Erin started her career in the Bay Area ( San Francisco) after earning her degree from San Jose State in Marketing and Advertising.  She worked for a few years in marketing and walked by a comedy club one day and thought, Wow, what is this? Just a young woman in her early twenties and comedy was barely one to two years away from experiencing a BOOM! Comedy clubs would be opening in every major city in the country, with smaller satellite clubs putting on amateur and open mic. night comedy nights in every bar, restaurant or room where they could set up a mic. stand and hold people's attention for an hour or more! So Erin's timing could not have been better. Her experience in Advertising helped prepare her as she had always been comfortable presenting and speaking in front of clients and her life long love for comedy and comedians she loved also helped incentivize her to dive in head first and start hitting the clubs frequently. The one thing that ALL COMICS agree on and it may be the ONLY THING comics agree on is that the  way to get better, learn your craft and develop your skills as a comic is by getting STAGE TIME and LOTS OF IT!!! Erin prepared her set for her very first spot and unlike a lot of comics ( myself included) who did not have their first set down cold, Erin went up and did well; well enough she was offered follow up work for the following week.  Erin's Dad had been a sportswriter for all the major teams in The Bay Area and Erin had  worked in Silicon Valley during her career in Advertising. Living and breathing in the shadows of Apple, Google & Microsoft teaches you very quickly that business is not for the faint of heart but for people who are ready to strap in and go for the Gold.  Oddly enough, Comedy may not be that much different for the ones with the ambition to go all the way and try and make it to the top of the mountain. The truth is only very few comics make it to the height where everyone knows their name.  There are many who made it to the top and couldn't handle it and ended up quitting or getting out when their mental health took precedence. I say that because Erin is also in a special class, as she has been able to work for her entire life and make a living doing something that she loves. Many more folks have done it and quit or done it as a sideline, but to do it full time and make a living at it is truly the most commendable and honorable addendum anyone could add to their career.   Erin has been married to COMEDIAN  BOB ZANY for thirty years.  They often work together on radio and television shows and hosted their own podcast.  In addition to  being successful stand ups, they both work with many charitable causes including the Las Vegas and Southern Nevada PET RESCUES. Please welcome to the mics of CUWC, my conversation with Erin O'Connor       

  John Caponera grew up in a large family on the south side of Chicago. The family home sat just across the street from a large park which became a playground for him and his friends. No matter what season, they played baseball in the warm months and when the pond froze over in winter they played hockey and fit in every other sport in between.John went to college wanting only to play baseball but he felt he wasn’t getting enough playing time so he took his English Professor's request and auditioned for a main stage production of “ One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”He not only was cast but he was bitten by the acting bug.He would act in all the MainStage theater productions until his graduation. When he couldn’t afford to move to New York where he could study acting at the level he wanted to, he moved back to his hometown and started tending bar.Once again providence kicked in and he was coaxed by friends to enter a comedy contest for $500 prize money.  He won first place and took the laughs and the cash!His final exam in acting was to perform a ten minute comedy act and he had not only gotten an A+ and the reward of honest laughter and applause from his teammates but an additional spark went off in his head that he was getting laughs and encouragement from classmates and teachers who are not always an ideal audience and will be the first ones to tell you if you are barking up the wrong tree. John's journey from this point parallels what every person who ever decides to do stand up for a living should and must do! Get stage time as much as possible even 4-5 sets a night which is why the early stand ups from cities like New York, Boston, San Francisco and others got better faster because in their formative years they are going up five times a night to different crowds and grinding it out. The  second key is to always be writing, never let your act atrophy as John says on this podcast.  Keep writing, keep pushing yourself to not rely on the same jokes that work, because as you go on more and more television shows, repeating material is the sure sign that you are coasting along and just getting by.John, who I have been a big fan of from the first time I saw him on television and live on stages rarely repeated material on successive tv spots and he was always working on new stuff if you saw him performing at the Comedy Store.Beyond doing the Tonight Show, dozens of episodic shows like ER,  L.A. Law, The Drew Carey Show, he even had his own sitcom titled: THE GOOD LIFE which is the brass ring that all stand ups aspired to get at that time. Without any nepotism or connections to show business in the least, John is a great example of what you can achieve if you put your mind to something and work very hard at your craft and always keep learning and keep your eyes on the prize. John was and still is one of the funniest guys I have seen come out of my generation of comedians. Check him out on you tube and the next time you are in Las Vegas where he performs regularly there at the clubs and casinos! Please welcome to CUWC: John Caponera

