A Boone to Comedy Writing

It's Sunday evening and I'm dividing my time between the Times book review and glancing at the Emmys. The book review is winning my attention.

Suddenly two men enter the stage at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles to a round of applause. I look up. Ohmygoodness. It's David Boone.

Dave Boone, as he's known professionally, and Paul Greenberg were accepting the writing award for best Variety, Music or Comedy special – in their case, the 63rd annual Tony Awards. Boone, a 1987 graduate of Sacred Heart University and formerly of Norwalk, did most of the talking, which was appropriate, since he did most of the writing.

He thanked a laundry list of people, but especially the special six who have helped shape his successful career … Jay Leno, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, Brad Garrett, fellow SHU alum Kevin Nealon and, "most of all, the Mickey Mantle of comedy, Billy Crystal, who taught me how to conduct an awards show with class, with grace and with humor…"

Leno, Crystal and Garrett were among those who called the following morning to offer their congratulations, and Nealon, in an e-mail, said his phone started ringing right away as if he had won the award.

I caught up with Dave via phone late Tuesday evening, and we chatted for a while. We recalled the interview I conducted with him, in June of 1998, over lunch at a restaurant near Radio City Music Hall. He was in New York to write material for the HBO special, "Comic Relief 8," co-hosted by the aforementioned Crystal, Williams and Goldberg. Our get-together provided much of the material for an Alumni Profile in Sacred Heart magazine, of which I was the editor. The title? "Have Jokes, Will Travel."

Boone, 45, "happily single" and still living in the Los Angeles suburb of Toluca Lakes, has warm memories of his alma mater. To hear him tell it, he spent most of his four years hiding out in the Media Studios studio and learning about politics – his second love – in Dr. Gary Rose's classes. He remains in touch with Rose, now the chair of the Department of Government and Politics. Becky Abbott, the Media Studies professor and filmmaker with whom he interned, left the university several years ago.

"I remember Dave as a real straight shooter, someone, who when I'd ask questions, would give insightful responses," Rose said. "He wasn't afraid to take stances on issues."

Dave has channeled his political knowledge into writing comedic lines for many of today's heavyweights … President Barack Obama, U.S. Sen. John Kerry, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and a certain former vice president who had an affinity for saying funny things, Dan Quayle.

"I did Obama's inauguration special, the Clintons' last Christmas in the White House, and George W. Bush's second inauguration. Being in the same room with the president and the first President Bush, that was pretty special," Boone explained. "I give Gary Rose a lot of credit for that. He sparked an interest in politics."

Dave's credits boggle the mind. He has been the lead writer, or writer, for no fewer than seven Academy Awards shows – three hosted by Crystal, two by Goldberg, and one each by Steve Martin and Ellen DeGeneres. He has written for seven Tony Awards, spent six years (two as head writer) with "Hollywood Squares" and has been part of "Dancing With the Stars" since its premiere in 2005.

When Brad Garrett, who was playing the title role in the 2002 made-for-TV-biopic, "Gleason," disapproved of his script, Boone was brought in to rewrite the material. Five single-spaced pages are required to summarize Dave's credits across the past 20-plus years. His parents, John and Esther Boone, who still reside in Norwalk, are delighted with his accomplishments.

What does winning the Emmy against some noteworthy competition (82nd Academy Awards, Bill Maher, The Kennedy Center Presents, Wanda Sykes) mean for David John Boone down the road?

"The career's been pretty good," he responded, "but this bumps it up to another level."

His personal life seems to be fine, too. The attractive young woman who appeared with Boone in the 63rd annual Tony Awards promo, Danielle Demski, was his date for the Emmys. "She's a former Miss Arizona and Arizona Cardinals cheerleader. She's a TV host out here now, and doing very well."