Nothing stops the working man. Even in the midst of recovering from a severe facial burn he suffered a mere six weeks ago while working on one of his many cars, Leno continues to keep his audiences laughing. 

In early January 2023, he will kick off a stand-up tour, with a stop at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts for two shows on Jan. 7. 

Beyond late night, Leno has proven to be a continued success with his hit Youtube-turned-TV show “Jay Leno’s Garage.” The best-selling author-speaker and a recipient of a People’s Choice Award, Leno was recently inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. 

Leno chatted with Backstage about his secret to success, the power of karma, playing the long game, and more. 

I’ve been going down this rabbit hole of your life and you truly have done it all, Jay. And you continue with a successful TV show, game show, stand-up shows, books, and so on. Where does this work ethic come from?

You know, I don’t know. I think when you have parents that were born during the Depression, or that grew up during the Depression. I’ve always thought my mother could never figure out where California was three hours ahead or three hours behind (laughs).

Sometimes she’d call me at eight o’clock in the morning, thinking it was 11 o’clock when it was five o’clock in the morning, you know? So she called me and she’d go, “Did I wake you?” And I’d always go, “No, no. I’m up. I’m up. I’m doing stuff. I’m working.” You know, I could never bring myself to tell my mother I was sleeping.

Plus, I think the fact that I’m dyslexic. When I was a kid, my mother would always say, you have to work twice as hard as the other kids to get the same thing. And I thought, all right. That seems like a fair trade off. I don’t mind doing that. And that’s kind of worked out okay for me, you know? 

I’m a huge believer in low self-esteem. I think it’s the key to success. I meet so many people in this business that just think they’re the greatest thing. I’m not doing this for that.

Like when I got “The Tonight Show,” I just hired the best people I could and let ’em do their job. I know nothing about lighting. I know nothing about direction. I mean, I can tell jokes. Okay, so I’ll do what I do and let the people do what they do, and it works out great. They tell you when you suck, they tell you when you’re good. And it works out okay.

It seems pretty simple to me. You know, the things that ruin people in show business often have nothing to do with their talent. It’s always greed or envy. There’s something that’s getting in the way. I mean, when you look at all the people that have fallen, it’s really not for lack of talent. It’s because they did some stupid thing. 

I have to say, low self-esteem being the key to success is an interesting concept.

It’s interesting because if you assume you don’t know things, you’re more likely to listen. I mean, the number of people who would come into NBC and be like, “Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do.” And then they would give us notes on the show that made no sense.

I remember once we had a president at NBC say it’s summer, let’s do a beach show with everybody in bathing suits,. I said first of all, no guests are gonna want to sit and talk in a bathing suit. Okay. It’s just not gonna happen. I’m used to having these ridiculous conversations. It’s late at night. It’s a talk show. People are in bed, they just want to hear a conversation.

We’d have to explain what the show was because people just assumed they knew everything, you know? Like I say, if you assume you don’t know more than everybody else, you’re more likely to listen. And when you listen, you’re probably more likely to learn something. I mean, it’s not always the case. And when I say low self-esteem, I’m being somewhat exaggerated, but I think there is something to it. 

I mean, the number of times I would have agents send me a comedian and they would audition, and I’d say it didn’t go that well. And they would say, “Well, your audience was really stupid that night.” No, they weren’t. They are just the regular audience. It just wasn’t that funny.

“Well, it worked in Denver last year.” Oh, okay. The fact that it worked once, I mean, just take it as face value. If they’re not laughing, it’s not funny. Don’t always look for the reasons, like some other reason why. It’s just not funny enough. It’s okay. It’s not terrible. It’s just not exemplary, you know? If somebody had a 10 minute act, and maybe four minutes of it were funny. I would say, just do the four minutes.

It seems to me like what drives you and probably what has made you so successful is you follow common sense. Would you say that’s true?

I think that’s true. You know, it’s basic Dale Carnegie stuff, you know. My dad was a salesman. You look people in the eye, you shake their hands and you try to tell the truth as much as possible. Yeah it does seem like common sense.

I mean, to me, I had people who would send me jokes and then I had people who would drive from across the country to hand me their jokes. And those are the people I usually hired, because they really worked hard, you know what I mean? They put effort into it. It is common sense.

The story I always tell about “The Tonight Show” is that there was a point when there were about seven or eight rotating guest hosts. And this manager called me and he represented most of them. And he said, you know, I’d like to represent you on this. I said, I’m okay. And he said, well, you know, I’m getting my guest hosts $25,000 a show. And I said well, I’m getting $512 a show, which is a scale. And he goes, well, that’s crazy. I go, well, not really. And he says, well, you know, if you join us, we have all the guest hosts and we can get you $25,000 a show.

I said, no, I’m fine. I’m gonna stay for $512 a show. Well, I knew Johnny Carson owned the show. So about a month or two goes by and suddenly I’m named permanent guest host because I was saving them 400 and something thousand dollars a month. It’s because you play the long game, you know? In show business, the sad truth is the worst act in show business makes more than the best teacher, as unfair as that is. So, if you’re any good at show business, the money will come at some point.

I mean, I always had pay-and-play contracts, which means if you’re gonna pay me, you have to put me on the air. I always meet people that go, you know, “I did it for two weeks, and they let me go but I (still) get paid for the whole year.” And I go, that’s really not that smart, because now they’re mad because they’re paying somebody for doing nothing, and they will never hire you again.

It’s just a way of saying, just get away from us. We never want to see you again. You know, my contracts are always okay. They gotta use you somewhere, and yeah, I think common sense is probably the best way to describe it.

You mentioned that you are always learning. What would you say you’ve recently learned about yourself?

Learned recently about myself (laughs) I don’t know. I’m not that really interested in myself like, “What have I learned?” I would say I’m a big believer in karma. You know? If something seems wrong, it probably is, don’t try to justify it. It’s like finding a wallet on the street with $10,000 in it. You know you gotta give it back.

I remember once I was in traffic, this was years ago, and this lady cut me off and she gave me the finger or something. And I know I said something nasty and yelled at her. The next day I have an interview at ICM and I walk in and she’s the assistant. And I just laughed; I just said, you know something, this is karma. You yelled at me, I yelled at you. It’s so stupid. I apologize.

I remember I was thinking, I wish I could apologize to that woman, but I didn’t know who it was. And then I went to this meeting and she was the assistant. I don’t know, the world doesn’t always work that way, but sometimes it does.

When I was in the hospital with this stupid burn injury, I heard from a lot of celebrities, but I would also hear from people who I helped; like I helped them change a tire eight years ago and people that I did something for that I don’t really remember, and that made me feel good, because you realize you made an impact on someone and it had an effect on them. You know?

So, if the good things have an effect, then obviously the bad things must have an effect too. It’s a small world. It just comes around, you know? Like you said, it just seems like common sense.

In addition to Backstage, I’m an editor at the Business Journal, and I came across a large picture of you and your charitable work with the Salvation Army in this week’s edition. You’re truly everywhere!

Well, you know, those things are easy to do. Like the Salvation Army, when you raise money, you go somewhere and you just tell the same jokes you told the night before.

(Laughs) Do you see what I mean? You say it’s easy. Most people would not consider it easy.

I mean, it goes to a good cause and it just seems like common sense, like you said (laughs). It doesn’t seem that difficult. You know, it’s funny you talk about the Business Journal. There was a hilarious thing in the Wall Street Journal, “Jay Leno’s Secret to Success and Savings” or something like that. I’m going, okay, what’s my secret?

As I said, I’m dyslexic. I’m terrible with numbers. So since I was a kid, I always held two jobs. One job was to put money in the bank and the other job was to pay the bills. When I was a kid, I worked at McDonald’s and I worked at a car dealership, and I would spend the McDonald’s money and save the car money. And then when I got in to show business, I would spend the show business money and save the car money.

And then the show business money got to be so much more than the other job. So I said, okay, I’ll make that the savings job. I’m not a credit card guy. I do have credit cards, but I don’t lease cars. I buy ’em. And somehow in this article, my amazing plan is not amazing. It’s just saving (laughs). I’m just not borrowing money. I even said to the guy in the article, there’s nothing amazing about this.  