Denny Johnston returns for a second episode. After amassing fifty plus years between his musical and comedy career, I feel it is only right to devote at least two episodes to Denny Johnston. I already wrote a lengthy bio for Denny in the previous podcast #43 so let me just say that we go a little deeper into his beginnings. If you have ever listened to the great theme song for the TV show: THE ROCKFORD FILES, you will hear the work of the student who was in the same metal shop class with Denny. None other than Mike Post. Mike, along with Denny's future first wife Susan, performed at a gig and Denny not only dug their music but also really dug their female band member.   There are many people who have stories of going to high school in LA with people who later became famous or infamous.  We took a little tangent and talked about Yellowstone and Kevin Costner for a bit with a little Ray Liotta mixed in for variety. Denny recalls a few falling outs with comedians but so many more that he admires including but not limited to Sebastian, Bill Burr, Louie CK, Anthony Jeselnik and others.  When you think that Denny was just starting out when Laugh-IN and The Smothers Brothers were on the Television and The Vietnam War was dividing our country.  He is still getting on stages  but no longer going on "the road" as that is the one thing that all comics must give up at one point otherwise they will end up dying on a road gig; which for some is what they have chosen either intentionally or not.  So sit back and listen to a guy that has been doing stand up for fifty years and counting and still does it with a smile on his face and a song in his heart. Ladies and Gents:   Denny Johnston    

Denny Johnston started his entertainment career performing with the Back Porch Majority in 1967-68 and went on to work with The Christy Minstrels in 1969. Young comedian Steve Martin was opening for these musical acts at the time and Denny watched Steve carefully and was amazed how he came out every night to just entertain the audience using every tool he had in his bag to be funny!  Denny became friendly with Steve Martin, Gary Muledeer and other comedy acts who used musical instruments, lyrics, and singing to add variety and entertainment to their act.  As this was the era of The Smothers Brothers and other anti-war musical acts, It was not uncommon to use songs and musical accompaniment to spread your message however Denny, Steve and Gary were not trying to forge any political statements and if anything they were there really just trying to spread humor, laughs and bring some joy and happiness to a nation and a world that was already feeling the effects of war and a growing sense of hostility between the youth and the older generations. Denny has worked as a comic for over fifty years which is why I am featuring him in  two separate podcast recordings. His story is quite unique as he never really made the millions that some comics who achieved sitcom level fame and notoriety but as a comic myself and a student of comedy I never saw him do anything but kill on the live stages when I worked on the bill with him or I watched him from the audience. He was a throwback to when comedians of the " olden days" went out every show to KILL, lest they be pulled from the stage with a hook or a hoop or worse yet LOSE a gig or a FUTURE gig if word got out that you failed to produce LAUGHS! You will hear stories today of his start ups at THE TROUBADOUR in Los Angeles/ reconnecting with his father who had been a famous crooner with Jimmy Dorsey and had a successful film career for a period of time. Denny getting his Carson Spot but with John Davidson and getting his Letterman spot as well.  His Las Vegas Years, Placing NUMBER ONE and Beating out four other famous comedians for The NATIONAL LAFF OFF in 1980, and second place the next year out of 109 entrants in the highly coveted and respected SAN FRANCISCO COMEDY COMPETITION. Denny Johnston regularly played all the television shows that featured the top comedians of the time such as EVENING AT THE IMPROV, SHOWTIME COMEDY CLUB NETWORK, THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW, DR.DEMENTO 20TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION and many many more. Where Denny truly shined, like many other great performers such as Shecky Greene, Don Rickles et al was on the live comedy stage. Some entertainers, and often some of the greatest could not be captured on the small screen as their talent was being in the moment and performing for that crowd that was assembled in front of them that night. In our discussion here, many reasons why the live performance is the true barometer for what makes a GREAT COMIC, come out organically in Denny's stories of the things that worked in his career and the things that did not.  I was honored to have Denny on my podcast and if you are a fan of comedy and comedians Denny is a living time capsule on stand up comedy, with over a half century of time where he performed to audiences and with a very high batting average of laughs and success.. Please Welcome to the mics of CUWC/  DENNY JOHNSTON

