Comedians

[Peekaboo]

There was a bit of a discussion on some comedians in a different topic so i thought i'd start a thread on comedians. I've mentioned before that I'm a big fan of stand up comedy. Bill Engvall is at the top of my list. I've had the wonderful pleasure of seeing him in concerts several times as well as getting to meet him at a few times. I came across this article about Bill that compares the Blue Collar Comedy guys to the Eagles. I found it interesting since i'm a big fan of both groups.

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.d...20307/-1/rss03

[Freypower]

My husband was a big fan of Bill Hicks, who died at 32 from pancreatic cancer. He also liked Denis Leary although he thought Leary ripped a lot of stuff off Hicks.

Because my husband is English he loves English stand up comedy. I will throw out some names, but most of them are probably not known in the United States.

We have seen the following people live:

Billy Connolly
Lenny Henry
Jack Dee
Bill Bailey
Ross Noble (a Geordie like hubby)
Arj Barker
Danny Bhoy
Steven Wright (now he IS American)

He has DVDs of those people plus Dara O'Braian, Frankie Boyle, Russell Howard, Eddie Izzard, Alan Davies. He is a fan of the British satricial news show Mock the Week and many of these people appear on that. There may be others but I can't think who they are at the moment.

[eaglesvet]

Back in the day, I used to go out in the city (NYC) for fun a lot more than I do now. That was mainly in my 20's...my boyfriend or other friends and I would often go 'clubbing' to dance clubs or to comedy clubs...famous ones such as Caroline's or Catch a Rising Star. So, I saw umpteen standup comics whose names I never could remember now, but I loved that sort of night out!

To my husband's credit--he was not one to go clubbing--he is the one who's kept us at the forefront of concert-going throughout our married life. Mostly music, but some comedy shows as well. The ones that stand out include George Carlin, whom I've reported on in the Concerts thread. We also saw Bob Newhart, who was fabulous as well. I'd always loved his dry sense of humor on The Bob Newhart Show (the one where he plays a psychologist, and Suzanne Pleshette plays his wife.) I was less a fan of the series where he owns the Vermont inn, but that was more a factor of my TV viewing habits at the time rather than Newhart's talent.

Another big-name comedian we enjoyed seeing was Bill Cosby. My next "comic goal" is to see the comedians who star on Whose Line is it Anyway? --the improv show that Drew Carey hosts. Two of them (their names escape me at the moment) have been touring around here locally the last couple of years, and I hope that they come around this spring. Improv never ceases to amaze me. How they can be so funny literally off the top of their heads with such strange material to work with!!

The other comedy show that stands out in my memory was when I saw Eddie Murphy my senior year in vet school...unfortunately for Mr. Murphy, his show was unable to keep me awake, so I can't say that I could have recommended him...at least not in my state of mind at the time! (Also previously reported in the Concerts thread.)

Reminiscing about the dance clubs reminds me of a star my friend and I met and "hung out" with very briefly...I have to connect the six degrees, and then I will post in the appropriate thread!

[Freypower]

I love Whose Line. Wayne Brady, the black guy, toured here recently. I love Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie. This is one show where I think the American version is superior to the British version.

[eaglesvet]

Yup, Colin and Ryan are my favorites too. Toooo funny!! I thought Wayne Brady left, at least temporarily, awhile ago to host his own variety show--but I don't think it did that well, so he may be back. I had to look up the live community theater I had alluded to in my last post...it turns out it is Colin and Brad Sherwood who will be there this April. I have to check out those tickets!

[Peekaboo]

I got to see Dane Cook at the St. Pete Times Forum on Jan. 31. We didn't have tickets till we got there 2 hours before show time but we were still able to get some great seats from the box office. The show was great!! I laughed so hard that my face was hurting afterwards. Dane Cook's material is kinda salty and dirty but it's still hilarious!!! Here's a few pics from that night.

[Troubadour]

Some of my favourites:

Peter Cook
Jack Dee
Richard Pryor
Ricky Gervais
Bill Hicks
Michael McIntyre
Peter Kay
Billy Connolly
Greg Proops

I'm a big fan of Whose Line, too. I saw the Comedy Store Players a lot when I lived in London (the likes of Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence, Richard Vranch "at the piano" and Steve Frost.) They were fantastic. I love the improv. stuff.

In true groupie style, I got a picture with Greg Proops when he joined the Players for the night.

I'm also a BIG Monty Python fan.

[Freypower]

I like Greg Proops too, Troub, what a great picture.

Monty Python.... you are talking to an addict here. I should post a photo of Michael Palin that I took when I got his autograph (back in 1991). I have several of his books signed. I got one signed in London, in fact. I told him he once signed a book for me in Sydney and he wrote in it 'from London and Sydney'. I had a bit of a crush on him during the period that I tried to 'give up' Glenn.

[Peekaboo]

Lovely pic Lou!!!

Here's one of the pics I got to take with Bill Engvall. I don't like me in this pic at all but I think Bill looks quite lovely. This was the last time that I got to meet him. I was always so nervous each time I met him and this last time I finally worked up the nerve to tell him how much his comedy means to me and I was lucky enough to get a big hug and kiss on the cheek.

[TimothyBFan]

Jess-I love the pic--you both look happy!!