People always think it’s funny that I’ve never spent a dime of “The Tonight Show” money, which I haven’t, I live on the money I make as a standup comedian. I’ve always been a standup comedian.

When “The Tonight Show” came along, it was a TV job and TV jobs lasted a certain amount of time. Sometimes they’re 13 weeks, sometimes if you’re lucky. I was there for 22 years. But I always kept my job as a standup comedian. Cause when the TV job ends and they throw you out, where do you go? You know? I have something to fall back on — you just go back on the road and you tell jokes again.

Early on in our conversation, you said you had initially played the long game, and looking at your current career, it seems like you’re still playing that long game.

I remember when I started out, I’d always see these comics go, “They only offered me $3,000” disappointed. And I would say, “What are you doing on a Tuesday that’s worth $3,000? Really?” (laughs).

I mean, why don’t you go out there and get better at your act? The more you do it, the better you are at it. I mean, it’s a repetitive business. I mean, why would you turn that down? You know? So to me, one night you’re in Vegas, where there’s like crazy money. And the next night you’re doing the Salvation Army, or wherever you’re doing a charity thing, for no money, and there’s no difference here. It’s the same. The value of it is whatever people deem it to be.

On top of everything you have going, “Jay’s Garage” has been such a success. I am not a car person, as much as I want to be, it just won’t stick. But, just like your large number of viewers, I’m drawn to your passion and engagement with your guests and cars.

Well, that’s the thing, a lot of times it’s not the car; it’s the story, you know? A lot of times I have celebrities on that are not car people, like Kelly Rowland or somebody like that. But I’ll say, did your dad have a car?

“Oh yeah. When I was five, we would go for ice cream every week in this old Buick.” So we find an old Buick, like the one she said, and we go for ice cream and we just do like a rolling “Tonight Show.” You just interview them and instead of sitting on a couch, you’re sitting in the seat of a car.

This is probably a weird question, but as the ultimate car guy, if you were a car, what car would you say you are?

Well, I actually don’t know what car I would be. Surely nothing sleek and fast. Something fairly dependable, I suppose. Probably something sensible as my mother would say.

I didn’t wanna put too much emphasis on your recent accident, except for that I’m glad that you’re on the mend. You look great, like a baby face.

Yeah, it’s all new skin, it’s amazing. The doctors did this whole thing in eight days. I mean, I had no faith at all. It was totally gone. And boom, they did a great job, you know? It’s amazing. I’m pretty lucky.

(The day it happened) I went to the hospital and I hadn’t told my wife what had happened yet. I said, listen, my wife doesn’t drive anymore. I can’t leave her now. So I drove home and I told the hospital I promise I’ll come back at seven o’clock in the morning. So I stayed at home that night and when I woke up, my face was stuck to the pillow and I had to peel my face off the pillow. Ow, ow, ah! I was like, maybe this wasn’t the best idea. (laughs)

I didn’t take any pain pills or anything because I think pain is there for a reason. It’s to remind you of what you did. There’s this commercial for some antiacid or something where a guy goes to the fair and he eats six hot dogs, and then they cut to their music and the wife’s going, oh no he’s sick.

So she gives them this pill or whatever. And next thing, the guy feels great and the commercial ends, and he’s back at the fair eating six more hot dogs. I go, what are you doing? The point is to stop eating six hotdogs!

That’s so American. Rather than fix the problem, you find a way to get around the problem. It just makes me laugh because you think okay his upset stomach is fine. I bet he won’t eat six hot dogs again. The medicine’s not designed to let you eat six more hot dogs. But he goes right back to it. (laughs)

You have essentially conquered the greatest of everything in the entertainment world — including “The Late Night Show,” what most would consider the mecca of show business.

Well, it used to be, but it’s not so much anymore. The business has changed so much. There’s so many streaming services and the thing that really kills it are commercials. I’m so used to watching Netflix or Amazon or something, and then I switched to commercial TV and I watched for six or seven minutes. Then it’s a five minute commercial break. And then seven minutes, and then another commercial.

It’s almost unwatchable. When I was in the hospital, the TV was on in the hospital room, and it’s just regular TV and it’s just constant commercials. To the point where I was just sitting in the room in silence. I couldn’t take it anymore.

I mean, a half hour show is really 20 minutes, so in a half hour you have 10 minutes of advertisements. A third of the show is just the same commercials over and over again. And especially late at night when you can run more commercials legally in the hour.

I think that’s what’s hurt it. It’s not the fact that people are better or worse than they were at another time. It’s just the fact that you have so many alternatives that don’t have all these commercials every second.

Do you believe in the idea that people have reduced attention spans nowadays?

Oh, attention spans are reduced. You know, if you watch a comedian like Bob Newhart, one of the greats, from 25 years ago, he’ll take a minute to set up a joke. He’ll say, “Okay, here’s Mrs. So-and-so, she’s 62, she’s learning to drive for the first time.” And, people watching now go, “Oh, he’s bombing.”

He’s not bombing. He hasn’t gotten in a choke yet. I mean, give the set up. When I’ve watched shows like “Last Comic Standing,” the comedian comes out and he has two minutes to make the people laugh. Two minutes.

So you can’t establish a character or a point of view or an attitude. It’s just gotta be a pie in the face. So yeah. Attention spans have shrunk tremendously. I mean, I can see it. I see people watch TV and see a comedian come on and if he doesn’t get a laugh in the first 15 seconds, he’s bombing, he’s bombing really bad. No, no, he’s setting up the story. I mean, give it a second. Jesus.

Do you feel that has been a stressor for you as you’re building your own standup show?

It’s not really a stressor. It’s just a matter of learning to adapt. You know, what is inappropriate now was appropriate 20 years ago. You just have to change with the times.

You can’t keep doing the same thing. It’s relevancy. If something is relevant, it’s fine. You adapt or die. It’s like any other business. If you don’t adapt to your circumstances around you, you’re not gonna make it.

I’ve heard you say you’re only as good as your last joke. Can you elaborate on that?

Well, that’s true. I think that’s fair. I’ll give you an example. It’s like this accident I had. When you grew up in a little town like I did, rich people had no problems. You know, if you are a regular person, an extra 50 or 100 thousand a year would change your life and fix every problem you had. Or at least you think it would.

And that’s how most people think. And so consequently, as someone who’s successful and made some money, if I was sitting out there like a whiny celebrity and be like “Woe is me, I have all these cars and I’m rich, and oh, look, I burned myself.” People are going to be like “Good. I hope you burn up.” (laughs)

So for me, you have to go out and make fun of it, and you have a good time with it, and you laugh at yourself. Because in the real world, people get hurt on the job every day, they get burned, they get cut. They work in dangerous circumstances. So the idea that somehow you’re different is ridiculous.

So to me, I found just going on shows and joking about it is what I need to do. People know it’s a horrible accident, and I got burned pretty bad. But they know “he’ll make it funny.” And that’s how it works. People watch you for a reason.

I would hate it when I was a kid and a big time comedian would come on Johnny Carson and just sit down and talk and not have anything funny to say. Like, well that was a big disappointment, because I was waiting for them to do what it is they do.

In the last five years, what would you say you are most proud of?

This sounds ridiculous, but I think it’s the ability to choose a good woman and find the right person. It’s amazing how easy your life is when you’re able to make that sort of decision. I mean, I’ve been with my wife for 43 years and we have a lot of fun. When I was in the hospital, we got another bed and she stayed in the room with me, and we had a good time. 

I remember I had this discussion with Drew Barrymore one time. I remember saying to marry your conscience; marry the person you wish you could be. Marry someone who has qualities that are better than yours, and you’ll always do fine. And that seems to work out for me, you know? I mean, it’s amazing how awful your job is when your personal life is awful. You get that part straightened out and the other stuff just kind of falls into line.

______________________________________________

Jay Leno

Where: Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos

When: Jan 7, 2023, 3 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

More info: https://www.cerritoscenter.com/

The post Conversation with unstoppable icon Jay Leno appeared first on Backstage Socal.

Funnyman Colin Mochrie’s off-the-cuff wit is unmatchable.

From the hit U.S. and British comedy TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway? to headlining theaters around the world for decades, he has proven time and time again that there is no scenario that can’t be funny. 

Before he became an international comic sensation, the Scotland-born and Canadian-grown Mochrie honed his comedy chops at Toronto Second City. In addition to performing in TV shows and films and selling out shows internationally, he and his wife Debra McGrath co-wrote, co-produced, and co-starred in the Canadian sitcoms Getting Along Famously and She’s the Mayor.

Mochrie and his Whose Line comedy costar Brad Sherwood will make a stop in SoCal at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts for a two-man improvisational show on May 1. The comedy show is pure improv that presents new material every night from audience suggestions and participation.

Would you say improv is a learned skill or more of a natural instinct? 

Mochrie: No, it is certainly teachable. Everyone says how difficult it is, but the reason that people think it’s difficult is because it goes against everything we do in real life, which is listening and accepting people’s ideas. So you can teach someone how to do improv. There was someone that once said that you can’t teach someone to be funny, but you can teach ’em to be funnier. So I think basically anyone can be improvised. I mean, it’s what we do actually from day to day. We have no idea what’s happening, you know? We have a certain framework of you know, like I’m going to work today and then I’m gonna see friends, but that’s it. Everything else is totally made up.

Beyond the stage or television, how have your improv skills helped you in life?

Mochrie: My wife and I actually made a conscious effort, like maybe 15 years ago, to use the rules of improv in our life. Maybe say yes to things that are a little outside of our comfort zones, just to see where it takes us. And the very first thing we were tested on once we had made this pact with each other was to go to the Congo to do some work with World Vision, to sort of focus on these kids, to try to get foster care for them. And the Congo was never really one of our vacation destinations, but when we went, it was really one of the most amazing trips we ever had. We were in the jungle, there was abject poverty, but these people had such a light and it was a really great experience for us.

So I’ve tried to walk into all situations as an open slate and try not to make any judgments, and not go in thinking, “Oh, I know how this is gonna play out.” Just sort of play by ear and go along with it. And I find that really helps me, especially with traveling. Brad (Sherwood) can get very upset or worried about something like missing our flight. And my thing is, “But we haven’t yet. Let’s just see what happens.” And most of the time it works out. So I try to not get upset over something that hasn’t happened yet, just because I think it could happen. And I found that’s really helped maintain some sanity, especially with travel. There’s just times that are totally out of my control. What’s gonna happen, is gonna happen. And we’ll just deal with it as it comes along. And it’s really worked out nicely for me.

Is your improv muscle always twitching, preparing your next move?

Mochrie: Oh, I wish I could say yes. I mean, I would say a lot of times, yes. But as I say, we’re human and in some of your relationships, you try not to look ahead. I’m very lucky with my wife in that, you know, Deb and I have been together 33 years now, and it’s working out. And I think because we do have downtime. We have things that we look forward to like our anniversaries and trips that we plan. But the rest of the time, we’re just kind of enjoying each other in this pandemic. You know, I try not to speak positively about the pandemic because people get upset (laughs) but it was really actually pretty good for me in that it was the longest I’d been home in literally 20 years.

So it was nice to go, “Oh look, we still get along!” I’ve sort of learned to relax a little. I was doing two different tours and doing a movie and I was just going from airport to airport and city to city. So I realized this downtime is really kind of what I needed; just to sort of sit back and go, “You know what? It’s time to just take it a little easier.” I love working, but I don’t wanna get to the point where I’m waking up dreading thinking about where I have to go next. I love performing. I love being on stage, and I want to keep that fresh.

Speaking of fresh, after decades of performing, how do you keep your shows fresh?  

Mochrie: Most of the work that Brad and I put into the show — and when I say work, I’m using the term very loosely — is to make it as uncomfortable for us as possible, so that there’s no way we can plan anything. We spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to get suggestions from people. So we don’t get the same suggestion that we get every time we ask for an occupation. So that keeps it fresh for us, getting something that we’ve never had before. We’ve found different ways of asking for things. Recently we asked for an occupation and we asked for the oddest occupation that someone in their audience actually has. And there was this woman there and her job was being the person who was at the other end of the telephone when you’re trapped in an elevator.

I thought, oh, wow, that is cool. First of all, it’s a job that no one would ever suggest to you because you wouldn’t. And I thought, wow, good job. So how often do you really work? Unless you work in a city that has horrible elevator service. So when things like that happen, it really inspires us and keeps it fresh for us. So that’s the main thing is to find good suggestions; we’ve been doing sound effects for 20 years and all the games, so we’ve got that down. 

As the improv king, can you tell me about a time that you’ve been actually stumped or just nothing would come to your brain? 

Mochrie: There’s never been a time

Never? 

Mochrie: No, I’m lying. But the beauty of improv is once those things happen, you banish them from your mind. You don’t remember anything. There have been times where I may not have been on top of it and that’s when I tend to lean back and depend on whoever I’m working with, with Brad or whoever, and then just support them all I can until I sort of get secure footing. 

The true beauty of improv is it’s really hard to get thrown in a way, because even if you know absolutely nothing about the subject you’re given in this world that you’ve created, everything I’m saying is the truth. So if I’m doing the history of Cerritos and I’m saying Cerritos was first colonized by Dutch Amish who were looking to make a brand new cereal, that becomes the truth, because that’s what I’ve just made up. So I don’t know what your truth is but in this alternate universe, this actually happened. So, it does make it easier when you don’t have to stick to facts. I guess our shows are all alternative facts.

How has the history of comedy changed since your Second City days? 

Mochrie: You go through different stages. I mean, when you first start improv, you’re like totally fearless and you’ll do anything to get a laugh and that stays with you forever. But there’s also a rushed quality, I found for me anyway, when I was first starting out, and now I feel I’m like the wily veteran. So I’m a little more timely with things I try to explore comedy in this particular idea until it’s totally exhausted, where when I was younger, it would be like a hummingbird splitting from comic idea to comic idea. So I feel like I’ve certainly gotten more confident over the years. 

What I found is I also often get asked to join in theater groups across the country and work. And it’s usually with people I don’t know. And I love that because it sort of keeps me on my toes. Now, the downside of that is my name is always served for the poster, but that’s not how I work in the show. I’m there to be a part of the group. So that is something I’ve learned over the years is I don’t have to be front and center every scene. I don’t have to be driving every scene. I have just as much fun supporting a scene and coming in and out as I do rather than being the star of the scene. I don’t have to be the number one guy, I can come in, get my couple of laughs and then leave.

I’m sure you’ve been asked this a billion times, but as a longtime fan of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” I have to know. Is there any particular moment for you that was the most memorable or special that you actually think back and laugh on?

Mochrie: There’s a couple of moments that are very special to me. One, Robin Williams was on the show, and I mean, he was such a big inspiration to all of us. We were all fans and he was an Oscar winner, and he came on the show and he was just one of the performers. He was lovely. I always love when you meet someone you admire and that they’re a lovely person too. So that was doubly a wonderful experience. Also when Sid Caesar was on, who I was a big fan; he had the first kind of variety show on television and his writers were like everyone from, you know, Carl Reiner to Mel Brooks and Woody Allen. And they would do this 90 minute live show. That was just amazing. So he came on the show and laughed at something I did, and that made my life.

And another thing I remember, just because people send it to me all the time, but the scene with Richard Simmons. I remember vividly because there was one moment where in the final editing of the show, they had to cut down the laughs because it went on for over a minute. It was when Richard’s head was bobbing around my genital area, and I thought, okay, gosh, how much longer can this go? And of course the part of me is going, yes, keep going, keep going. (laughs) But I do remember that moment and just thinking, oh, God bless you, Richard Simmons for being so committed. Those moments I swear I could re-watch over and over again. 

What advice would you give 20 year old Colin? 

Mochrie: The advice I’d give is don’t sweat, live in the moment. Cause that took too long for me to learn. And I was like a worrier when I was younger and between that, and you know, life is a marathon. It’s not a sprint. When I went to theater school, it seemed like everybody that was in my class in my school seemed to get jobs right away. And it took me a while. And really, I didn’t become the international superstar I am today till I was like 42. So my thing is, you know, things will happen when they’re supposed to happen. Don’t sweat. Just be prepared for when that moment comes.

Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood

Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos, CA 90703

7 p.m. Sunday, May 1

https://www.cerritoscenter.com/

The post Improv king Colin Mochrie on living in the moment appeared first on Backstage Socal.

For over three decades, the “queen of one-liners” comedian Rita Rudner has charmed stages throughout the world, including holding the title of the longest-running, one-person comedy show in Las Vegas.

In addition, Rudner is a best-selling author, “I Still Have It…I Just Can’t Remember Where I Put It: Confessions of a Fiftysomething,” “Naked Beneath My Clothes,” as well as the novels “Tickled Pink,” and “Turning The Tables.”

The Laguna Beach resident divides her time in her second home in Las Vegas during her residency. She often performs her one-woman stand-up throughout Orange County, including making a stop at Segerstrom Center for the Arts on April 7.

At what moment did you realize you belong in comedy?

The first time somebody paid me money. Previously I’d been paid in food. Being on TV for the first time was very validating; my first TV appearance was on HBO, alongside Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Andy Kaufman, Richard Belzer & Pat Benatar.

What advice would you give female comedians today?

Be yourself, tell the truth, and try to avoid performing in front of Will Smith.

What was a pivotal moment in your comedy career? How did that change you?

Deciding to leave Hollywood and move to Las Vegas. It allowed me to stop traveling and start a family, plus performing regularly in my own theater made me a better and wealthier comedian!

What’s next for Rita?

Next, I’m going to sleep. Oh, you mean professionally. My autobiography comes out in August. I’m performing in a funny play at the Laguna Playhouse next January.

Rita Rudner

Segerstrom Center for the Arts — Samueli Theater

600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 7

Tickets: $59

(714) 556-2787

Online –SCFTA.org

The post Comedy icon Rita Rudner chats return to OC with stand-up show appeared first on Backstage Socal.

Your “Back to School Rant” video continues to be a hit school year after school year. My sister, who is a 4th grade teacher, said it actually helped her receive school supplies and thank you cards from parents.

My sister is a teacher as well, she teaches fifth grade. And so I think it was a culmination of a bunch of things. I’ve seen her spend her own money and parents complain about buying supplies. When I made it, I wasn’t even gonna post it. I said to my girlfriend, ‘Is it that funny? I don’t know if it’s that funny.’ And she thought it was a little funny. We didn’t really think anything of it, but now you see how much all of that apparently needed to be said. Like people, just so we’re clear, you don’t have to teach your own kids, but these nice ladies over here will and could use a little help. Let’s do this. 

How has that hit video changed your life?

It was crazy. I was actually in a conference when it first came out and started going crazy. And then I actually had to come home and go school shopping and it was so weird because I couldn’t find yellow binders anywhere, because I said in there that if teachers want a yellow binder, I was gonna get it. So people bought them all. When I was standing in line, one lady saw me and she was like, ‘You’re the drunk lady from the internet.’ And I was like, ‘Oh wow. Yep. No, I am. I’m that lady.’ We actually ended up going out to Target and buying all the things I talked about in that video. I put all my kids’ teachers’ names into a hat and we picked out winners for each one and brought it to the school. 

How have people connected with you and your family since you started streaming content?

I think the pandemic really changed a lot for us. Pre-pandemic, we were just kind of making some really silly videos and I couldn’t really appreciate how much these videos helped people or connected with people. And when the pandemic hit, all of our touring stopped. So all entertainment stopped, and I just didn’t really have anything left except for Facebook. And we spent the next year and a half really kind of creating this really wonderful community online and our immediate family that was there. So we started making one video a day for the first hundred days of the pandemic. Most of them are funny. Some of them I might have been just openly crying, I don’t remember. 

By summertime, we started doing a morning show. My kids were like sleeping until 11 a.m., and I was up at 6 a.m. like a dumb dumb with nobody to talk to. So I started going live, and in the middle of the pandemic, we might have had 50 or 60,000 people watching every morning. I started to realize how important it was to just be around other people. And there were tons of people watching us who were living alone, so we were just like a voice. And then there were a ton of people that were around their family and just couldn’t stand them anymore and were like, I wanna talk to anybody but them. And so it became this great retreat.  

What does it mean to you to be a headliner at Segerstrom Center for the Arts?

I feel very blessed to be able to do what I’m doing and to have theaters like them believe in this type of entertainment, and believe that entertainment can take on a lot of different forms. Being able to speak about something like motherhood, that in the past maybe has not been so admired for how hard it is, is so great. And the pandemic just made it like we are warriors and we have survived. So to have a theater get behind our show, this is really lovely. 

Want to give a little teaser of what your audience is going to experience?

So this is a play all about motherhood. It’s the story of my journey going from being single with no kids, to being married with three kids in less than five years, and how much life changed. So the whole first part of the show is the changes that happen. The second part of the show is the importance of girlfriends and how they get you through. Like I say in the show, the friends that you make during the beginning part of motherhood are most likely the friends you have for the rest of your life, and how important those relationships are. And I talk all about marriage and how much it changes and how much you wanna kill him and love him at the same time. So it really is my story, and there’s some improv in the show as well. It’s just a fun night. Hopefully when you leave, your face will hurt from laughing. It’s a funny show with some great messages, and a good time all around.

‘One Funny Mother‘

Segerstrom Center the Arts – Samueli Theater

December 18-19; 2 and 7 p.m.

Tickets: start at $49, available in person and phone

600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

More info: scfta.org or call (714) 556-2787

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The charming Alabama redhead is best known for her live comedy show “Dixie’s Tupperware Party,” in which she shares crazy stories, sells Tupperware, mixes cocktails and invites her audience members to join in on the interactive fun. With theaters currently closed sue to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dixie has developed a 95-minute virtual show of laughter, drink recipes, and adult humor that — according to Dixie — has literally had a theatergoer lose their dentures from howling at her antics.

The live stream is offered at an affordable price — $35 per household — which Dixie calls a “labor of love” to support theaters around the country. Get a taste of this worldwide-touring, gum-chewing, kind-hearted Southern gal on her Instagram and Backstage Q&A:

You’re so fun. I’ve really loved watching your videos on your Instagram and am very excited to see you in action on stage.

Oh my, how I appreciate that. Because everything’s closed down right now, the only way I can see anybody is through videos that I’m doing on social media or if I can do a virtual show. So this show is like my best effort to keep myself in front of people, and keep people smiling. 

How are you preparing for this virtual experience?

Well it’s crazy. I mean, I’ve been doing shows forever and with everything closed down, I thought, I wanted to do something to keep myself busy, keep occupied, and keep making people laugh.

But at the same time, I knew that all the art centers have been closed down since March, there’s no money coming in because there’s no shows on sale, and there’s no ticket revenues. And because I’ve been lucky enough to travel so much, I’ve met so many great people that work at the art centers, the box office, people in marketing, everybody. And so many of them are being laid off and furloughed. And I thought, well, if there’s anything I can do to bring some money back into the theaters, I’ll do it. So I thought let me write something on it, put it together, and I’ll work on it as a streaming thing, because then I can get it out to a bunch of theaters all at the same time. And the benefit is that the lion share of the ticket money goes to the arts centers. 

What were your challenges of putting on this virtual production?

I’ve been very lucky to have all these different theaters open their doors to me for the last 12 years that I’ve been on the road. So I want to give back to those who supported me. It’s been a real labor of love getting it all together because a lot of the art centers aren’t really equipped yet to do streaming. It’s been a lot of handholding and figuring out the best way to do it. I have some amazing people that I’m working with that have helped me put it all together. Now we’re up and running, and it’s all over the country. It was kind of mind-blowing. 

Are you ready to perform in front of the cameras? 

The show technically officially opened in Kansas City, Missouri. And it was just so weird to be doing the show. There’s no audience, just cameras. So it’s like, “Well, I hope you’re all enjoying it.” (laughs) Normally, the audience is laughing and responding to everything. And in all my shows, I would go out to the lobby to talk to people, like a separate party from the show. I would talk to people about Tupperware and help people with their food storage. But in this case, I’m not doing that either. I’m not like going out to the audience at the end and interacting. I thought this would be weird when it’s just the director there and I’m bound to silence. It’s all just weird, but I’m actually excited and making the most of it.