Pete George is one of those guests who comes on and just wins you over immediately. He is a fount of energy and enthusiasm. Every comedian has their own story which is what makes doing this podcast so exciting and entertaining for me, and hopefully for my listeners as well.  Pete came from a musical background as his Dad played the accordion, which has spawned its share of jokes over the years but he was the first accordion soloist at West Point, and in the course of his duties he played for Presidents and heads of State. While Pete could play the accordion, he gravitated more towards the guitar and being from Cleveland ( the future site of the Rock and Roll HOF, which he also helped campaign for to be in his home town) he ended up being in many bands in his formative years and always figured the rest of his life would be playing music professionally.  Well, he was certainly half right. He still plays music professionally but it is presented in the context of his stand up comedy, which he is happily in the thirty plus year club in that profession. Pete's Uncle, Don George certainly was a big deal in music as he worked for big music companies for his entire career including: A&M, Universal, MCA, Mercury Records and many more. He gave Pete some jobs before he started comedy which gave him invaluable experience on the Business side of show business. Pete has great stories of coming into comedy and winning a fifty dollar contest on his first shot. He had talent from the start but is quick to point out that luck and good fortune didn't hurt either. Kerry Pollock, a seasoned Comedy/magician took him under his wing early on and from there he was introduced to weeks of continuous work on a circuit above what an opening act would generally be immersed in. He just put his head down and worked hard while keeping his eyes and ears open to what a Pro like Kerry could do with an audience night after night and week after week. He has quite a story on how being cast ( as a principle extra) in the Film: The Shawshank Redemption, pretty much gave him better experience than he might've gotten had he spent the money and years getting a degree in film.   Plus some sordid tales he witnessed but never really embarked in from Ye Ole Comedy Road and how he still loves doing comedy but is also enjoying continued acting parts. Pete never turns down a gig but his management has requested he stay in town ( LA ) more so he can be available for casting in the many streaming series which have really become the best delivery system for comedy and short form episodic shows. Please welcome my guest: Pete George to the CUWC microphone today!   

Comedian Jann Karam started out close to home in Arizona when she embarked on her journey in Stand Up Comedy. She soon traveled to Chicago where she studied in The Second City School of Improv, doing comedy sketches. Before long she traveled To New York City where she ultimately met the people and made the connections with the comics, writers, agents and clubs which helped define the path her career would take for the next thirty plus years.  She not only got on those early stand up TV shows like "An Evening at The Improv" ( 4 appearances) but also performed on "Caroline's Comedy Hour" and was the lone female comic on what has long been considered one of the best Years/ Versions of "The Young Comedians Special" which aired on HBO yearly and had become the  premier and most coveted spot to show what you had to a national and worldwide audience. Jann appeared on   "The 13th Annual Young Comedians Special" ( 1989) As her star continued to rise she appeared twice on The Tonight show with Johnny Carson, Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, The Late show with David Letterman as well as spots on episodic shows like: ER, Mad About You, Diagnosis Murder, Norm and two of the greatest comedy series ever: Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm.  We discuss her Seinfeld spot which is considered one of the top episodes ever where Jerry and George try to figure out how to break up with one roommate, to pick up the other one, would best be solved by requesting a menage a trois to which both girls accept.  Jerry scarily rebuffs shrieking, "I CAN'T DO IT, I'M NOT AN ORGY GUY...I'd have to grow a mustache and get all kinds of robes and lotions....I'd need thick carpeting and weirdo lighting and get orgy friends...No, Im not ready for it!"    It was probably one of Jerry's best line deliveries even with the smirk and smile he still pulled it off and George even caved and said,"Yeah, Me neither!"   So Jann Karam as Sandi, one of the potential partners of Jerry, entered into what has been called in SEINFELD LORE and on IMDb one of the top 73, or female dates, girlfriends, encounters with Jerry in the series no matter if it was brief, a date or anything in between. Jann also discusses her roles on CURB Your Enthusiasm, which due to its long run has had an equally strong impact in terms of comedy as dealing with popular culture and the always changing line of comedy and how close you can get to it and in Larry's case, cross it.  We also discuss Jann's independent roles and features that she has written and or produced as well as some of the many independent projects she has appeared on to support her friends and colleagues.     Please welcome to the mics this week: Jann Karam  

