.  

“Right now, I’m using a pill caddy for my medication,” Coleman said. “You know – the one that has the days of the week on it. Up until a year ago, I was using it for fishing tackle.”  

 The audience in El Portal’s 1400 seat theatre, the Monroe Forum, hung on Coleman’s every joke.  

“How about an old guy who thinks he’s an athlete?” Coleman joked. “He wears a speedo over Depends.”

Comic Wendy Liebman was also on the bill. Liebman has starred in specials for HBO, Showtime and Comedy Central. A semi-finalist on NBC-TV’s “America’s Got Talent,” Liebman was an effective companion for Coleman – she poked fun at herself.  

“My doctor wanted to give me hormones to spice up my sex life,” joked Liebman. “I don’t need hormones, I’ll just take acting lessons.”  

Both comics mingled with audience members after the show. They posed for photos, signed autographs and generally schmoozed with audience members.

Coleman took a little time from his fans to talk with the CV Weekly where he admitted he liked retirement.  

“I don’t have the pressures. I just relax,” he said. “Comedy is important to people. They want to be taken out of their heads. Comedy takes a little of the fear out of life.”  

He hopes to take his show on the road; in fact, he just got word that his monthly “Unassisted Living” show is on permanent residency at the El Portal.  

His next show is on Sunday, May 25 at 3 p.m. Show proceeds will benefit the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund.