Made Men: A Sit-Down with the Laugh Mafia

A week ago, I found myself at an Einstein Brothers Bagels having a very surreal moment.  Jason Powell, Byron Stamps, and Bobby Friske, three of four local greats who make up Dallas' own Laugh Mafia comedy group, sat around my table, drinking coffee and waxing hysterical.

I felt as if I had been transported into the middle of a sit-com, with the Laugh Mafia as the ensemble cast - the dynamic was incredible, and this was just breakfast.  Jason, Byron, and Bobby have such great chemistry with each other, even though each comic in the Laugh Mafia brings their own unique style, which is pretty much by design.

Bobby Friske, Byron Stamps, and fourth member, Bobby Romano, met in a comedy workshop run by Emmy Award-winning comedian and writer, Dean Lewis, which has churned out such greats as Paul Varghese, Raj Sharma, and Aaron Aryanpur. The three began hitting Dallas-area open mic nights, where they "accidentally" crossed paths with Jason Powell. The guys hit it off one night at the Backdoor Comedy Club, and have been writing and performing together ever since.  The group produced their first comedy show at the Eisemann Center in 2009, and never looked back.

Byron Stamps, "Wylie's only African-American resident," grew up in the Gulf South.  Quickly recognizing the limited opportunities to perform stand up comedy in his native Mississippi, Byron began traveling on weekends to places like Memphis and New Orleans.  Stamps took a brief hiatus from comedy to marry and start a family, but once his regular job (teaching) provided a chance to relocate to the DFW area, Byron knew he wanted to revisit his first love - stand up.  

Byron was the strong, silent type of the group, who sat back, observing, and only provided commentary when he felt he had something of substance to provide.

Bobby Friske endured a rural upbringing in West Texas, which provides him with an unending supply of rich comedy.  Bobby's quick wit and progressive style of comedy made me almost forget he had grown up in a small town outside of Lubbock, but his slow Southern drawl would not let me.  Bobby seemed to be the major motivating factor in who and where the Laugh Mafia is today.

Chicago native, Jason Powell, was surrounded by improvisation a la Second City, yet his focus was strictly stand up comedy.  After traveling and even taking Judy Carter's stand up class in Los Angeles, Powell returned to Chicago, and immediately noticed what he described as a "Chicago predisposition" to improvisation, with little focus on stand up comedy.  Jason had the chance to move to Dallas for a job, and was encouraged by the stand up network and scene.

I did not get to speak with Bobby Romano of the Laugh Mafia, but Romano comes from a strong music background, and his comedy is an edgy blend.

"Our show has something for everyone," Friske explained. "We're a diverse group, and our hope has always been to provide a diverse comedy show." 

The boys have already put in a huge amount of preparation for the August 27th event.  This group has been meeting regularly, and have been performing and perfecting their craft at various shows all around the DFW area.  The guys made it very clear that they appreciate their supporters, and I believe wholeheartedly that they are both sincere and grateful.

In fact, Friske and Stamps just returned from a nine day "immersion" in Los Angeles, likening the city to "The Olympics of Comedy."  L.A. had a great divide in the levels of performance of "open micers" versus "openers." There seemed to be no middle ground to speak of, even though each and every comedian was incredibly kind and showed respect for the Dallas Comedy scene.  Stamps and Friske were fortunate enough to have good contacts in the upper echelon of L.A.'s comedy scene, but clearly could differentiate between the "haves," and the "have nots," which made them both very appreciative of the nurturing and supportive comedy network back home. 

I encourage you to see the Laugh Mafia Saturday, August 27th at 8:00 at the Eisemann Center - this show will surely sell out, as the previous shows have, so get your tickets ASAP!

tix available at www.eisemanncenter.com

Comedy Powerhouse Filming at The Improv - Don't Miss!

Tomorrow night, Wednesday, July 27th, Dallas' own Paul Varghese will be performing at The Addison Improvisation on Beltline, following Dean Lewis' Stars of Tomorrow Comedy Showcase.

Paul Varghese has earned a reputation for being a comedy powerhouse here in Dallas. He has performed all over the U.S. but has kept Dallas as his home, defying all of the conventional wisdom of showbusiness. We've heard it before, "you gotta be in L.A. or New York or Chicago if you wanna make it in comedy." And for the rest of the comedic population, that's true, but Paul seems to be that one in a million who can create success wherever he goes, breaking the rules along the way.

