DELRAY BEACH – To say that this one is for the ladies would a touch inaccurate – and arguably sexist.
Today’s Stand-Up Rundown is about the ladies.
It includes five stories that highlight female comedians, beginning with one of the most popular comedians ever to set foot on a stand-up comedy stage.
Wanda Sykes has been a stand-up comedy force for more than two decades. She has four comedy specials on her resume, and her unique comedy – along with a recognizable voice – have led to movie roles and voice overs.
Sykes is preparing to record another special this week in Philadelphia. With that in mind Philadelphia Weekly wonders, does Sykes still have what it takes to create a funny stand-up special?
While author A. D. Amorosi stops short of proclaiming the special a success before it even gets recorded, it’s clear he expects the answer to be a resounding “yes” – as do we.
Also in today’s Stand-Up Spotlight is an interview with Monique Marvez, a comedian highlighted by Applause Break for her daily social media chats that helped bring her fans together during the COVID pandemic. Female comedians Heather Shaw, Kate-Ellen Humphries and Zoe Zackson also appear in features or Q&As below.
Let’s keep Groundhog Day funny, folks.
STAND-UP SPOTLIGHT – Feb. 2, 2023
Wanda Sykes is busy being everything else. Is she still a funny stand-up?
On the eve of a live recording of her first stand-up comedy special in a minute with shows February 3 and 4 at the Kimmel Cultural Campus, one question arises: is Wanda Sykes still funny doing stand-up?
That’s not an insult, but rather more so of a curious comment due to her own work load within the last ten years. The sharp-tongued Sykes has brought her unique vocal tones to animated films and television shows such as Ice Age: Collision Course, Rio, and HBO’s Animals, BoJack Horseman and the new Scooby-Doo follow-up Velma. She’s known for roles on The New Adventures of Old Christine, Black-ish, the Netflix sitcom The Upshaws, for playing a hyper-real version of herself on Curb Your Enthusiasm, and in March, acts as co-writer, show-runner and performer on the short running Hulu series, History of the World Part 2 with Mel Brooks. Along with having co-hosted 2022 Oscars with Amy Schumer and Regina Hall, Sykes acted as the lead newsreader for The Daily Show where she tackled President Biden’s documents debacle and Trump gaffes.
The Flashback Interview: Monique Marvez
I was in a very dark place in the 00s. Trying to figure out life as a twentysomething on the autism spectrum, I was frustrated and angry in many ways. Those ways often made their way into my sleep, so I needed a way to find a peaceful rest every night. Comedy CDs became the way I found that peaceful rest, or something close to it. That’s how I became familiar with comedienne Monique Marvez.
Monique’s style of comedy is risque, yet very comforting and supportive. Her tales of growing up in Miami and discovering all about life and love accompanied me during many stressful nights, serving as a way for me to express feelings that I couldn’t otherwise because of my mother, who loved me as a son, but didn’t like me as a person.
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Exclusive: Heather Shaw Reveals Her Comedic Inspirations
Comedy is an art form that can be traced back to Aristophanes, a Greek author and playwright. Comedy has since evolved into its modern era which is how we presently think about comedy: stand up shows, sketch comedy, film, etc. Now, due to the prevalence of the Internet, comedy has become a phenomenon that is enjoyed across the globe. Applications such as TikTok boast comedy users who post their material in the hopes of becoming the next George Carlin or Janeane Garofalo.
TheThings spoke with comedian, Heather Shaw, about her introduction to the world of comedy and conquering her fear of performing live.
Click here to view original web page at Exclusive: Heather Shaw Reveals Her Comedic Inspirations
Comedian Katie-Ellen Humphries rediscovers an appetite for ‘joy and silliness’
Katie-Ellen Humphries doesn’t mind all the predawn wake-ups her stand-up comedy career sometimes demands. “It’s nothing for me to get up at 4 a.m. for a flight,” she confirms. “I used to get up at 4 a.m. before high school.”
That’s because growing up in Victoria, she trained 30 hours a week to become a three-time national champion of the five-kilometre, open water swim.
7 Burning Questions with Zoe Zakson, a campus comedian pushing boundaries
This week, Olivia Silvester from the Loyolan chatted with Zoe Zakson, a junior film and television production major and screenwriting and Chinese double-minor, about her stand-up comedy career.
I started doing sketch comedy at the Second City back home in Chicago after I quit gymnastics. Gymnastics is a sport where there’s not a lot of emphasis on individuality. It’s very uniform, and so after 16 years of that I was like, I need something where I can express myself. I found the Second City. I started doing improv and sketch comedy there, and then I kind of realized I’m a control freak in a way … I realized if I’m doing stand up I’m able to control what lands and what doesn’t because I’m the only one doing it.
