For 14 years, former attorney Mike Wypasek played straight man in the courtroom. But tonight, at Legally Roasted: The People vs. Mr. Sunshine, the veteran area comic goes on trial on charges that he's bombed too many punchlines. "I deny all charges," he says, laughing. "My accusers wouldn't know comedy if it walked up and bit them on the arse."<
The 50-year-old Wypasek — who whines to all his friends about never getting booked on late-night TV — is known as Mr. Sunshine in local comedy clubs. Fellow funnyman Joe Hannum punctures Wypasek's grandiosity with a parody of his answering machine: "Beep. 'Hey, this is David Letterman. If you call me back in 10 minutes, we'll have a spot for you on the show.' Beep. 'Oh, wow. It's David again. We didn't hear back from you. That's too bad.'" "He would love to get his big break," says Hannum. Wypasek blames the charges on "pettiness, jealousy, and bloated egos" of other comedians. "But I'm not as bitter as I seem," he says. "Sometimes, I'm too nice. Sometimes, I'm too pissed off. And I really do — for the most part — hate lawyers."
Sat., March 18, 9 p.m.
