Posts tagged Comedy
Curtis Armstrong Talks New Hit Comedy Series Highston
Believe it or not actor Curtis Armstrong has been in the entertainment business for over thirty years. Fane of his work know him from his roles in Ray to his most iconic and memorable role as Boogar in Revenge of the Nerds.
Now Curtis is back to work on the new hit show Highston on Amazon. Armstrong plays the role of Uncle Billy. You can go to Amazon right now and watch the first episode for free. Then you can rate and review the comedy series on Amazon. Click here to check out the first episode and follow Curtis on Twitter at @curtisisbooger
Highston centers on the character Highston Liggetts. He is a kind and curious 19-year-old struggling to find his place in a world he doesn’t quite understand. To help him cope, Highston imagines a constantly changing roster of celebrity friends who provide him with comfort and advice – much to the concern of his bewildered but empathetic extended family.
Did you know that Armstrong has been acting since before his big break in Risky Business? Curtis got his taste of acting when he lived in Geneva, Switzerland with his family as a young boy. He would visit a little theater in the old town where they showed unabridged versions of old, silent films and he began to look to the actors of the 20s and 30s as inspiration. He co-founded a theater company after attending Oakland University Academy of Dramatic Arts and later moved to New York to pursue theater and film full time. For the past 30 years, in between filming television and movies, he continued to go back to his original love and could be seen on the stage.
Below is my interview with Curtis about Highston and how he got into acting.
Nov 17th
WWE Legend Mick Foley Talks Stand-Up And Wrestling
Sunday, March 15th Levity Live Comedy Club in West Nyack, NY welcomes WWE’s Hardcore Legend, Mick Foley. The 3-time WWE champion and 2-time New York Times #1 best-selling author has a one-man stage show called “Hardcore Legend: An Evening with Mick Foley.” In this show Foley tells his incredible stories of is time in the WWE using humor and intensity.
Mick has took his show worldwide with glowing praise where ever he goes. Best-selling author Paul O’Brien, writing for The Layfield Report wrote, “He always leaves them laughing. Laughing, standing at the end and always wanting more.” Even the decidedly non-wrestling publication Broadway Babies mused “If you’re interested at all in wrestling, you’ll love it; if you’re not, you’ll like it.”
Mick got the nickname “The Hardcore Legend” for his uncanny trait of taking punishment in some of the most dramatic matches in sports-entertainment history. No matter if he was Cactus Jack, Mankind, or as Mick he made the WWE fans always walk away amazed from his performance.
One of Foley’s most epic and brutal battle was with The Undertaker in 1998’s “Hell in a Cell” match, during which he was knocked unconscious after falls both off of and through the 16 foot Cell structure. Foley finished the match – with one of his front teeth lodged in his nose.
Mick wrote his autobiography of 700 pages all on notebook paper, which was later turned into “Have a Nice Day.” That book became number one on the New York Times best-seller list in October 1999. The book remained on the Times list for twenty six weeks. In 2001 Mick wrote “Foley is Good” and was on The New York Times list as well. Foley has published a total of ten books; four memoirs, four children’s books, and two novels.
I had the great pleasure of talking with Mick about his tour and WWE days. To listen to the interview click here!
For more info on Mick’s tour check out his website, http://www.realmickfoley.com/
If you are in the New York are stop by Levity Live Comedy Club in West Nyack, NY on March 15th. Showtime is at 7:00PM and tickets are $27 each. For more info visit levitylive.com.
Mar 12th
Comedian Jimmy Dore Explains Why America Is Just Not That Into You
Jimmy Dore is the host of The Jimmy Dore Show, which originates from KPFK Los Angeles and is broadcast nationwide on Pacifica Radio Network, as well as online through The Young Turks Network. He has starred in several Comedy Central specials, including the award-winning One Hour, Citizen Jimmy, which was chosen “Best of The Year” by iTunes and named one of the Top Five Comedy DVDs of the Year by Punchline magazine. He has made dozens of appearances on late night talk shows including performances on The Jimmy Kimmel Show, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and NBC’s Last Comic Standing. He was also a writer and performer in the Off-Broadway hit The Marijuana-Logues.