There are more layers to this podcast that could fill the podcast time alone, much less a short description. Film Director: Brian Burkhardt raised in New Orleans had a rather colorful childhood which led him to performing his first stand up comedy in a federal prison in Texas. Mickey Joseph: born and raised in the Bay Area of San Francisco started comedy back in the hey day of the comedy boom and through some rough roads of his own still does comedy today as well as produces and sells some very unique art and enjoys playing and producing music. It was a Vegas lounge comic named Vinnie Favorito who would ultimately bring these two men together in a joint project of producing a film for the big screen about someone who had risen to headlining clubs and lounges in Las Vegas and becoming the heir apparent to Don Rickles as the premier insult comic" of his time.  Along the way Vinnie had acquired a bit of a gambling problem and had a penchant for borrowing money from folks without reimbursing them in a timely manner.  On July 28th, 2025, their film "Vinnie Plays Vegas: The Con Man of Comedy". will premiere at the Crescent Theater in Beverly Hills and open wide on Amazon Prime streaming services August 11, 2025. Pre Buy on Apple TV -VOD starts on August 5th. Also available on VUDU and will be available in the UK and Ireland.  Please welcome Brian and Mickey to the mics of CUWC:

Tommy comes back for a part two where he deftly and hilariously lays out the second part of his comedy career;  once the 90's came and out went the once burgeoning comedy clubs.  Thankfully what happened for Tommy and other enterprising and well rounded entertainers were The Poconos ( resorts) The Catskills ( much more varied) than most folks had come to believe, The Casinos, Atlantic City, Day Cruises, and wherever a group of folks assembled of any race, color or creed and entertained the thought of being entertained.  Tommy is one of those rare folks who has mastered just about every discipline in comedy from Clown, Mime, Prop Comic, singing, dancing, jokes, gags, impressions and anything else that the club promoter decides to add on three minutes before show time.  In Addition to that he is a Great STORY TELLER in every sense of the word.  Every great story teller also needs great stories and lucky for Tommy and his audiences, most notably, WE LUCKY DUCKYS, ABOUT TO EMBARK HERE ON PART TWO:   THESE ARE HIS STORIES, THAT HE LIVED, which gives them the AUTHENTICITY that ultimately makes them so believable, so funny and so real. please welcome back to the CUWC mics:   TOMMY MOORE  

The Legendary, Comic, Writer, Producer from Philadelphia joins me for a much anticipated second appearance.  Because he is such a fan favorite and an old school gent, I was able to persuade him into ( A TWO PARTER ) telling us stories that chronicle over fifty years in the business of fun, funny and making people laugh.  In this first episode # 38, Tommy regales us of stories that predate the comedy clubs which slowly started appearing in the seventies. Then a comedy boom started across the country in the eighties and by the nineties the clubs started to disappear due to many factors, a few of which there were more comedians competing for less dollars and other socio-economic figures that came into play, which Tommy explains.   Tommy was a local Philly boy, born and bred and while he was never a "made man" in the "Good Fellas" sense, he was street wise and business wise enough to know how to deal with them, as well as all the other myriad club bookers, managers, agents, and wanna be show biz types that one encounters in the always wacky and always changing business of show.  I know you will enjoy this PART ONE episode Of Tommy Moore as he tells tales only like a master story teller can.  Ladies and Gents; The Great TOMMY MOORE:

Kivi Rogers,  who I worked with early on in our stand up careers, went on to work in television sit coms, series, movies and has been happily employed as a Top Headline Comedian on the Royal Caribbean line of cruise ships since 2008.  In his early days he worked on the road at comedy clubs as well as the college circuit. After getting into Las Vegas and getting more of a name for himself he was a top opener for the Temptations and other high profile music acts for a period of time between the nineties and the early two thousands. He has funny stories about some Las Vegas gigs, working on Everybody Loves Raymond and going to lunch with Peter Boyle, his idol since watching “ Young Frankenstein” as a kid … He shares a little heartache and a few hiccups along the way but his indomitable spirit and Never Say Quit attitude took him past any detours that he encountered. We also discussed how prevalent depression and mental illness and stress is in the entertainment business and what mental health issues did to top comics like Rich Jeni, Robin Williams and countless others and Kivi is thankful and grateful for his entire  journey;Sometimes just pinching himself for being able to make a living and raise his kids and support his family in a manner that he may have only dreamed of while growing up as a child in South Central, Los Angeles.  Please welcome to the CUWC mics today, Mr. Kivi Rogers  

