Archives from 2009

“I was the fat, weird kid,” recalls comedian Lisa Landry. “I was the geeky kid who was socially awkward and had a very sassy mouth.” And, like other kids, she didn’t get along with her brother at times. “He’s gay, so it was mostly over taking my dresses.

Being a teacher in the Dayton City Schools, however briefly, taught Ryan Singer at least one valuable skill that he took into his stand-up comedy career. “I think more than anything it taught me room control,” he says. These days Singer travels the Midwe

Jim Short was born in Australia and moved with his family to Texas when he was 12-years-old, yet he doesn’t feel like a native of either. This comic-without-a-country, has lately been talking to audiences about survival in these tough economic times, but

You’ll have to forgive comedian Robert Hawkins if he’s skeptical about the severity of the recent economic downturn. “This could be a record year [for me],” he says. “This could be 40 weeks or more on the road…which is both a blessing and a curse. Be car

“The last time I was through Cincinnati, I was probably a much happier soul,” reports comedian Roy Wood Jr. “(My act now) is more about things that make me want to punch walls. It could be something as simple as paying for extra sauce when I order chicke

John Henton, known to TV viewers as a cast member of both 'Living Single' and 'The Hughleys,' had never thought about becoming a professional stand-up comic. One day, though, in the early 1980s, his co-workers at a Cleveland-area warehouse dared him to t

What’s this? Another Cincinnati comedian is appearing on national TV? It’s becoming almost commonplace, as the Queen City’s Dave Waite makes his television debut this week on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham. Waite performs on Comedy Central at 11 p.m. Fr

Local comedian Dave Waite makes national TV debut on Comedy Central

Tags: Theater, Comedy Central

Kevin Nealon is paying it forward, having befriended a young comic named Rajiv Satyal, from Fairfield, Ohio. Satyal, who has lived in L.A. for the past few years, will headline Thursday and Sunday at The Funny Bone, and he’ll perform with Nealon Friday a

You can be forgiven if, for a moment, you wondered if '80s-era rocker Billy Squier and comedian Bill Squire were actually one and the same. "A few months ago Billy Squier was playing a show with Styxs or some other equally terrific ‘70s/’80s era glam roc

Comedian Adam Hunter, it seems, really wants to give you, the comedy fan, your money’s worth. “It’s definitely fast-paced,” he says describing his act. “As many jokes per minute as I can possibly fit into a set. It’s fun, a little edgy. You’re definitely

Though he was born in Cincinnati, comedian Tom Segura has trouble engaging in conversations with people about The Queen City. “People will say ‘What’s your favorite part of Cincinnati?’ I’m like ‘I was nine, man. I liked recess and having snacks.” He cu

Robert Schimmel has kept his sense of humor despite losing a son to cancer and was later diagnosed with it himself. In between, he suffered a heart attack. But it’s his positive attitude that Schimmel attributes to his survival. “(You could) be in the No

Some comics are encouraged by friends to try stand-up, others by co-workers. For Austin’s JR Brow, it was both, with an extra nudge from the late, great Bill Hicks. It was the late ’80s and Brow was designing T-shirts. A sales rep (Hicks’ brother) met wi

When he was younger, the Columbus-native Darrell Joyce never really thought of himself as a laugh machine. “I was the guy saying the least out of anybody,” he explains, “but the one thing I did say was a gem and we’d crack up for like 10 minutes.” That w

Many comedians first take the stage to satisfy a long-burning desire to perform stand-up. Others are encouraged by friends to try an open mic night. Cowboy Bill Martin started telling jokes to save his life — literally. At the time he was working in adve

Being in a TV show about being in a Rock band presents some problems, especially if you really are a musician. Such is the predicament of The Naked Brothers Band, whose Nickelodeon series is a favorite of the tween set and that demographic’s parental uni

Some comedians pursue acting roles, others have acting thrust upon them. Such is the case with Tig Notaro, who just completed work on a film about the life of rocker Joan Jett. Tig was cast as Jett’s mum after her managers submitted her for the part. “It

Adopted from Korea, Kevin Shea felt compelled to develop a sense of humor as a kid, especially growing up in Bethlehem, Pa. “I wasn’t like I was going to be hung by a noose or anything,” he insists, “but…it’s very different being the only Asian kid in an

Rene Bray, the Wilmington High graduate, returns to her hometown to perform two benefit shows. Proceeds will go to the Wilmington schools’ foundation to provide school supplies for children in need. She will be joined by fellow female comics Stephanie Ho