For more than a decade, Jimmy Dore, has been observing America’s political scene through the lens of the media. With an eye for the cracks in our national discourse and a sharp sense of bipartisan satire, he’s collected abundant fragments of failed deception, outrageous absurdity, and truth. Weaving these fragments together, Dore now proudly presents a glaring mosaic of what’s wrong in America wrapped up in a hilarious book, “Your Country Is Just Not That Into You.”
With his signature incisive humor, Jimmy Dore writes what countless intelligent, hardworking Americans really think about the crap spewing from the mouths of elected officials, captains of industry, and revered members of the media, and others in positions of power.
I got a chance to speak with Jimmy about his book and why he feels that America is just not that into you!
Listen to the interview HERE!
Purchase Jimmy’s book HERE!
Aug 26th
Steve Rannazzisi is a Bad Dad!
On “Daddy Knows Best”, Steve Rannazzisi (FXX’s The League) may literally be the worst dad on the internet. From taking his son to a strip club and leaving him unattended, to whipping up a batch of “special” brownies only to have them fall into the hands of children, he’s barely in the running for father – or husband – of the year. Just in time for the September 30 season two premiere of Daddy Knows Best on My Damn Channel and Blip, catch up on season one and let Steve be a model of how NOT to care for children. Here are few clips.
Lesson 1: Don’t leave your kid unattended at a strip club, or even take him there in the first place.
Lesson 2: Don’t put your kid in a cage. And if you do, definitely don’t film the kid in the cage.
Lesson 3: It’s possible to take it too far even when you’re playing porno pictionary.
Lesson 4: Don’t forget your child at the park, you may get tased.
Lesson 5: When making a batch of regular brownies for a kid’s party and “special” brownies for yourself, make sure you label the containers clearly.
Lesson 6: If you soil your pants in public, there’s no amount of damage control you can run to cover it up.
Lesson 7: Watch your back around the babysitter.
Sep 30th
Colin Mochrie Interview
Colin Mochrie is a fantastic actor and improvisational comedian, most famous for his work on the UK and U.S. versions of the TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” This summer the CW Network brought back the improv show and Colin was part of the cast.
Not only does Colin do that show he also works with fellow actor and comedian Brad Sherwood on a two man show called “An Evening with Colin and Brad.” They tour literally around the world and perform funny and crazy scenes to a laughing audience.
If that was not enough Colin has a book out called “Not Quite the Classics” that is already available as an eBook, but will be in hard cover in October.
Colin was able to chat with me about “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” his live show, and his new book.
Art Eddy: I have to say I am big fan of your work on “Whose Line is it Anyway?” It is crazy for me to think of how many shows you have done both in the UK and in the United States. How do you keep things fresh season after season?
Colin Mochrie: That is a good question. (Laughs) Part of it is hoping that we get suggestions we never had before. Also coming up with new games. So those kind of things can change everything. Basically it is just trying to live for that moment.
Part of the secret is to walk out on stage with absolutely nothing in your mind, so you have nothing to fall back on except for what you have at that moment. I think the producers do a good job of working it out so that we don’t repeat things. They come up with different scenarios so we don’t fall into that trap.
AE: You have always worked with a great crew. What do you and the other cast members do to build chemistry before each season especially when a new actor comes on the show to be a regular?
CM: Basically one of the main things about improv is to make sure the person that you are working with is having fun. That is the first time we work with a person and that is the first time we get to work on that chemistry. For an example for this season on “Whose Line” we had many people we never had worked with before.
What is great about that is that since I never worked with them before so I don’t have to worry about coming up with hack stuff (Ryan) Stiles or Wayne Brady. It is nice to have that freshness. There is also a thing where you have to have a chemistry because a big part of improv is trust. A lot of the times you have to make that decision that well I am trusting this person. Obviously being in improv they have done this for years. They must know what they are doing. Whatever they do I am just going to accept. We are going to build on that and have fun. That’s what you do. I have to say for most of the time it works out.
AE: Out of the many guest stars you had on the show which ones completely surprised you with their improv skills?
CM: I have to go with Richard Simmons. Just because, God bless him, he was totally committed. He was ready to have a good time. He would give anything we would ask of him. That is what you want in a guest. You want someone who is willing to have fun. They are not worried about how they look. They are just there to enjoy themselves.
When Richard was with us, that one scene we did, the “Living Scenery” scene was the scene that got the biggest laughs ever over the entire “Whose Line” years. God bless him. It was because of his total commitment.