Carrie Snow was raised in the Bay Area with one sister and two parents.  These days that might not always be the norm but in her day it generally was. In 1978, she took an under grad degree from ( CAL) Berkeley, and to the sheer delight of her parents,  started doing stand up comedy at what she, nor anyone else knew, was to be the advent of a comedy boom unlike any other time in American or modern day history.  Many things contributed to that timing but Carrie was actually hopping on to a train that had been slowly chugging along since 1972, when The Comedy Store first opened its doors and within five years, every major city would have comedy clubs and most minor cities would have comedy in bars, saloons, restaurants or wherever someone could convince an establishment to let three novice funny people talk into a microphone at least one day per week.  Carrie went further than most in the biz and ended up as a television writer, producer and talent in addition to being a much sought after stand up comedienne in Major Comedy Clubs in the U.S. and the greater planet Earth! Please welcome the rather saucy and outspoken:Carrie Snow! 🎙️🤣🎬

Craig Shoemaker says you can’t hit a moving Target and he proves that every day.He started comedy as a junior in high school and put himself through college doing stand up. Craig Shoemaker may not have hit the ultra fame of Seinfeld, Tim Allen or some but he has gone far beyond the limits of many comedians.He tore through the early years doing every show that comedians did like Evening At the Improv, Caroline’s, Comedy Central, and as his career flourished he did two Comic Reliefs and through Whoopi he did 75 Hollywood Squares, tons of sit coms: Night Court, Coach, The Fresh Prince, Parks and Rec and many more.     He went on to write and produce his own comedy specials, television series, Films and he was named  Comedian of the Year at the American Comedy Awards.While many might be resting on their laurels after all that he has been mentoring younger comics in sobriety and  inviting them into his circle by letting them tour and open for him and see what life is like in the higher levels of the comedy world. Craig has authored two books and through his Laughter Heals Foundation and Laughter Worx  he has been bringing the power  of laughter to the business and corporate world and raising the bar from stand up and trying to help people really experience the healing powers of laughter. Craig was getting pulled by his business partner so this is a somewhat abbreviated podcast today but all things Craig Shoemaker are easy to find online. He is still a busy touring comedian, as since recording  this podcast he just returned from Headlining at the Tempe, Arizona Improv and knowing him he is probably already off sharing the love and the laughs with another lucky group of humans somewhere in the world. I hope you enjoy ( as much as I did hahaha) the dynamic comedy of Craig Showmaker!

Bruce Baum first attended UC Davis as a Poli/Sci Major and intended to play for the Football team. But providence stepped in and he joined up with his cousin Ken and started a comedy duo on campus where they also played guitar and banjo, sang funny songs and started getting people's attention.  Before long he wrote a screenplay and moved back to LA and was accepted into the UCLA Film Dept. based on Bruce's screenplay and their ever growing list of gigs they were performing around town.  AS Bruce says on the pod this was all pre comedy club and comedy explosion but his timing was spot on as no less than Robin WILLIAMS, DAVID LETTERMAN, GARRY SHANDLING et al were featured in his early student films. As fate would have it Bruce was just starting to cook as the infamous Sunset Strip was giving birth to The Comedy Store and with it the first wave of comedians who were  born and bred there, most of whom traveled from the four corners of the USA as well as Russia ( Yakov ). Bruce was one of those original types who wasn't just telling jokes or doing a monologue on stage, rather he used props and played musical ditties and created more of an audio/visual panorama of comedy from the stage.  His class of Comedy (1976) gave stand up a Turbo boost by doing comedy in syndication on the show "MAKE ME LAUGH" hosted by Bobby Van.  It played the same comedians for five days straight and in smaller markets that did not yet have comedy clubs. By the early eighties every major, medium and small city had COMEDY CLUBS EVEN IF IT WAS ONLY IN A BAR, SALOON, RESTAURANT OR BANQUET ROOM.  Comedy had exploded and Bruce and his comedy colleagues were riding the perfect storm.  Bruce went on to headline at comedy club, casinos and night clubs for the rest of his career all the while writing, producing for television series as well as appearing on Hollywood Squares, Match Game, Arsenio Hall, The Simpsons and creating his own brand of short films and independent features which were always and still to this day his passion.  Look for " BRUCE BAUMS PERSONAL STASH" soon to be streaming on your favorite services as well as all his award winning shorts and films that were featured on Fox television, Comedy Central, SHOWTIME, HBO, as well as his student films with Robin, David and Garry and his epic Clown Away starring George Carlin, Garry Shandling and Carrie Snow. When in doubt go to BruceBaum.com where you can access his Facebook, Instagram and Youtube Channel which will link to all of his comedy content, films and merch. please welcome to our mics this week,  Bruce "baby man" Baum 

