A Sacramento Comedy.Com Interview

From homeless to headliner, Dat Phan knows what it means to work hard to achieve your goals. His story is another  “American dream” come true for someone willing to put it all out there.

Phan, the youngest of 10 kids, started in Saigon, Viet Nam and landed in the ghettos of San Diego with his mother. There were times that they slept on bus benches. “I credit my mom for keeping me out of gangs as a child. My babysitter was Cox Cable and it kept me off the streets.” It was during this period that he was inspired by the celebrities that he watched on TV.  “It was during the time that Michael Jackson was still black and awesome!” This all was happening as the ghetto violence surged around him and it propelled him to get out by any means and not look back. “When you grow up poor, you have to either work really hard to try and get where you want to be or you’ll just stay put.”

Even though Phan took a drama class while in high school, he admits to being shy and introverted until after he graduated and enrolled in Grossmont Junior College in San Diego. After leaving school at 21, he decided to make his mark in the comedy world.

For the next seven years, Phan worked tirelessly at his trade as a starving artist, driving from one gig to the next, taking odd jobs, (he was once robbed at gunpoint while working as a doorman at the Improv in Irvine, CA), sleeping in his car or on friends couches.  All the time working on his writing, graphing and charting each sentence and keeping his notebook with him always because “I was too poor for a laptop and the notebook was all I had.”

“I’m still am very obsessed with my techniques as I am writing my material. I analyze where the beats are, the wording and how many syllables.” He continued, “movies are never done without storyboards, time-lines, formulas and equations. They are engineered for success. James Cameron didn’t make “Avatar” without a plan!”

In 2003, while no longer homeless, but renting a space so small that there was only room to sleep under his desk, he continued to pursue any opportunity that presented itself. While living on cheap ramen and generic Red Bull, Phan scraped together enough money to send a demo in to NBC for an experimental reality show they looking at. That experiment was the inauguration of “Last Comic Standing.” After auditioning in person, he was chosen by the talent scouts for “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” to be a part of the show, beating 2,000 other comics.

On the show, his obsession with verbal technique  brought him ridicule from other comedians, as the nation watched the more experienced comics; Ralphie May, Rich Vos and Dave Mordal verbally abuse and taunt Phan for his inexperience and his “Zen-like” approach to comedy. Through it all, Phan kept his cool and his technique proved them all wrong as he took the top prize in the show, beating each one of them week by week until he was crowned the… “Last Comic Standing.”

“Was the meanness depicted on the show accurate? we wondered. “If you are going to throw a steak (development deal), into the middle of a pack of wolves (comics) that are hungry, you are going to turn a lot of comedians into animals. Stick all of them all in the same cage (house) for a month and you get the madness that is a reality show,” he replied.

With the national prime time exposure that the show provided, Phan landed a part in the Kim Bassinger movie “Cellular,” did voice over work for the show “Family Guy” and  began to touring the country. “That’s my movie claim to fame right now. Five minutes as the only Asian character in a movie full of Caucasians!”

Phan went on to be named by the Smithsonian as one of the “Top Ten Most Influential Vietnamese-Americans” and frequently assists Stanford University’s The Jade River Campaign which provides research and assistance to Asian victims of Hepatitis B and liver cancer. Phan’s mother suffers from a form of the disease.

“How’s life today?” we asked. “Well, I am in a relationship now so my life is a lot more boring than before. I used to be the guy out on the hunt for girls, now I just hunt for Girl Scout cookies.” He continued, “How does it define you when you are trolling supermarkets for Girl Scouts like you are looking for your crack cocaine dealer?”

“Do you know ‘Flight of the Conchords?” he responded when asked about his next projects. “I am trying to add the guitar to my act to accent the Asian material that I do.” Going back to his technical and perfectionist outlook, Phan says “If you look at music theory and comedy theory, they have a tendency to contradict each other on beats, counts and call backs. Because of this, I am working with a team of people to get this right. It’s fun and it has refreshed my enthusiasm for writing comedy as well.”

“Will you be performing music during this appearance in Sacramento?” we asked. “Not this time. It just isn’t ready. I will however be slipping in some new comedy material. I am constantly trying to keep my act fresh.”

Phan has a DVD he recently released called “Dat Phan Live” and his first R-rated CD called “You Touch, You Buy!” Both are available on Phan’s website; www.DatPhan.Com.

Dat Phan will be appearing at the Sacramento Punchline this week, March 11-14 for 5 shows.

Headlines March 20th for One Night Only!

Candy Churilla’s act includes one mis-understanding man, and one cocktail after another. What this lovably twisted comic lacks in self-control she makes up for in self-involvement. She wrote, produced, and starred in her play Sex, Drugs, & Dinner. Now in the Bay Area, she switched from improv to stand-up, won third place in CA’s Funniest Female Contest, and appeared on season six of NBC’s Last Comic Standing. She appears on weekly radio show with Ben Feldman on Pirate Cat Radio Tuesday mornings.

Head on over to El Dorado’s premier comedy club (ok, maybe the only one in El Dorado Hills) and check out the wonderful comedy at Cafe Nostra!

Headlines Late Show March 18th for One Night Only!

Joe Torry, burst into “Hollywood” as a comedian with a great geographical outlook. Being raised with five siblings as army brats bouncing from place to place before settling in the Midwest of St. Louis, Missouri. He has developed an impressive resume in the entertainment industry, as an actor, writer, producer. He is an established businessman and philanthropist in communities across the country.

Joe feels blessed to have known and worked with such legendary artist such as, Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, Micheal Jackson, Tupac Shakur, Robin Harris, Bernie Mac. John Singleton, Janet Jackson, Quincy Jones, Jaime Foxx, Russell Simmons, Sam Jackson Will Smith and Eddie Murphy just to name a few.