AE: Which cast member do you crack up constantly on the show and does anyone get you to lose it during the taping of show?
CM: I am very fortunate that I don’t find any of the other guys funny. (Both laugh) That makes it totally easy for me. There are times we are hearing things from the audience for the very first time. Especially when you are so intense in the scene and you are hoping it is going to where you want it to and then something just comes out of nowhere. There is that moment where you are taken by surprise. You feel a giggle or a smile creep, but you hopefully get passed that.
There have been times where Ryan was laughing so hard that he can barely go on with the scene. Those are some of my favorite times. He is a hard guy to make laugh. He is pretty jaded. He has seen everything. So when you can actually break him up you feel like you have really done something.
AE: You have a book coming out in October called “Not Quite the Classics.” Tell me a bit about the book and what inspired you do write a book?
CM: My agent one day said you should write a book. I said here is the thing I don’t want to. I improvise because it is fun. Writing is work. I have nothing to write about. I have had a good life, but I don’t think that it is a particularly a good read. I really don’t have a style of living that would be that interesting to people. So based on that information he got me a book deal.
AE: (Laughs) So it was like hey thanks for listening.
CM: (Laughs) Yea. So I was like I guess I have to write a book. Everyone says write what you know. So I would do it in an improv sense. It is 12 short stories. There is a game called first line, last line in improv where you get the first line and the last line of a scene from the audience. So you have your beginning and end points and you make up the middle.
So there are 12 short stories. Every story begins and ends with a famous line from a novel. So one is “Moby Dick” and one is “A Tale of Two Cities.” The middle is totally different and has nothing to do with the classic.
AE: You also have a great live show in which you tour with Brad Sherwood called “An Evening with Colin and Brad”. How did that come about out?
CM: We had just started the Drew Carey version. Drew said, ‘Every Super Bowl weekend I have a gig in Vegas. Why don’t we all go down and do improv rather than me just doing standup?’
So that became a regular thing. That was great. We had a great time. The only problem was that there was like 11 of us on stage. So we really didn’t a lot of chances to do stuff. Brad and I are stage hogs. He said to me that he was thinking of doing this two man thing. He asked me if I wanted to be a part of it. So we started it off and just kept building on it. We enjoy doing it. So yea it has been a lot of fun.
AE: Whenever you do improve with other actors do you ever feel or know when a competition begins to outdo your fellow actors during a show?
CM: I hate to use the word competition, but I will. (Both laugh) I hate to use it because of the negative connotations of the word. Part if improv is sort of a passive aggressive competitiveness. Where you are trying to make sure everyone is having fun. Most of the competition is actually with yourself trying to keep pace with everyone.
Everyone has their own special skills. It is like a Justice League of improv. Everyone has their special powers. You just don’t want to be the weak member of the team. There is competition that way, but ultimately it is such an ensemble art form. Everybody is there to make sure the scene is working, that it is funny and everyone is having a good time.
Sep 30th
Jim Gaffigan Talks New Book Dad is Fat
Jim Gaffigan is best known for his hysterical stand-up routine. His material on Hot Pockets and McDonalds are fan favorites. Jim has been in films, television shows, and on Broadway. Now he can add being an author to his resume. Gaffigan’s book “Dad Is Fat” came out earlier this month. Click here to purchase his book.
In his book he explores fatherhood, his relationship with his wife and kids, and being on tour. The book is a great read and very funny. I was able to chat with Jim about where the title of the book came from and how fatherhood has changed him.
Art Eddy: “Dad is Fat” is the title of you new book and is it true that one of your kids came up with the title?
Jim Gaffigan: Yea that is true. When my seven year old was first learning to write that was his first complete sentence, dad is fat. On the book cover it is actually his hand writing. It was a moment where he wasn’t punching me in the stomach. So it was all good.
AE: When people see the title of the book they might think that you are trying to lose weight, but it is just your story about fatherhood. What inspired you to write the book?
JG: I wanted to do a book about just being a dad and how I am an improbable parent of five. I am certainly not an expert. So I wanted it to be white and vague. We were looking at different titles. I thought it was kind of funny and captured the chaos of my life and it shows the absence of authority I have in the process of parenthood.
AE: I like that fact you didn’t use a ghost writer for your book. Was that very important to you?
