Live Comedy L.A.

Anyone want to be in the new Judd Apatow stand-up comedy film starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogan? Apparently, they are looking for paid extras according to this e-mail that I got from the Improv earlier today (they were able to get the HTML right for this one).

PAID EXTRAS NEEDED FOR MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

FUNNY PEOPLE

Directed by Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, 40 Year Old Virgin), starring Adam Sandler,
Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman, to name a few.
This major motion picture by Universal is taken place in the world of standup comedy.
We are looking for real Improv/comedy club Go-ers who like to laugh,
to come join us by working as Extras on our film in Los Angeles, CA.

***PAID EXTRAS ages 21 and older are needed to work on the film “FUNNY PEOPLE”.
This film is being made from October 2008 through January 2009.
If you are interested in possibly working as a paid Extra in our film,
please mail your submission as soon as possible.

MAKE SURE TO SEND THE FOLLOWING: a current photo (snapshot or Polaroid is fine)
of yourself dressed and made up (hair and make up done for the ladies) in clothing you think appropriate to wear when you go to the Improv for a night out.
Make sure the photo shows your clothing as well as your face.
Also make sure your submission includes your Name, Email, Phone, HT., WT., Sizes, Car Info.
(if you have one and are willing to use your car in the movie)
- Make, Model, Color & Year. And, if you are in SAG (Screen Actors Guild), please let us know.

EMAIL:
WENDY WASHBROOK - wendy.central@gmail.com
RE: “FUNNY PEOPLE”

OR

MAIL TO:
WENDY WASHBROOK / CENTRAL CASTING
“FUNNY PEOPLE”
c/o Central Casting
220 South Flower Street
Burbank, CA 91502
____________________________________________________________________________

NOTE: NO PHONE CALLS. PHOTOS WILL NOT BE RETURNED.
PLEASE BE PATIENT. WE WILL BE CONTACTING YOU VERY SOON.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR INTEREST IN “FUNNY PEOPLE”.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
Wendy Washbrook, Extras Casting

Another magazine, another list of comics to watch. I have my own list of “comics to watch” that I am slooowly going through. The reality is…there are so many great comedians out there that you should just get out to the shows and decide for yourself.

Funny story:
The second comedian on the list is Tiffany Haddish, who performs at the Laugh Factory quite frequently. I was in the audience one night 3 years ago and she started hitting on me from the stage (or maybe my ego was hoping that she was hitting on me). But she actually came over to me after the show and gave me her number. Tiffany is a pretty girl…and black. I’m white a white dude. As she was giving me her phone number, a black comedian saw her doing it and goes, “Oh come on man, help a brotha out!” It was probably her husband.

Rolling Stone: 5 Comics to Watch

I picked up the Rolling Stone Comedy issue in the Vegas airport this weekend on my way home from BlogWorld (yeah…I was at BlogWorld). If you can still grab it, it’s a good read. My biggest take away from the issue was how opinions differed on the importance of the internet to comedy.

It’s 2008 folks. This isn’t debatable anymore. The internet is extremely important to comedy and comedians. Some quotes:

Dane Cook
“It’s the most important tool any comedian can implement into their career. It’s up to you to gather your fans for your own personal personal programming. That’s powerful.”

Katt Williams
“I think it’s been wonderful for comedy - a gold rush. It happened with the comedy clubs in the Eighties and Nineties, and it’s happened again now with the internet. Whoever thinks differently is looking at it the wrong way.”

Craig Ferguson
“I think it’s actually bad for performers who are starting out. They’re not getting a chance to fail in private.”

Zach Galifianakis
“The little bit of success that I have is due to the internet. It has nothing to do with me guest-starring or being on a sitcom at all.”

Albert Brooks
“I think the internet is slowly going to take down all creativity.”

Just had a quick brainstorm related to yesterday’s post about the Comedy Store that I wanted to get down.

From a business model perspective…I really feel that it is in everyone’s best interest for a comedy club to be owned by a media company. It needs to be a part of a larger organization that does not rely on the current revenue streams (tickets and drinks) as its sole income. A media company can leverage the assets (comedians, show development, scripts, etc.) into other income streams. No one individual can do that (or VERY few).