Comedian Mark Knope has the distinction of getting divorced and doing his first stand up comedy spot on the same day. It was in Albuquerque, N.M. at the New China Town Restaurant, way back in 1986. That sounds more like the start of a Farrelly Brothers comedy film but for Mark it was the start of a new life and his comedy career has been going strong for 40 plus years. Mark had been working in some type of insurance business but once he found comedy he attacked it with the type of perseverance that one truly needs to not only make it but have a sustained career as a comedian.   I first ran into Mark at the Newport Beach LAFF STOP where they ran a Monday ZOO nights for the up and comers, first timers, and guys like us who had a little experience but needed a room to practice and work on " The Act!" We kind of fell out of touch until social media came around, but we reconnected as Fbook friends and it was easy to see that he has worked his entire adult life as a stand up in comedy clubs, colleges, and on the corporate circuit, which is a very coveted and niche market for any comedian to maintain. I always remember Mark as a friendly and good guy who always had a smile on his face and it seems like his confident and friendly demeanor has served him well throughout his professional life. We catch up and chat about the glory road days of the eighties and nineties and how he stays closer to home now and in addition to headlining clubs and opening shows for big name stars, he also does many benefits and shows for causes to help out folks who need some assistance or a little more attention to their programs. Mark was also happy to bring me up to date to his son Drew and daughter in law Lauren and their three children who have made him a proud Grampa. I only wish the hour didn't go by so quickly but it was great to catch up with not only a great comedian but just a great guy; Please welcome to the CUWC's mics this week: Mark Knope          

  Bruce graduated from Boston University with a business degree in marketing in 1988 and quickly headed to Los Angeles to try his hand at stand up comedy and acting. From the first time I met Bruce he always had a smile on his face and a positive spirit and determination that whatever he was doing it was going to work.He took his training in competitive wrestling and body building and used that ambition to drive him to success in stand up comedy as well as writing for sit coms and comedy shows.  Bruce readily admits that the timing of coming to Los Angeles and breaking into stand up in 1988 could not have been better.  Stand up was still in its first boom and they were handing out sitcoms to whichever comic, male or female was funny enough and powerful enough to lead a sitcom ensemble cast.  Bruce early on was one of three mc’s at the Santa Monica and Melrose Improvs and consequently was not only bringing up all the brightest and best comics who were on the fast track to their own sit coms but he was also being seen by the agents, managers and show runners in Hollywood who cast those same shows.  Before long Bruce was promoted from mc to regular spots and then he was noticed by comics who were a few years ahead of him and liked what they saw. The Wayans brothers brought Bruce into their group and he started hanging with them, pitching jokes, bits, ideas and over the course of many years Keenan, Damon, Shawn and Marlon were instrumental in Bruce getting staff writing jobs on all three of their respective talk shows and sitcoms two of which made the 100 plus  episode mark.   Additionally Bruce’s own comedic and stand up talents got him great spots on Arsenio, Star Search, Evening at the Improv, LCS and finally on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.  He also scored a multi-arc role as Bud Bundy’s doppelganger: Ben, on Married with Children, as well as spots on The Fresh Prince, The King of Queens and the MTV Video Music Awards. Bruce’s comedy resume had so many television and writing credits he went on to headline clubs, colleges and casinos in Las Vegas, Reno, Atlantic City and beyond. Bruce married, had two sons and went on to produce and promote his own comedy shows in and around Los Angeles while helping friends and folks in the entertainment industry become more fiscally sound by taking counsel from Bruce’s financial consultation services.  Bruce continues to produce both comedy and musical revues although he maintains to be semi retired from entertainment.  ( much like the Stones, CCR, Elton; you know the drill!)Please welcome to my podcast this week :Bruce Fine