I take a bow at the end and I have a little inspirational quote that pops up at the end of the show. Definitely a little bit different than what I’m used to. Hopefully the audience will play along and be entertained, because obviously the audience is used to having other audience members there to drive their laughter and drive their experience. So it’s a little bit of a gamble, but I’m hoping it pays off and, more than anything, I’m hoping that brings some money into the art centers who need it so badly right now.

Well your personality shines. I don’t think you will have much of a problem bringing the entertainment on screen.  

I hope to fill that need for people that want to go out and see theater again. Sure, there’s plenty to watch on TV. There’s tons of Netflix and Amazon Hulu and all the networks, but I think there’s still that loyal thing with the patrons and ticket holders that love to go to the theater and have that experience. So one goal is to bring a little bit of that back to the stage, but put it in their living rooms. 

So, what would you say is your most memorable Tupperware party?

I’ve had so many funny instances. I was doing Tupperware parties before I ever did the show. That’s where I got my start. Oh my god, I had this one lady. I’ll never forget. She was an elderly lady and she laughed so hard at something I said, she coughed her false teeth out of her mouth! We thought she was choking or having a heart attack. So everybody ran over to her and made sure she was okay. And then she just lifted her head and her teeth were just sitting there. We laughed so hard, we could barely recover.

And then one time like I was doing, I was doing a live stage show. I’ve got people that sit on the couch with me on stage and there was this one lady was looking disinterested through the whole show. Not really laughing, not particularly being engaged, but just looking at me. And then after, I go into the lobby and I started talking to people and helping them with Tupperware orders and she makes a beeline to me. She says, ‘I have to tell you, I thought that was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen, and I may have tinkled on the seat.’ Then she walked away from it, so as soon as the show’s over, I ran up there and there it was — a little round wet spot.

So we took a picture of it, and I sent it to the people that ran the theater and they changed everybody’s screensaver in the entire theater organization to that picture for the week. We laughed so hard. How many shows get this kind of response? (laughs) 

And what is your best cocktail recommendation? 

Oh wow, any cocktail that makes it in your mouth. There’s good parts of this pandemic, I swear. It’s so funny. When I was writing this, I was like, I’m going to make some cocktails during the program. So I tested out all kinds of different house cocktails to decide what’s going to be the one that people know best, what’s going to be the one that people like, what’s most delicious. There’s a local store where I get the ingredients and the people that work there know be my name now. They’re like, ‘You spent so much this year, you’ve made in our platinum club!’ Oh my Lord. So as I was preparing this show I thought ‘Wait a minute. Technically, this is for my job. Does that mean I get to write my alcoholism off my taxes?’ 

‘Dixie’s Happy Hour’

A VIRTUAL PRESENTATION

February 9 – 21, 2021 at 8 pm

Tickets –   $35 per household

Online –  SCFTA.org 

Phone –  (714) 556-2787; Open Monday- Friday, 10 am – 2 pm

Advisory –  This show contains adult content.

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“The Joshua Show: Episode 2” invites all ages to Segerstrom Center for the Arts this weekend, Feb. 1-2 to experience the happy, whimsical performance.

We chatted with Holden about the inspiration behind spreading joyous messages through puppetry, his favorite puppet, and what it means to him to bring those messages to stages all over the world.

How did you originally get into puppetry?

Accidentally! About 12 years ago I auditioned to understudy Chicago-based master puppeteer, Blaire Thomas, in his new one man show The Selfish Giant produced by The Chicago Children’s Theater. I auditioned because the pay was good and I was out of work, but I never considered that a career in puppetry was even a thing that people did! I booked the job and have spent very little time on stage since then without a puppet on my arm!

What was the process of developing Part 2 of The Joshua Show?

In 2015, we presented The Joshua Show at the Puppets Up! international puppet festival in Canada. The show was so well received that we were asked to make an episode two for their festival the following summer. I was feeling very disheartened by what I was seeing in the news with school shootings, police brutality, and the political climate leading into the election. There was an air of hopelessness in our country and I was swept up in it. Episode 2 is my attempt to inspire those feeling down and out by this often crazy world to stand up and fight for joy.

Will you or are you already creating a third episode?

I imagine a third episode will come out at some point. We are currently workshopping our brand new holiday show, The Joyfully Jolly Jamboree. 

What did it mean to you when your show went on to be an international touring production?

It fills me up more than I can put into words. It has given me the opportunity to see firsthand that no matter how different we may fee from one another, joy is what unites us all. So cheesy, but i’m out there connecting with thousands of people across north america every year and that’s what I’m experiencing. It gives me a lot of hope.

Which puppet character is the most special to you, and why?

My soul mate and right hand man, Mr. Nicholas. He’s my right-hand man — the main puppet character in The Joshua Show. Mr. Nicholas is the balance to the show’s positivity. He allows us, without judgement, to be our worst, most cynical, and pessimistic selves. So often, we’re expected to be happy all the time — to always have a smile on our face. But, the world is hard. It’s full of scary things and hard truths. Bad things happen, and sometimes, nothing really feels fair. Mr. Nicholas gives a voice to that part of our humanity. He makes it a little easier for us to talk about the heavier things that all of us have to think about. And in the end, he’s always the biggest champion for us just being ourselves. With all the joy and love, bumps and bruises, hurt, love, and hope. Mr. Nicholas is so precious to me, and I’m so proud he exists.

What inspires your story and songwriting? Do you have a writing process or do you work by inspiration?

I write my shows for adults; I write my shows for parents to bring their kids to. Audience members at The Joshua Show are never spoken down to and we talk about real emotions and troubles.

The Joshua Show: Episode 2

Segerstrom Center for the Arts – Samueli Theater: 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA

When: 1 p.m. Saturday, February 1; 1 and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, February 2

Tickets – $20

More info: scfta.org or call (714) 556-2787

The post Puppet master Joshua Holden chats about the value of spreading joy appeared first on Backstage Socal.

The San Diego native is continuously active on all fronts — producing popular podcasts, starring in television and film, being a fierce pro-cannabis activist, stand-up comedy touring, and even co-creating an off-Broadway show (“The Marijuan-Logues”). 

The face of the documentary film “Super High Me” is currently best known for popular podcasts “Doug Loves Movies” and “Getting Doug With High.” His weekly “Doug Loves Movies” has pulled notable guests, including Mark Wahlberg, Bob Odenkirk, Amy Poehler, John Lithgow and Patton Oswalt, and discusses everything from weed to pop culture to comedy. 

The seasoned comedian is also a stand-up star, often touring and performing for live audiences, including a stand-up show at the Irvine Improv on Dec. 26 and a live audience recording of his “Doug Loves Movies” podcast at Brea Improv on Jan 4. He chatted with Backstage SoCal about favorite moments, movies and comedy.

Favorite moment on your Doug Loves Movies podcast so far?

When John Lithgow was on, during the Leonard Maltin Game, I read a less than favorable review of one of Lithgow’s movies, and he called Maltin a cocksucker. Sounds crude but somehow Lithgow made it classy. Acting!

Interviewing comedians, many have discussed feeling the pressure of filtering or censoring their comedy. In what ways are you experiencing this pressure (if at all)?

Times change, attitudes change, just like Jeff Goldblum says about life, comedy will find a way.

Most embarrassing moment of your career?

Hmmm, tough one, my entire career is based on embarrassing myself. Also, I get high every day, so I tend to take bad experiences and make like the girl in “Frozen” — I let it go.

What qualities do other comedians have that you admire?

Some are very good at doing the same material over and over again but still making it feel fresh. I enjoy doing my podcasts because the entire shows are improvised, there’s no routine to get sick of.

What would you tell your younger aspiring comedian self?

Drink less; go ahead and smoke a lot.

What do you remember about being on the set of “Friends”?

That I was there for 12 hours but my scene took 10 minutes to shoot. But it was a glorious 10 minutes, because Jennifer/Rachel had to talk to me.

