Syracuse promoter Tony Jett (left) and comedian T.P. Hearn at the Hotel Syracuse almost 20 yrs ago.
Posts Tagged ‘Comedy’
Throwback Thursday
Thursday, March 24th, 2016100 and Rising
Saturday, August 22nd, 2015
Larry Willmore
The folks at Newhouse told us big things were on the horizon for Larry Wilmore when he appeared here as part of the Conversation on Race and Entertainment Media series. Wilmore just celebrated his 100th episode of “The Nightly Show” earlier this week. Here’s an interview he did on “Fresh Air.”
Don’t Bust a Gut
Saturday, August 1st, 2015
Dan Frigolette of B’ville will go to the ends of the earth to get a joke.
The Comedy’s Best Kept Secret Tour blew into The Syracuse Funnybone on Thursday and marked the return of comedic native son, Dan Frigolette. Also on the bill were Rell Battle (Comedy Central, Key and Peele) and newcomer (to Syracuse) Matt Richards.
So far the tour has logged nearly 7,000 miles, landing in 52 cities for 66 shows (including Canada and Alaska). No topic for the Syracuse leg of the tour (which added Travis Blunt) as the comics went in on Bill Cosby, crazy politicians who choose to swim in Onondaga lake, social media etiquette, Ebola virus, re-defining ladies night, and life on the road.
We are hoping Frigolette will soon unleash the behind the scenes video footage, which has to be a cross between “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” and “National Lampoon’s Vacation.”
Rell Battle
Syracuse’s Travis Blunt
Matt Richards served as the host for the evening.
Jenifa, Oh Jenny
Friday, April 3rd, 2015
Writer, comedian, producer Jenny Yang goes in for laughs during a show at HBC Gifford Auditorium on Wednesday.
April Fools may be for amateurs, but Jenny Yang is a top flight pro when it comes to the comedy game. She visited Syracuse and put on a hilarious show that touched on topics such as “Fear of Dating White Guys,” “Yellow Fever,” “Decor/Asians,” Real Babies v. Food Babies” and her left swipe tendencies on Tinder. Yang is currently on the road producing the Dis/Orient/ed Tour, and she was featured in the 2013 documentary Why We Laugh: Funny Women. To us the only down side of her show was that it conflicted with an appearance on campus by Taraji P. Henson.
We hope Yang will return to do a few nights at the Funny Bone when her tour returns to the East Coast.
Yang has a show tonight at Swarthmore College (her alma mater)
Big Man on Campus
Wednesday, February 11th, 2015
Lavell Crawford, comic
Fresh off a recent appearance on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, comic Lavell Crawford showed up to SU looking like a college professor. But he quickly reminded everyone of what he came to do by riffing on subjects such as fat people falling in the snow, Halloween in different neighborhoods, and how his mother often made threats as a ventriloquist.
The question we want to know is does Crawford have a line of t-shirts with his catch phrase, “Two Chops to the Throat?”
Ladies Night
Thursday, January 29th, 2015
Zabrina Chevannes
Last night we finally got a chance to check out the popular “Chicks are Funny” series curated by Anna Phillips. The good news, a few hundred packed the Funny Bone on a cold winter Wednesday; the bad news, the visiting Canadian comics were definitely funnier…just joking.
Overall, the production served up a hardy dose of laughter.
The evening was hosted by Pamela Wertz. The headliner was North America’s funniest nurse, Zabrina Chevannes.
Pamela Wertz
Here’s a brief intro by Toronto-based comic Chrissie Cunningham (who did her first show in Syracuse at Jazz Central a few years ago):
Chrissie Cunningham
Annie May
Calling all comics
Friday, January 2nd, 2015
Big M: Comedy vet and Syracuse-native Moody McCarthy provided some comic relief for New Year’s Day at Justin’s Tuscan Grill.
We figure it’s not a matter if Syracuse should host a comedy festival, but when. With the plethora of ‘Cuse-bred comics and the draw of Funny Bone at Destiny USA, this town is primed for a few days of non-stop laughs (especially during the winter months). If we can have a film festival and TED conference surely we can kick-off a comprehensive comedy program.
In the meantime, special shout-out to Dan Frigolette and Moody McCarthy for coming home each year to do shows. Last night they did an intimate, one-night-only comedy cabaret at Justin’s Grill. This year they brought Nick Marra with them (a few years ago it was Jessimae Peluso).
Four More Years
Tuesday, August 19th, 2014
Here’s a short interview with comedian Anna Phillips, who recently celebrated four years in the business. In the coming weeks this rising star will open for Jim Norton and also do a gig at Coming Back Together (CBT).
In His Own Lane
Saturday, June 7th, 2014
Comic Richie Redding kept the Funny Bone audience in stitches as he touched on current topics, this that and the third.
On our first visit to the Syracuse Funny Bone Comedy Club we were pleased to meet NYC comic Richie Redding. Don’t let his Ivy League education fool you, this ten-plus year comedy vet can write a joke that will make you bust your gut. From his intro shout-out for Butternut Street to subjects such as PMS and music downloads, Redding kept the audience and servers howling with laughter.
Redding was preceded on stage by Dan Frigolette and host Anna Phillips. He will return to NYC for some gigs before heading out to shows in Arizona.
Hopefully he can return soon to Syracuse. For now, most people who saw Redding’s act on Thursday will never look at their thumbs the same again.
To see a previous interview we did with Frigolette, click here. To see a review of a performance by Anna Phillips last year, click here.
Dan Frigolette used a zany prop during his show, but it is not included in this photograph.
Don’t Lose Your Funny (part 2)
Saturday, May 10th, 2014
Your Turn: It has been reported that comedy writing veteran Larry Wilmore will replace Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central (when he takes over the Late Show). Wilmore participated in a public forum with Professor Charisse L'Pree at The Newhouse School's Hergenhan Auditorium earlier this year.