Tomorrow night, Paul is reuniting with "The Godfather" of Dallas comedy, Dean Lewis, by treating Dean's Stars of Tomorrow Showcase audience members to a rare treat.  Paul will perform following a great lineup of local talent, including such well-knowns as Tyson Faifer, Bobby Friske, Bryan Rakestraw, Nickolas Mann, David Jessup, Tom McDonough, Michael O'Donnell, Jeffrey Jay, and Celeste Davis, plus a few newcomers.  If that wasn't enough, Paul will be taping his set for Comedy Central, so you know he'll bring down the house!

Folks, this show will sell out, if it hasn't already, so get your tickets NOW. Arrive at 7:30, show starts at 8:00, two item minimum.

We STILL Hungry Comedy Show - Sunday, June 26th!

They're at it again! Redrock Bar & Grill Dallas is hosting the We Hungry Comedy Showcase THIS SUNDAY! Grab your friends and come out to see some great local talent, including:

Cris Lehman
Bobby Friske
Tomcat Your Comedy Cat
Liem Nguyen
Michelle Reid
Barry Whitewater
Floyd Moon
Celeste
and host, D'Andre Ballard!

Redrock Bar & Grill is located at the corner of Frankford & Midway in Dallas. Show starts at 7:00pm. $10 at the door.  Be sure to arrive at least 20 minutes early for seating.

Sub.Urban Comedy Connection has had the pleasure of seeing each of these comedians perform before, at such venues including Addison Improv, Arlington Improv, Hyena's, Backdoor Comedy Club, and more! Several of these comics have competed in the "Funniest Comic in Texas" competitions, and we assure you this show will not disappoint!

Three Minutes With Paul Varghese....

Not too long ago, Sub.Urban Comedy Connection had the opportunity to sit down with Dallas' own, the indelible Paul Varghese.

S.UCC: How on Earth did a RT VF/ Communications student from University of North Texas wind up working for a popular network TV show? (Sally Jesse Raphael)

PV: Well, I applied for a student exchange program, but instead was given an internship with the Sally Jesse Raphael show. I worked hard for the show, and I count it as an incredible learning experience, but I quickly learned it was not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

S.UCC: So how did you "break in" to stand up comedy?

PV: I never really knew much about stand up, but was curious about it, so I just sort of... sought it out.  I went to comedy shows, open mics, writing workshops... I started getting work locally starting in 2001, and have been fortunate enough to have been headlining since 2002.

S.UCC: Where is "home" to you right now?

PV: I'm based in North Dallas, but I'm traveling so much.

S.UCC: What's it like coming back to DFW after touring so many other cities?

PV: I love being out of town for four days, and then coming back to Dallas. There's a stability that I have in Dallas that no other city can give me.

S.UCC: When you started, did you know performing stand up professionally was your goal - or did you think production and writing was "it" for you?

PV: I absolutely love making a living at what I love. Sometimes I can't believe that I'm making a living doing something I love so much.  That said, stand up doesn't define me. I'm not doing it to be "famous," that's not the deal.  I'm just trying to produce quality entertainment, and trying to make a living at what I'm doing.

Paul had just finished a beyond packed show at Hyena's Comedy Club Fort Worth, with the smarmy-yet-irresistible Cris Lehman, and ridiculously brilliant Aaron Aryanpur.

You can see Paul Varghese locally THIS WEEKEND at D'Vine Wine Garland (see photo below), or Friday, June 17th, in Phoenix for the LIVE TAPING for TV show, "Stand-Up Revolution." Go to http://www.paulvarghese.com/ for more information.

Paul Varghese is a bright light in contemporary comedy, and Dallas is proud to call him our own.

*photo courtesy of comedian Bobby Friske

Dyer Street Open Mic

This past Monday, Sub.Urban Comedy Connection got to rub elbows with some of Dallas' top entertainers over at Dyer Street Bar's Open Mic.  This is where local comics come to try out new material, meet and write together, and socialize as well.  Sign up in advance, and show starts at 9pm. 

Even if you're not a comedian, go to this open mic!  You will have a rare behind-the-scenes look at Dallas comics' brand new material, and be able to watch them work.