Do you believe in conspiracy theories? 

I’m not a conspiracy guy. But I stand behind all of them.

What is the worst movie ever?

Damn. What’s with all the tough questions? I guess I’ll go with “The Room.” Which is not to be confused with “Room,” which is quite good and not fun at all.

Besides free weed, what do you wish your fans would give you?

More free weed. (laughs)

What will the Irvine Improv audience experience on Dec. 26?

Me telling some jokes, some of my friends telling some jokes. We’ll play a trivia game with audience members… just a fun time in general. I love doing my annual Holiday Taint show – taint Christmas, taint New Years, it’s in between — at the Spectrum. Before the show, you can find me on the Irvine Spectrum ferris wheel! 

For more info, visit douglovesmovies.com or follow Doug Benson’s Twitter at: @DougBenson

Brea Improv: https://improv.com/brea/

Irvine Improv: https://improv.com/irvine/

The post Stoner comedian Doug Benson shares a few of his favorite things appeared first on Backstage Socal.

Piff the Magic Dragon has got to be one of the most bizarre, hilarious and incredible shows you can catch in Las Vegas today.

Brilliant magic tricks performed by a notoriously grumpy dragon suit-wearing magician-comedian is already unique, but Piff (who’s real name is John van der Put) adds his sidekick “magical chihuahua” Mr. Piffles to the mix, for an overall hilariously fun show.

And now Piff and Mr. Piffles have hit the road to perform their wild show at venues throughout the U.S. — including Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa on Sept. 27-28.

With more than 12 million YouTube hits Piff, the standout star of “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” and NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” has performed to hundreds of thousands of people in prestigious venues such as Radio City Music Hall, the O2 Arena in London, and Sydney Opera House. The Magic Dragon performs nightly at his residency at the Flamingo Casino in Las Vegas in the newly renamed Piff the Magic Dragon Theatre.

“The Lucky Dragon Tour” mixes wizardry, wit and sarcasm that ignites a one-of-a-kind comedy magic show. We chatted with Piff about where he got the emerald green dragon onesie, his current tour and what’s in store for the dragon.

Let’s discuss the dragon in the room — where did the inspiration of performing in this costume come about? 

I just kept getting fired everywhere. I was a regular magician and you know, as always, I was a little bit grumpy and sarcastic to people, so people would just never employ me. Then one day I went to a costume party and I didn’t have a costume to wear. I said this to my sister and she said, “Oh, I’ve got a dragon outfit.” So I went in this dragon outfit and suddenly, I realized I could be as sarcastic as I wanted and people thought it was hilarious.

Is this the same costume you wear as Piff?  

Nah (laughs), I’ve had like 10 to 12 dragon suits since that original, but all similar. 

Custom made? 

Oh yeah, and it takes quite a while to make each one. But it’s seriously the comfiest thing I’ve ever owned. 

It looks comfortable! And I guess if you’re going to be selling out shows on a regular basis, you may as well do it in a onesie. 

Oh yeah, exactly. It’s like going to work in your pajamas. 

What does the audience experience on The Lucky Dragon tour? 

So whenever we go on tour, we always try and do like a bunch of new tricks and a bunch of the old favorites so that people who’ve already come to Vegas and seen me on stage can experience something different. There’s always something new for them to see. But a lot of the time people bring along their friends, so they also want to see some of this stuff that they might have seen before, so I try to mix it up. Every time we do a show, we use different people for each trick, so you know, every show ends up being almost unrecognizable from each other. 

When you look out into the audience, do you see a lot of younger kids and families attending because you’re in a cute dragon costume?  

Like we always say it’s kind of like a PG-13 show, so you know, we find like kids from eight years and up love it. They probably love it because it’s a little open, edgy and different or whatever. I mean it’s no Louis C.K. or like Dave Chappelle (laughs). But, you know, the kids still kind of like that edgy side of it. But I suppose that we have also made a few 5-year-olds cry. So I would definitely say if they’re younger, then forget it. Probably best not to bring the younger kids.  

You’ve had great success in just the last few years, from performing on America’s Got Talent to your Vegas residency; do you hope to continue to do the Piff act or do you have other ventures? 

I love performing live. So that’s why I went on America’s Got Talent, in order to try and get a live show in Vegas and be able to perform. So, you know, I hope that continues as long as I’d like it to. But obviously maybe as a 75 year old, going through a dragon phase is probably not a good idea. And, you know, Piffles is almost 12, so he’s got a retirement in a couple of years. 

What are your favorite moments on stage? 

It’s any time something unexpected happens. Like yesterday I had this couple from Latvia; I had pulled them on stage and they were so grumpy, I actually had to recast them, and I got them to be played by a 7 and an 8 year old from the audience. It was really fun. This couple was so grumpy though, even grumpier than me.

Anything else you would like readers to know?

One of my favorite things about doing the shows is that I can have the freedom of performing. Obviously in America’s Got Talent, I only had a certain amount of time so I couldn’t do everything I would have liked to do. So the great thing about live is, I can be completely unfiltered, and it’s like an hour and a half, so we get to sort of give them the full Piff experience as opposed to the pint sized version. 

Piff the Magic Dragon’s “The Lucky Dragon Tour”

Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa

When: Friday, Sept. 27 at 7 & 9 p.m.; Saturday, Sept 28 at 7 & 9 p.m.

More info: scfta.org or piffthemagicdragon.com/

The post Piff the Magic Dragon slays with sarcasm and illusion appeared first on Backstage Socal.

When you aren’t commuting to work, planning out your next work presentation, picking up your kids’ carpool, studying for a test — or whatever it is that takes up your day-to-day — do you indulge in a unique or bizarre hobby? Lesley Arfin, the perpetually chill creator of the hit Netflix series “Love,” created the feel-good podcast about finding pure, simple joy in random, unusual or just plain fun hobbies. 

The Filling the Void podcast features celebrity guests, such as actress Natasha Leggero (host of MTV’s “The 70s House”) and actress/TV writer Kerri Kenney (“Reno 911!), discussing the things that make them happy. The brand new podcast has streamed from the LA-based network Earios since June 30. We chatted a bit with Lesley about her favorite moments so far. 

What was the inspiration behind creating a podcast on discovering hidden hobbies?

I was f**king off a lot, doing things I like to do instead of actual work to make money. So I thought, ‘Oh I wonder if other people have this problem?’ And then people kept telling me to do a podcast and I was like nah, I’d only do it if it was actually fun, like a hobby. And somehow this math all added up to FTV.

Who has been your most memorable interview so far and why? 

Probably Kate Berlant because it was the first one.

What has been the most shocking/fascinating hobby you have discovered in your podcast chats? 

Diablo Cody’s roller coaster hobby was CRAZY! 

I heard you tell Diablo Cody that your podcast is a hobby. What are your other hobbies? 

Handyman/woman type stuff, painting, ballet, cards, and online shopping. 

What helps you balance writing, podcasting and other career/life ventures?

Being a mom. But I wouldn’t say it’s balanced. I’m constantly trying to balance my schedule and failing. 

Do you feel podcasting came natural to you? And has it enhanced your creative process?

Yes and I don’t know. Probably? I’ve only done it like 4 times though. 

Who are your podcast heroes? What qualities do they have that have inspired you in your own podcast?

I rarely listen to podcasts and when I do it’s 100 percent about the subject matter — usually murder. 

What do you hope to achieve with this podcast?  

Just to have fun and find out some cool stuff about people I hadn’t expected to find. I’m interested in people in general and what they do when they’re off the clock. 

The post Comedy writer Lesley Arfin is ‘Filling the Void’ with new podcast appeared first on Backstage Socal.

Media queen Margaret Cho has returned to the podcast platform after a six year hiatus and she’s inviting all of her famous (and some not-so-famous) friends to join her for fun and intimate conversations. 

“The Margaret Cho” launched July 17 and has already released episodes with “Queer Eye” host Jonathan Van Ness, tattoo and makeup artist superstar Kat Von D, actress Katie Malia and TV host and comedian Michael Yo. Presented by new female-led podcast network Earios, in partnership with Acast, episodes drop every Tuesday — with 36 episodes per season.  