JG: To be clear I did it with my wife. It was interesting because I had an offer to do a book a couple years ago. I knew I didn’t want to have a ghost writer. I am glad that I waited because often with books or even comedy books there is this motivation of wanting to get a lump sum of money, getting on the New York Times best seller list, or just to say that they did a book. I am grateful that I did not get caught up in that.
AE: I have two daughters and people are always asking if my wife and I are going to have more kids. Some people say it gets easier after two. I don’t get the math on that. You and your wife have five kids. So tell me does it get easier?
JG: Well I think the biggest adjustment was two kids. At least for me. There is an asterisk next to that because I am a guy who travels a lot doing stand-up comedy. I get this forced one or two break every week.
I think it is very fascinating how everyone is really curious about how everyone else is going to procreate. It is baffling! You would never ask someone when they are getting their hair cut. People are consumed with curiosity if a couple is married or dating for longer than six months people suddenly need to know whether they are going to have a baby.
It is rude really. I don’t care, but I just think it is funny. I know that we have had way beyond the normal amount of children. People are like are you going to have any more children. I am like why do you care? Are you going to pay for their college? How is that any of your business? This myth of overpopulation that comes from 18th century England that no want to admit is just B.S. Why does anyone else care? It is like don’t worry I am taking care of this. People don’t ask why someone owns two cars.
AE: As a father what would you say are some of the most challenging aspects about being a parent?
JG: I think it is an ongoing thing of checking in. It is overwhelming the fact that you are in charge of another human being develop. For me it is a constant battle of keeping a balance between work and parenting. I think that we have found a good balance with me doing stand-up. I am lucky enough to do theaters and I can travel with my kids on the tour bus.
Even writing this book it took me away from parenting responsibilities that I think are pretty important. There are important things and it is not about going to birthday parties. It is about being there when they go to the doctor and listening to a good dose of the guilt. I think it is going beyond ordering pizza and going to dance recitals. I want to be involved in a certain level.
It was interesting writing the book. In the end I remember thinking if no one buys the book at least if my kids eventually ever read it they would say he was thinking a lot about parenting. He was not perfect, but he tried.
AE: For your stand-up routine do you try and balance fatherhood with other topics or do you find now that you are creating new material that is mostly parent based?
JG: Well when I started about 20 years ago I would see comedians talk about their wife and kids. I remember sitting in the audience going that is great I can’t even get a date. I don’t know what you are talking about. I made it a point never really going beyond in an hour show maybe talking about being a parent or my kids for more than five minutes.
I would almost censor myself. I can’t be the kids or parents comedian because there are going to be 20 year olds in my audience or there are going to people without kids in my audience. I always life for my stand-up to appeal to everyone. I intentionally did censor it. I think with Twitter I had an outlet to pump out some of these parenting observations and it would be fine.
To listen to the entire interview click here!
May 20th
Nick Di Paolo Interview – MANjr Podcast
Nick Di Paolo is the best. You may not agree with his views and his politics, but Di Paolo calls it like he sees it. He talks about all the things that no one wants to talk about. He skewers political correctness and isn’t afraid to piss people off in the process. Good comedy needs truth and honesty. Mix in some passion, and a little bit of that pissed off vibe, and you got a solid approach to laughs. Di Paolo has all these qualities, and that’s what makes him so effective.
When we were asked to interview Nick Di Paolo to discuss his upcoming Raw Nerve special on Showtime (which airs on Friday at 9pm), we jumped at the chance. If you’ve ever seen Di Paolo perform stand up, go off on a roast or if you’ve listened to his radio appearances, you know the guy’s just hilarious. We figured it’d be a fun conversation that could go in a few different directions. We knew there’d be a lot of laughs in the mix as well.
Di Paolo didn’t disappoint. During our interview, we talked about a wide range of topics, everything from his Showtime special and Raw Nerve album to the Red Sox, Kobe and Greg Giraldo. We found out who he’d like to roast, who cracks him up and what it was like to write for Chris Rock. He gave us some tips for aspiring comics and some advice on marriage as well. And he made us crack up throughout it all.
The interview starts off a bit slow, but stick with it. It just gets better. Here’s the podcast:
Nick Di Paolo Interview – MANjr.com Podcast
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Don’t forget to check out the Raw Nerve special on Showtime this Friday at 9pm. We haven’t seen it yet, but we pretty sure it’s going to be sick.
Apr 28th
