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By Joseph C. Koenenn NEW YORK - By Rob Becker's own estimate, the reviews for his solo show Defending the Caveman last March were not the kind to send crowds rushing to the box office. "More like rushing the other way," he admits. But the fact of the matter is that the box office for his show is hotter than the steamy summer New York's been sweating through. Since the show spends a lot of time dwelling on the differences between husbands and wives, "a lot of marriage therapists were invited to see the show for free during the first four weeks," Mr. Becker says. "That's been the key to getting it out to the public" - at least the people who visit therapists. Mr. Robin Tate, a St. Louis-based producer of music shows, comedy acts and special events, met Mr. Becker when he was playing a club in Dallas. Mr. Becker's show ran for nearly a year in Dallas in 1992, selling out 300 consecutive performances and establishing the one-man show as a winning ticket. He performed several Dallas runs after that. Mr. Tate and Mr. Becker then laid out a three-year plan pointing to New York. Both agree that Defending the Caveman will remain at the Helen Hayes for a year's run and then either move to a larger theater, which has been the pattern in cities such as Dallas and Chicago, or go on a national tour. "If we leave New York," Mr. Becker says, "it won't be because the audience is gone. It's because I have to go to other cities and move along." Mr. Becker, who comes from San Jose, Calif., says he finds audiences in New York sharper than most. "They get the humor faster and they get all the jokes," he says. "In some parts of the country, you have to wait a beat or two for people to get it. It's great here. The timing' s so much easier."
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