S.UCC wants to give a shout out to comedians

John Tole
Celeste Seitz
Cobi Cari
John Gorham
Brian Rakestraw
Ross Day
Darren Collins
Nick Puente
Kissryn Munns
Ricky Laraz
Josh Steinberg

and many others who came out Monday night!

Dallas Darling Chelsea Hood - An Interview

This past weekend, Sub.Urban Comedy Connection had the opportunity to sit down with local treasure, Chelsea Hood, at The Addison Improv. 

S.UCC: Thank you so much for taking a moment to speak with us tonight about your career. Things just seem to be really blowing up for you lately - you just finished up the Dallas Comedy Festival, you're a regular at several local comedy clubs, things are really going well.

CH:  Thanks, yeah, the Dallas Comedy Festival was amazing - the talent was unbelievable, I had a great time.  It was cool to work with that caliber of artists.

S.UCC: So have you always known that Stand Up was what you wanted to do?

CH: I think I've always been naturally funny, and had a desire to perform, I just didn't put the two together until after college.  I'm from Chicago, originally, and I was in school for acting at Illinois State when my room mate and I went to a comedy show for the forst time, and my room mate told me that night, 'this is what you should be doing.'  I kind of shrugged it off because I knew nothing about Stand Up Comedy, and I continued to pursue my acting degree. 

S.UCC:  So what finally made you decide to go for it? How did that happen?

CH:  I moved to Dallas to teach children acting and theater, and was supplementing my income waiting tables, and it was while waiting tables I just had a really good night and a fun customer.  This customer told me he'd give me a $100 tip if I just tried stand up one time. That's how much confidence he had in me.  I thought really hard about whether to take his money or not, because I had no idea what Stand Up was about or how to get started.  But I took the guy's $100, and I'm a person of my word.
I started by going to a lot of open mics to observe.  I watched a lot of people bomb, but then saw some good comedy, too.  I took a class on stand up given by Dean Lewis. I finally worked up to that first opportunity on stage.

S.UCC: Then what??

CH:  It was the worst 90 seconds of my life!  I bombed in front of my boss and two others at the Dyer Street Bar open mic - but I didn't give up.  Next I started going up at Hyena's, Backdoor, every opportunity I could, and eventually I was offered a guest spot at the Arlington Hyena's before it closed.  It all happened very quickly.

S.UCC:  How did Stand Up differ from acting, and what did you like about those differences?

CH:  Stand Up is so, so different from acting - I'll tell you that writing my own material and having full control over my own success or failure has been the best.  I'm not having 'creative differences' with a director. 
While I was teaching children acting and theater, we were back stage before a performance, and one of my students said, 'gosh, I'm so nervous!'  well I had lost that - that uneasy feeling, that nervousness before a play, and at that moment, when I heard that little girl's words, I realized that I really missed that feeling.  I didn't get it anymore with acting.  But I get it every time with stand up.

S.UCC:  Is your family back in Chicago?  What do they think of what you're doing?  Supportive?

CH:  Oh, yeah, my family is incredible back in Chicago.  So supportive.  My dad is an immigrant; he came from London to make a better life in the US (he's a musician), and my mom is a violinist, so they always encouraged my interest in the arts.  Growing up my parents were always most proud of my performances on stage because they saw me in my element.  They knew I was most comfortable and at my best on stage. 

S.UCC:  Chicago is such a great city for comedy.  Do you plan on going back?

CH:  Well, right now I only see my parents two times a year.  I have been seriously considering taking some time to spend with them this Fall.  When I was in college and right after I graduated, I did some performances at Second City and with other groups, but never any Improv or Stand Up.  I think it's a possibility - yeah, I'd like to perform back in Chicago if possible. 
The goal right now is to actually move to New York.

S.UCC:  You don't want to stay in Dallas?

CH:  I would love to stay in Dallas - I love Dallas, and the amazing, talented comedians I have met and worked with here.  I owe a lot to comedy in Dallas - these are the people who took me under their wing, gave me pointers, kept me from writing hack material, and really told me what was what.
But...

S.UCC: Ah, here comes the but....