If an individual owns it…you may see a better working environment. More programming options…more pride. However, it will be difficult for them to pay comedians because of the economics.

As much as I love comedy…I would not advise anyone to be in the comedy club business unless you are in the business of creating intellectual property that you can sell and distribute on a large scale OR comedy is an ancillary part of your larger business…think Dave and Busters or the casinos.

One visit to the Comedy Store should tell you that management has given up. One visit to the Comedy Store website should tell you they are out of touch. They are now in the business of apathy as opposed to the business of comedy, entertainment, and talent development. If you read the “Early Years” section of the Comedy Store website, their history ends in the 1980’s. In case you haven’t checked the calendar in a while, it’s 2008. What’s been going on there since then? Who knows. But a recent visit to “The Store” tells me creating a better business that promotes live comedy isn’t a priority.

Problems include:
1. No staff organization or clear presence of someone running the club.
2. 16 comedians in a line-up - not fun for anyone, including the comedians.
3. A gigantic Main Room originally designed for big names that can no longer attract the talent and the crowd to fill it, making it a cavern where great jokes disappear.
4. A pitiful web presence - the website looks like it was designed a decade ago, the Myspace page is visited very infrequently, and no other “web 2.0″ promotional tools are used.

There are no indications that any of this will change anytime soon. For the sake of the comedy world…for the sake of the talent that makes our entertainment world go round…and for the sake of helping people laugh…it’s time for the Comedy Store to sell.

I believe it makes sense for a major media company or movie studio to purchase the Comedy Store.

For a major media conglomerate, owning a venue such as the Comedy Store can work in several ways:

1. Training and Development facility for talent - Jerry Seinfeld, Ray Romano, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Chris Rock, Jim Carrey, Will Ferrell…all started in live comedy. Why not corner the market on talent early? Own the minor leagues. Own the talent pool. Talent is currency in this business. If I have a shot at getting A-Rod early and cheap, I’m taking it (that’s a sports analogy folks).

2. Testing facility for new concepts - wouldn’t it be great for Jimmy Fallon to run his test program in the Main Room at the Comedy Store.

3. Use as a promotional tool for current films, tv shows, and internet ventures by driving people to live shows.

4. Create a closer interaction with the press and the public through live entertainment thereby creating buzz and transparency.

5. Blend current stars with up and coming talent to create buzz for the next generation.

6. Gives the artists a setting to create - an environment where they are together and brainstorming concepts for your company. I have news for you…these people are brilliant writers.

7. Wrap the building in promotion - billboards on the Sunset Strip are expensive.

The list goes on…these are just some ideas. The Store has the size and the history to make an impact on the industry. With additional programming and management changes, it would be one of the premier entertainment venues in the country.

The bottom line is…a purchase by a media company makes more sense than anything else. It’s all about incubation. Worst case scenario, it’s a real estate investment in a piece of property on the Sunset Strip (almost positive they own the building).

So…let’s do this. Start talking to your friends…your friends of friends…and let’s make this happen.

For the second time this week I went to a show I have never been to before. I made the quick trip over to the NoHo Arts District to see Milkshoot. It’s a small show run by Faith Choyce and Bobaloo Rox at the Amsterdam Cafe in North Hollywood.

Comedy is built on the backs of small shows like this one. The Improv, Laugh Factory, and Comedy Store would be garbage if L.A. didn’t have rooms like Milkshoot for comedians to work out their material. It’s not a place for the run of the mill fan, however, if you are interested in seeing the comedic process, it’s a cool show. Plus, you never know who you will discover or meet. It’s just cool people doing their best to make other people laugh. A noble cause if you ask me.

Milkshoot goes twice a month. We’ll keep you in the loop on the next show.

At the end of the day, it’s all about the line-up. And Chris Millhouse put up a good line-up on Thursday night at his “Comedy Abuse” show at the Comedy Store. Anytime you have Tom Papa, Tom Segura, and Sam Tripoli, you’re good to go. Plus, some how Chris got a bunch of hot girls there. I would say there were 40 people in the crowd. 12 - 15 were hot girls. That’s stunning.