Comic Rick D’Elia is on the podcast this week.  Born and raised in Boston he came up in comedy in his freshman class with Bill Burr, Dane Cook, Patrice O’Neal and many other notables. A booker told him early on to work clean as he was opening up for Joe Rogan and Louie C.K. Afterwards the booker told Rick those two guys are funny but they will never succeed in the business because they are too dirty. Rick later called him out on that remark and he said,“ Don’t ever listen to a booker!”Rick later moved to LA, took classes and tried out acting, screenwriting, tv production but like so many comics he worked most steadily on the road and made good money.   After a while he started getting a  lot of  work on cruise ships. While they used to have a negative connotation, ( Boat Acts) now every comic of his generation always asks “ Hey, can you get me on the ships?”About fifteen years ago he moved to Las Vegas where he found he could live cheaper than in Los Angeles and have nicer amenities. Now after working for Royal Caribbean cruise line steadily for 20 plus years he calls the Lake Tahoe area his home with a wife three kids and fresh air, skiing and and less stress and strife from the city life.Rick is one of the good guys and counts himself as one of the lucky ones to be able to make a living at comedy for all of his adult life.I hope you enjoy the podcast!

Born and raised in Northern Kentucky and the oldest of six boys, Jeff brought a certain wisdom to his stand up as he witnessed many comics, singers and entertainers in a club his father introduced him to as a young teen; The Beverly Hills Night Club just outside of Cincinnati. Not only did he see young comics like Kelly Monteith but he also got to meet legends like The Ritz Brothers!Inspired by WC Fields, The Marx Brothers and beyond, Jeff made it out to California before the Comedy Gold Rush. He  quickly became one of the early paid regulars at The Comedy Store and his wisdom and insight got the attention of Mitzi Shore who relied on him for thumbs ups and/ or downs when new comics were brought in for auditions.Jeff was also instrumental in managing and booking other comedy venues in Los Angeles, most notably The L.A. Cabaret where he produced shows and learned the craft of putting together shows that would offer the optimum entertainment value for the paying customers. As time went along Jeff became an act who worked the Las Vegas strip regularly as a comic in casinos and opening for singers. He also has been on most of the comedy tv shows along the way: Evening at the Improv, Comic Relief, Comedy on the Road and Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen and continues to perform on current shows such as Dry Bar Comedy as well as the lucrative cruise ship comedy circuit which has become an invaluable gig for the baby boom generation of stand ups.Please welcome to the CUWC mics:  Jeff “ BIG DADDY” Wayne

Paul Boland joins me on the podcast this week.Paul was interested in the theater as a young man and acted, sang and performed in plays and musicals during high school and later in college and  community theater.  He grew up on the east coast but visited his Dad in Los Angeles when he was 22 and decided to just stay and see what he could do in the LA theater scene. From doing impressions and impersonations as a waiter he landed a role on  Rick Dees late night talk show and everything kind of snowballed after that.  He worked hard and networked and he was getting announcing jobs and warm up comedy gigs for sitcoms and it all stemmed from his talent for using his voice and all the impersonations he was able to do which was just starting to become a real commodity in the business of entertainment.  He booked a number of jobs on television shows as a voice over actor or character part but he also started doing voice and singing impressions as a cruise ship entertainer and that has served him well for over thirty years.He met his wife, Marlise through his theater work and now, their daughter Juliette is a young woman  and also doing well working behind the camera and editing booth in the technical aspects of the business.  Never one to sit around waiting for the phone to ring, Paul and Marlise have worked in tandem on many projects they have written and created themselves and they produce, edit and make them all happen right down to the red carpet and award shows for talent.Paul also works in collaboration with friends  to write and produce entertainment for film and television.  Just check out his IMDb page!I was quite inspired by all that Paul and his friends and family have created from starting out with no show biz connections or wealthy uncles in the biz. A great example of how anyone with the talent, desire and drive to take a shot can create whatever they want to be a success. 