The Grammy and Emmy Award-nominated actress, comedian, author and LGBT activist said there are no topics she will shy away from in her conversations, but her main goal is to just have fun. Cho chatted with us about her newest venture into the podcast world. 

How do you feel your podcast is unique from other interview format podcasts? 

Well, I really love when you get through to somebody from a different context. Like when I was younger, I would listen to my mom having lunch with her friends and I would like, crawl under the table and listen to their conversations. And all these moms were talking to each other and they were not moms in their conversation. They were talking about different things and their lives. I just think it’s really great to listen in on somebody who’s talking that’s not the part of them that you necessarily know publicly. It’s a kind of intimacy that I feel I can get with people. A lot of the guests that I have on are really good friends of mine. So I like to try to get to a different side of a personality if I can — that’s my goal. 

What inspired you to launch “The Margaret Cho”? 

Well, I’ve done a podcast in the past, in 2012 and 2013, and I really enjoyed it. It was a different time for podcasting, so it was a very different experience, but I always really enjoyed it and I wanted to get back to it. It’s a good way to supplement some of the other things that I do with comedy and producing and writing and putting together other things. And I listen to podcasts a lot. So it just seemed like the rational thing to kind of get into because I’ve had experience there and it’s a medium that I really avidly use as a consumer. 

Do you have any podcasts heroes that you look up to? 

I really love “My Favorite Murder.” Karen Kiilgariff is a friend of mine from the 1980s, you know, from childhood. So we have known each other for many, many years. And so it really is like listening to your friend talking on the phone. Like it’s like a very familiar thing. And I really love true crime, which is an interest that I’ve had all through my life. And somehow it’s kind of caught up with society, like “Armchair Sleuths,” and it gets very interesting how we can examine society through crime and how women are disproportionately suffering from crimes, especially from their partners or from abuse. And there’s so many things that you realize looking at crime statistics, crime stories and how the stories really tell a story about society. There’s another one that’s similar to my favorite record, which is “RedHanded,” a British podcast, which is also two women talking and it’s just really interesting, it’s a really good one. So those are my favorites you should check out if you haven’t. 

Where do you generally record? 

It actually really depends on (where I am). Sometimes I’ll be recording in New York and I’ll work in a studio there. But I’m the most comfortable recording from home. I think that’s my ideal, so I’ll probably do more from my house. 

What challenges have you faced so far? 

I think it’s just scheduling everybody, you know? Everybody that I want to talk to is really busy. Especially somebody like Kat (Kat Von D) or Jonathan Van Ness, who is our first guest. They’re always on the go. Kat just had a baby and they’re like getting their house ready, and then they’re like doing all of this press stuff, because she’s releasing a new shoe line. And then Jonathan is on the comedy tour and also filming “Queer Eye” and of course “Game of Thrones” just ended. So there was like so much activity on both of their parts; so it was hard to figure out when we could do it. So actually sitting and talking, that time is precious and I think that’s sort of reflected in the show. We make a lot of sacrifices so we actually can get together and talk. So it’s a nice thing that we can use it in the podcast. 

Since you’re being recorded for a large audience, does it feel like someone else is in the room with you when you are having these one-on-one casual conversations?

There’s certainly something to that, but also as a comedian that’s something we’re always kind of really conscious of. Especially nowadays with the way that we talk about comedy and we talk about jokes, you kind of have to be very careful or really sensor what you’re doing or saying. I feel like that’s sort of naturally there in comedy. Just kind of thinking about what is being said and what that would reflect on, and the impact of that; it’s just something that you’re conscious of I think. 

What do you hope to achieve with your podcast? 

I think that I just want to have something that I would like to listen to, you know? That I would really be interested in. It’s sort of like paying it back for all of the times that I have really been entertained by podcasts. Just to be able to throw my own hat into the ring with my own perspective; I think it’s really fun. So that’s kind of my goal. I want to participate in this world and make something that you can listen to for several hours a day. 

Do you ever listen to your own podcasts? 

Yeah and it’s funny because it’s like, I’ll be listening and then hear something and be like, “Oh god, I forgot that.” Like I really do forget! And then I have a lot of them from the first podcast I did that I really, really like but I completely forgot about. There’s so many things that I remember later after listening to it. So it’s really fun. 

I cringe when I have to hear my voice on recording, so I’m always curious if podcasters listen to their episodes and if they feel the same way.

Oh, I know, I hate my voice. It’s so annoying and embarrassing, but then you’ve got to get over it because you’re putting it out. So yeah I know exactly that feeling. I hate, hate, hate it. But it’s like you sort of have to get over it, because no matter what, you have to listen to make sure it’s right. You know? But yeah, it sucks. (laughs)

What has been your most memorable moments so far? 

I think it’s just like being able to just witness the rise of Jonathan’s career and being a part of it, and helping him along the way. You know, he’s really special and that for me has been really fulfilling. So I think that’s really remarkable. We just really got started. So we have lots of episodes still that need to be recorded that are coming in. Lots of guests that I’m really excited about. So I’m really, really thrilled about that.

Any future guests in particular that you’d like to share? 

Yes! I’m excited, we’ll be doing Quentin Tarantino and Diablo Cody, and Amy Landecker from “Transparent” who I love. And so there’s so many different people coming on that I’m really thrilled about that. So diverse. Oh, and Trixie Mattel, which is great. I love Trixie. It’s just all really exciting. I love it. 

Episodes can be found on Apple, Stitcher, Acast, Spotify or wherever you subscribe to podcasts. Listen here to a trailer of the show.

The post Margaret Cho chats about new celeb-filled podcast appeared first on Backstage Socal.

Comedian icon Brian Regan has a lot going on.

After three decades of consistently touring and appearing on late night television, he is currently gearing up to record his second Netflix one-hour special planned for release in 2019, premiered his new Jerry Seinfeld-produced Netflix sketch comedy series “Stand Up and Away! With Brian Regan” in December, and stars as a recovering addict in Peter Farrelly’s TV series “Loudermilk.” The 60-year-old is also on his non-stop theater tour, making a return to Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa on April 5.

The comedian, who Vanity Fair deemed “the funniest stand-up alive,” chatted with Jackie Moe of Backstage SoCal about his latest career shift into television, writing process (or lack thereof), challenges in the modern comedy climate, future plans and more.

How has life changed for you since making your way into the world of Netflix?

REGAN: Well, now I walk around and wear rhinestone capes, you know? I have a few white tigers now that walk around my apartment. [laughs] No, not really. I mean, I’m very fortunate that I have this nice opportunity with Netflix, and my personal life still moves along the way it used to. Everything’s good.

You have obviously done a ton of TV appearances throughout your standup career, but what led you to making this bigger step into acting and television?

REGAN: There were a couple of things that factored into “Standup and Away!” Jerry Seinfeld is the executive producer and he’s obviously like a top dog in the comedy world, and he was kind enough to want to spearhead this process to be able to give me a show. So I was truly honored by that and I had an idea for a show that I shared with him when he said he wanted to do something like this and I wanted to do my older stand up routines. I also wanted to do new sketches. So I thought maybe if I put them together in a show, that could be kind of interesting. So it’s been fun to do and I’m happy that Netflix is kind enough to give me the opportunity.

You’ve had enough longevity and are popular enough to probably stay put and people will come to see you. What drives you to continue to hit the road?

REGAN: Well, I’ve tried to do shows in my living room, but no one shows up! No but you say people are nice enough to come to me, but they’re not willing to come all the way to where I’m living. I have to get on an airplane and go to where the people are. But I like being on the road; I’m flying tonight on a red eye to Washington D.C. to do shows there. So there’s a lot of traveling involved, but it’s fun to be able to see the country and it’s fun to make people laugh in the four corners of the United States.

I know comedians don’t like to share what topics they are going to talk about in their show — or they have no clue what they are going to talk about until they are on stage. But are there any specific unique aspects to this tour?

REGAN: It’s always so hard to describe the comedy, because it’s just kind of a murky thing. I read somewhere, somebody said talking about comedy is like dancing about architecture; like it’s just kind of hard to do. But it’s just me doing my standup, and some people are curious as to whether they’re going to see a lot of stuff from my previous Netflix special. I usually try to move away from whatever the last hour is. I’m working towards my next Netflix standup special, which is different from ‘Standup and Away!’ I’ll be doing another stand-up special next year. And so I’m in the process of trying to create a new hour. So that’s what people will see when they come out.