Tom Papa is an terrific, seasoned comedian that everyone should really go see. I’ve talked about Segura so many times. Always great. But the set of the night was Tripoli’s. He can be so entertaining because of how much he feeds off the crowd. He’s so good with the audience. On Thursday, he wrangled a dorky Asian guy and a hot Persian girl on-stage to help the guy learn how to pick-up girls. Just awesome. If you’re a TV exec, don’t give Tripoli a script…just turn him loose. Your show will be 10 times better. A live sports show maybe. Why aren’t they giving comedians more sports jobs. Comedians, sports, and smokin’ hot chicks…the trifecta of success. That doesn’t get old…ever. HBO needs a filler for Inside the NFL. Let’s do this.

The other comedians did well. I thought Chris Millhouse was very good. Adam Ray and Mark Serritella did their thing. I didn’t appreciate Brian Swinehart going on stage higher than a kite, though. Maybe it’s me. Do what you want when you are home or writing but be professional. Your performance suffers. The audience comes first - that should be your mantra. I can’t go to my job lit…neither should comedians. The only comedian that might be able to pull this off is Rogan…but he can handle an isolation tank.

Fun times were had though. I’ll keep you in the loop on when the next Comedy Abuse show goes up.

I will be hitting Chris Millhouse’s “Comedy Abuse” Show tomorrow night (Thurs., Sept. 11th) at the Comedy Store for the first time. Should be a great show. Feel free to join me.

In fact, if you mention Live Comedy L.A. at the door….you get in FREE! Pretty cool.

Comedy Store - Main Room
8:30pm
Comedy Abuse with Chris Millhouse
Brian Swineheart
Mark Seritella
Adam Ray
Tom Papa
Sam Tripoli
Tom Segura

In my opinion (sometimes it’s humble…sometimes it’s not), Tom Segura understands what stand-up comedy is all about. No subject is off limits and there is no “line”…so to speak. That’s stand-up comedy. It’s the one place you are allowed to say anything you want and the audience is allowed to laugh. Very few comedians take advantage of that power and freedom like Segura.

One of the most prolific writers of comedy in Los Angeles, Segura’s jokes are racial, sexual, and most importantly intelligent. I have seen Segura perform 8 - 10 times in the last year or so and he consistently delivers new material every time. Two of my favorite jokes are “Guys with ponytails” and “Men who wear tank tops”. You can check out the videos below.

Segura is no doubt on the cusp of going big. He is currently headlining shows across the country and performing along side the likes of Jay Mohr. Also, you can catch him as Teddy Loons in “Cutman”, which he co-wrote with Ryan Sickler.

Of course, I say check him out live:

Comedy Store - Main Room
Comedy Abuse Show (Send Chris Millhouse a note for 1/2 off = $5)
Thursday, September 11
8:30pm

Videos provided by the good folks at Rooftop Comedy - they understand what stand-up is all about also.

Crazy show last night at Ballgame’s Laugh Lounge. The line-up was killer - Last Comic Standing winner Iliza Schlesinger was in the house warming up material for her tour; Ryan Stout from MTV threw down 10 minutes; Carlos “The Chicken Whisperer” Kotkin killed it; plus new comer Brad Schecter did a quick 5; and Matty “Ballgame” Balaker brought the heat with some great jokes about disappointing his parents.

Just want to call out two great comedians - “Dragon Boy Suede” Howard Kremer did Ballgame’s show for the first time. I’ve said it before…he’s probably top 10 most talented comedians out there. He gave me a CD last night with the greatest song ever on it called “Nut Valet”. Did I mention DBS raps? Get this guy a show…now!

Finally, I got to see a complete set from Bert Kreisher. Jesus…he’s good. He’s all energy…and dirty. He does a joke about his baby girl sucking on a finger that killed. Plus…one of the great moments in Ballgame’s history happened last night. Playboy Cyber Girl Natasha Budhi (NSFW) a.k.a. “The Chocolate Bunny” showed up to the Laugh Lounge in an outfit that showed three-quarters of her beautiful and gigantic breasts. Some how she ended up on stage with Kreisher in one of the funniest exchanges ever. We need more Playboy Cyber girls at live comedy shows - you will be heavily promoted here at Live Comedy L.A. - I’m just sayin’.