Stand up Comedian, writer and show biz historian RITCH SHYDNER comes on the podcast this week.  A native of Pennsville, New Jersey, oldest son of a large family and his Dad  was funny and showed his oldest boy the comedy of Jackie Gleason from his first sketch show on TV.  By the time Ritch was of college age he was a fan of the brilliant comedy of Pryor, Carlin, Klein and other up and comers and he himself worked as a bartender and was known as a funny guy among his friends and bar patrons.   He went to law school after college and was on track to go into law after passing the bar but along the way, not unlike most comics he started doing open mics almost as a whim or to just say they he took a stab at it but also not unlike most comics he was instantly hooked and like most alpha type A’s he not only tapped out on his promising law career but he started getting up on stages like all comics must do with consistent regularity and commitment to even be able to get stage time on what was still a slowly burgeoning  “Pre boom era“  stand up comedy explosion.   He was getting some stage time in Washington DC and New Jersey but before long did what it took to make the move to New York City which was then and still remains to this day one of the most important and visible stand up markets where a young performer can get the most stage time nightly, and make their bones in more clubs than any other city at that time or even today as well.     His move paid off because he was a regular emcee at all the same clubs that other comics who were already working and making strides also worked at such as David Brenner, Robert Klein, Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld, et al.  He was constantly writing and adding material to his already growing act and his high energy and passion for comedy was quickly helping him to get more emcee spots and showcase spots not only in New York and New Jersey as well as all the satellite clubs that were slowly opening up to get young up and coming comics to get paid work while also giving them the experience and stage time that all comics need to find their voice and develop a workable act.   Ritch worked tirelessly at his craft and was never shy about taking as much work as he could get and he often mentions he went on the road as an opening act but after an extended tour of some of the toughest bars, saloons and clubs in Alaska he returned to the states as a closing act with a solid hour of material suitable for any comedy club in the states.Ritch went on to do Evening at the Improv, The Smothers Brothers comedy special, a dozen Tonight Shows with Johnny Carson as well as numerous David Letterman appearances. When he remarried and had young kids he turned to writing for sitcoms and comedy specials for other comedians and quickly became a coveted sitcom staff writer  script doctor, editor and consultant for shows such as Roseanne, Titus, The Mind of the Married Man, Becker, Blue Collar Comedy Tour and the Jeff Foxworthy Show and his Comedy Specials   Ritch has done about everything a comedian could do throughout a long career where generations come and go and tastes and material travel through different points of reference.For the last five years he has  toured the country with his “ History of Stand Up Comedy Special. Often times comedians are their own harshest critics and Ritch in this episode talks about the inequity of talent vs breaks vs luck and all the myriad stressors, behaviors and personal challenges that can make or break any career and certainly the fragile plane where “ show biz success “ is just one blog, post or reel away from getting one cancelled.Ritch has done whatever he had to do to keep going and keep producing laughs on stage, television and film whether by writing, producing or performing it himself. He is a cherished personage and commodity in a business that has generally not been kind to those of a certain age.  Ritch has helped many comedians when they needed assistance in their

Darren Carter joins me this week on Catching Up With Comedians.Darren is a natural upper and one of those people who represent the comedy profession in the most positive way.  Despite his youthful appearance and high energy style, it’s hard to believe he has been performing for over thirty years. Growing up in Fresno, his first years in comedy were in San Diego but he was on the  "ROAD” quickly as an opening act due to his many years of performing comedy style raps around California. He also took his many years of speech and prose competitions in his College days where he ended up in the Nationals in Minneapolis. While most comedians start off from scratch he already had a fair amount of time speaking and performing in front of audiences and at many different venues. He loved comedy and the whole art of stand up so he was hungry and caught on fast. He has been working steadily as a standup comic since the early nineties and has long since not only become a headliner but a headliner that is a “ draw” where people are coming to see him specifically which is the ultimate credit that every comedian seeks to attain. Darren did his first Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2002 and has added numerous more television credits such as Premium Blend, Comic View, Dry Bar Comedy and he is currently in the comedy film “ Holy Cash“ at AMC Theaters and streaming networks.  Darren is a stand up who has risen to the highest levels and maintained a humility and likeability that is not always the case in the comedy world.  Not only has he hit close to 20 million views on his short comedy clips he features on Instagram  but is most proud of his happy marriage to his wife as well as their son Austin, aka "AusTheBassBoss" who is an accomplished musician and following quickly in the entertainment footsteps of Dad. Please welcome to the mics, Darren “ the PARTY STARTER” Carter!