What are your biggest challenges as a comedian today?

REGAN: Well there are a number of things that are challenging in today’s climate. One is the world is very divided politically and a lot of people want that to be reflected in comedy and a lot of people don’t want it to be harped on in comedy. That’s one thing. I don’t go by what other people want anyway. I go by what I want to do as a performer. But another thing that’s challenging is the explosion of smartphones. You know, you get on stage and you have a lot of people that want to have their phones out there either taping you like reading things that have nothing to do with you. You know, it’s very disturbing to be on stage and look out at people and see their faces lit up from their iPhone screens. They don’t even realize I can see you, you know? So it hurts my feelings when people would rather look at their iPhone screen than pay attention to what I’m talking about.

I read somewhere that you like the stage lighting to be situated so you only see the first few rows of the audience during your shows — which I know many performers prefer, but why do you?

REGAN: Yeah, every performer has a different thing. I think most performers only want to see the first few rows. So I don’t know if I’m unusual in that way. Some people don’t want to see anybody, they want the light so bright they don’t see anybody. And some people want to see everybody. But I’d rather just look out and pretend like I’m seeing the audience, but concentrate on the words that I’m saying and what I’m doing. I want to be more into that than watching people’s reactions. I’d like to hear the reaction than actually see the reaction.

You’ve probably been asked this at least a billion times, but do you have a writing process?

REGAN: Well, for me it’s more natural. I hope that doesn’t sound cocky. I’ve tried to sit down and write, but that doesn’t work for me. At least in terms of standup comedy, I’m not good at sitting down and trying to create something out of nothing. When I start with nothing, I end with nothing. Right? I need to be out in the world just doing my normal thing. And every once in a while you see something that feels interesting, comedically, and you go, ‘Hey, that could be a bit.’ And then once you have the idea, then you can sit down with a piece of paper and figure out the words you want to convey it. But the original idea has to come from outside and not from inside, at least for me.

Do you feel like you see the world differently or do you feel like you are just more inclined to notice things?

REGAN: Now let me try to explain this. You know, those 3-D posters where you look at a poster and it’s just looks like a bunch of weird shapes and then somebody says, ‘No, you got to look at it and relax your eyes and you’ll see a dinosaur’; and you look at it and go, ‘I don’t see the dinosaur, I don’t see the dinosaur, I don’t see the dinosaur.’ And then all of a sudden you go, ‘Oh, okay, I see the dinosaur.’ That’s what jokes are like, you know? You’re out in the world and most people are going, I don’t see the joke, I don’t see the joke. But every once in a while, a comedian goes, oh, I see the joke. I see what’s funny about this. So that’s the best way I can explain it is by equating it to 3-D dinosaurs [laughs].

The point is, everybody sees the same thing, but not everybody notices the same thing. And those are two different things, seeing and noticing. So I guess it’s the same comedically. It’s like every once in a while I’m fortunate enough to see something in a way that I feel I can put on stage as a joke. And sometimes the more common or simple the experience, the better it can be for the audience because everybody relates to it. And hopefully you’re doing something right and finding something interesting about it. Even though the experience might be very commonplace, you want to try to find something peculiar within that. Wow I’m getting very scientific with my answers. [laughs]

You’ve had such a long career; have you experienced any sort of defining moment where you felt like you made it or have you felt like you’ve made it?

REGAN: For me it’s been very gradual. I never had a line in the sand moment where the day before was one thing and the day after, it was a completely different animal. I’ve never had that. I’ve had great opportunities in my career. I’ve been fortunate enough to do big shows on TV and stuff like that, but everything’s just added in a cumulative way to whatever following I have. But even as lucky as I am to have a following, I’m still not famous, but I don’t even care about that. You know what I mean? Like I have some people who know who I am and I can go to a city and fill a theater, but as soon as I leave that theater, half a mile down the road, nobody knows who I am. I find that very intriguing. So there was never that ‘eureka!’ moment with my career. Everything just little by little adds to the overall package.

What’s in the future for Brian Regan?

REGAN: Well, I still like doing stand-up and I’ll be doing that for awhile, but I hope that Netflix will allow me to make some more ‘Standup and Away!,’ but I’m also in a TV series called ‘Loudermilk,’ which is about substance abuse. Peter Farrelly who just won for Best Picture for ‘Green Book’ is the creator of this show. It’s on an obscure channel, the audience network on DirecTV, but we just got picked up for a third season. It’s a dark comedy and I get to play a recovering person. It’s funny but it’s also serious and I enjoy doing it because I’ve just been a stand-up my whole career. And then to be able to do a little bit of acting is very rewarding. I’m always gravitating towards analogies, but I guess when I’m on stage as a stand up, I’m the entire pie. But with the TV show, I’m just a piece of the pie, and it’s fun to just be a piece sometimes.

Brian Regan

Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 5

Tickets: Start at $54.50 In person

Online: SCFTA.org

Phone: (714) 556-2787

The post Comic icon Brian Regan chats ‘clean comedy’ reputation and new Netflix special appeared first on Backstage Socal.

The winner of the 36th annual Seattle International Comedy Competition, Dino has appeared on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and Comedy Central’s “Adam Devine’s House Party.” Backstage SoCal caught up with Dino for a Quick Q&A:

Is comedy your passion or did you naturally fall into it?

Dino: Both. My family is very funny so making people laugh was currency growing up.

What qualities of other comedians do you most admire? 

Dino: Originality and the willingness to take a risk.

Backstage SoCal has seen you do a mixture of personal stories, observations and absurd jokes on stage. What is your writing process like?

Dino: It’s all three. I’ve also had a hard time sitting down at a coffee shop and writing pure jokes. Things will happen to me or I’ll see something and start laughing. I might mention it to another friend, usually a comic, and if we start laughing I know that’s something funny. Then I bring it to the crowd. Switching between those different styles of joke-telling keeps it fresh. Still, I want the show to be something you have to see and can’t categorize.

Do you have any backstage routines? 

Dino: I try to keep it pretty loose. I bring my Bluetooth speaker and some water; really exciting stuff. I like to party.

What challenges do you face as a current comedian?

Dino: You’re competing with the phone. We’re all addicted to it, so the show has to be good enough to make you forget about all the shit you can get to instantly on your phone.

When interviewing comedians, they often talk about “comedy breakthroughs” they’ve experienced in their career – basically when they realized they were funny. Have you experienced this “breakthrough?”  

Dino: Yes, I was a year into comedy. I did a show in my hometown, outside at a baseball stadium, at a Mixed Martial Arts festival in an Octagon to a thousand drunk pissed off people. They were mad because most of the fights had been cancelled, so they called my friend and I to do an impromptu show. And nobody likes a surprise comedy show, and they hated us. It was like the movie ‘Gladiator;’ they heckled, threw things and oddly I wasn’t bothered in the least. I walked out of the Octagon and into the stands and did 25 minutes. I knew this was the life for me.

Can you tell us a story of your most treasured career moment so far?

Dino: Probably the Octagon outside show, but doing ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ was a really cool moment. Doing comedy on a late night talk show was always a goal of mine and being able to do that felt like an accomplishment. I was asked to do it so that felt even better than auditioning and Jimmy has a lot of respect for comedians. They bring the crowd into a separate room that looks just like a comedy club; my mom and best friends came. They said I had the biggest guest list to date (laughs).

If you could sum up why people should come see you live, what would you say? 

Dino: Because I need them to.  Also, I’m a professional but still unknown so it will feel like discovering your new favorite band. It’s only $10 in advance. If that doesn’t sell you nothing will.

Follow Dino Archie on Twitter and Instagram!

Dino Archie

Where: Irvine Improv, 527 Spectrum Center Dr, Irvine

When: 8 p.m. Oct. 9

Online: irvine.improv.com

The post Quick Q&A: Comedian Dino Archie will headline Irvine Improv Oct. 9 appeared first on Backstage Socal.