CH:  This past January I went to two auditions, did very well, and made it to the final rounds of those auditions.  Then no further.  But that was it - there literally were only two auditions that month in Dallas.  I can go to five times as many auditions every day in New York. 
I think there are genius comedy writier here in Dallas.  They have pushed me to be open to new experiences, and shared with me what made them better comics.  But there's more work to be had in New York.

S.UCC:  Do you feel you have a unique perspective on the business of comedy as a female?

CH:  Absolutely.  I am living my life on a different schedule than most other people.  I work at night, in a club, until two or three in the morning, and while many people I know are planning their weddings and future families, I'm planning a move to New York.
It can be stressful, and weird, being on a different timeframe for those things than everyone else.  I've lost friendships, had difficult moments with my significant other, but this is what I do.  I have to do it. 
It's like Patton Oswalt said while reminiscing with a friend, '[remember when going to clubs and performing standup was] ALL WE DID for two to three years?'  Every night, you have to eat, sleep, breathe comedy if you want to make it in this business, and that's what I'm doing.

S.UCC:  Lastly, what is it about your style of Stand Up that's different, unique?

CH:  As a female comedian, I'm not really interested in writing jokes that denigrate women.  I don't like jokes that reinforce negative stereotypes about women either.  I think I can be funny without that.  Sure, I poke fun at stereotypes, but not in a way that cheapens what women bring to the equation. 
It's important to me that comedians use their time in front of a microphone, with a captive audience, to actually say something. This is your chance to get a message across to a large number of people - why not take advantage of it? 

S.UCC:  Chelsea, thank you so much for sitting down to talk with us.  And best of luck to you in the future!

You can see CHELSEA HOOD live at The Addison Improv opening for Mama Michelle on April 16th,
AND
at The Arlington Improv opening for Sebastian Maniscalco April 28th thru May 1st!

Go see this rising star, before she's gone!

Steve Byrne at the Addison Improv Now thru Sunday!

Last night I had the pleasure of attending Steve's show at The Addison Improv, one of my favorite venues.  I was the first to arrive for the show, but the place wasn't empty for long. I could feel a great energy from the crowd - the majority of the patrons were obviously Addison Improv Veterans.
Thirty minutes before the show, the staff at The Improv was running like a well-oiled machine.  Patrons were seated quickly.  Drinks were served faster than I could have gotten them from my own refrigerator.  The staff handled the crowd with the grace of a debutante, but the organization skills of air traffic control.
Ten minutes before the show, the club was jam-packed, and people were still filing in.  The place was buzzing with conversation, and the mood was fantastic.
The host, Justin Foster, took to the stage to warm up the crowd.  Justin quickly charmed the audience with his relaxed style.  He made us all feel comfortable; Justin seemed like a guy who could hang out with anyone, anywhere, anytime.  He told jokes about his divorced parents, high school job, living with his girlfriend and the dilemmas that cohabitation can bring, and all the joys associated with being a child of the 80's. 
Justin had us eating out of the palm of his hand by the time he brought up the featurette, Bill Crawford.
Like Steve Byrne, Bill Crawford is from Pennsylvania, and hilarious.  Bill told of life with his girlfriend, how reality tv and Sallie Mae are preventing him from marrying, and what growing up as the only white kid in his school was like.  Bill concluded his set by reading the most disturbing, yet hysterical love letter he received in junior high.  Bill Crawford provided non-stop laughs, and several surprises, and I hope to see him in the Dallas area again soon.
The audience was primed and ready by the time headliner, Steve Byrne, took the stage.
Steve Byrne has the rare talent of being able to poke fun at people and racial stereotypes without conjuring up bad feelings or resentment. Half Irish, half Korean, 100% American, Steve reminded us that the (fill-in-the-blank)-American labels we put upon ourselves to show our "identity," are the same labels that separate us from one another.  He cleverly explored truth in stereotypes, sexual euphemisms, and why environmentalism may be bad for self-preservation. 
Byrne did not disappoint, and I highly recommend you click on the Addison Improv Calendar link & quickly purchase your tickets for one of these shows, before it is sold out!
(if you do not get a chance to make one of these shows, consider buying Steve's latest Comedy Central one-hour special, Steve Byrne- The Byrne Identity )

Check back this weekend for our interview with Dallas' own CHELSEA HOOD and information about her upcoming shows!