Recently, Joe finished his first feature film as producer and the star villain in the comedy entitled “Pawn Shop” which was filmed in the city of Detroit, MI. Joe Torry’s film production company MO FILMS, partners with Paris Deior Studios to introduce this unique comedy to masses. The film stars legendary actor, comedian and original SNL cast member Garret Morris and VH1 Reality TV famed beauty, Dilishous

Earlier in this year of 2009, Joe got a chance to share his talent in the PG comedy feature film “The Dog that saved Christmas” starring Dean Cain and Gary Valentine.

2009 has been a busy year for Joe Torry, who has been on tour since the beginning of the year with trips to Japan and Korea twice to perform comedy for the armed forces of the United States of America.

The year started with him performing and hosting a gala for the Obama’s presidential inauguration in San Diego, which included Comedian Tommy Davidson, Grammy award winner singer/song writer “Tank” and others.

Joe was asked to perform and host one of the biggest concerts/parties of the 2009 Super Bowl in Tampa, FL. World champion boxer Floyd “Money Mayweather produced the event which consist of Grammy award winners, Kesha Cole and Robin Thicke.

Click here for Reservations and to buy tickets!

Tell them you saw it on Sacramento Comedy.Com!

Headlines April 1 – 4

Josh Blue has been a fast-rising star since first appearing on Comedy Central’s “Mind of Mencia” before gaining the attention and endearment of the country as a favorite on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing.” Josh is a diverse and triumphant individual – hilarious stand-up comedian, stand-out guest star on television, talented artist, and stellar U.S. Paralympic Soccer player – refusing to bow to any of the challenges that come from living with Cerebral Palsy. Blue jokes, “I realize that people are going to stare so I want to give them something to stare at.”

Josh uses his incredible sense of humor and versatile persona to defy stereotypes and encourage others to overcome their preconceived notions about people who are considered “disabled.” His unique brand of “reverse teasing” affords him the great joy of “humbling condescending people.” Josh’s stand-out performances at the 2004 Las Vegas Comedy Festival earned him $10,000 as Grand Prize Winner of the Royal Flush Comedy Competition. He has appeared on NBC, MSNBC, FOX News, and Fox Sports Net.

From comedy clubs and theater engagements to college campuses and corporate events, wherever he takes the stage Josh elicits a wildly appreciative crowd response. His uncanny ability to improvise with any audience coupled with comedic timing rarely found in a performer of his age has enabled Josh to rapidly develop a fan base across the country. His rise is perhaps best described by a well known club owner following a recent show when he exclaimed:
“Josh is rolling like a ROCK STAR!”

Click here for Reservations and to buy tickets!

Tell them you saw it on SacramentoComedy.Com!

Headlines March 10th for One Night Only!

Exploding out of San Francisco’s famed comedy scene, underground notable Kris Tinkle solidifies himself as a must-see comic with a raucous set on his debut album “Almost Awesome.”

Performed in front of 500 fans at the sold out Improv in San Jose, CA, Tinkle brings controlled energy and comedy swagger that’s ready to hit the masses. His ability to stumble near adversity as much as he overcomes it breaks through on tracks like “Mr. Tinkle” and “Bittersweet Free Handjob.” His relentless honesty made him a favorite on multiple USO Tours in Iraq, Kuwait and Japan, as well as inspiring his original live series “Steel Cage Comedy” and fight-funny podcast “Rabbit Punch Radio.”

Tell them you saw it on SacramentoComedy.Com!

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Headlining March 10th for One Night Only!

What happens when you get five very funny women on one stage, at one time? You get estrogen charged hilarity! This group, led by Sacramento’s favorite cougar, Cheryl “The Soccer Mom” Anderson, is joined by Kristen Frisk, Kimmie Kay, Stephanie Garcia and Sinderella. And even if they don’t all live in Rio Linda, isn’t Rio Linda really just a state of mind?

See them live this Wednesday at Tommy T’s at 7:30 PM.

Paula Poundstone is funny, smart, quick and has a profound friendliness about her.

A steady flow of excited audience members streamed through the doors of the beautiful Crest Theater Saturday night to see Poundstone perform, filling the theater to it’s maximum capacity. All walks of life and lifestyles seemed to be well-represented, making it clear that she has a very broad appeal.

It became apparent just how much anticipation the audience had for this night when General Manager Sid Garcia-Heberger came onstage and asked that all cell phones be turned off for the performance and the crowd applauded. How could Poundstone follow that? Simple. She just jumped right in.

“So, were you all clapping because you hate cell phones in general?” she queried as her opening line. This was to be the first of many times that she reached out to the collective and individual audience members to pose a question and then another and then a follow-up until everyone realized that this is Poundstone doing what she does best, incorporating the audience into her act.

The honesty that she shared with her audience when she said things like, “I really don’t like sex,” or, “I am OCD, and I can’t stop talking. Luckily, I found a job where that works to my advantage!” made audience member feel like she wants to know more about them.

That opinion was strongest while watching her stay in the lobby for more than an hour after her performance to sign her book and CDs, pose for pictures and greet each and every person with, “Hey! How ya doing?” It felt like she really wanted to know.

During the almost three-hour show, (including a 20-minute intermission), Poundstone’s famous ability of ad-libbing with the audience amounted to about a third of her show, while the rest of her material was topical and fresh. She had no hard-and-fast roadmap for the night, but the destination definitely wasn’t as important as the wonderful meandering means of getting there.

Poundstone covered so many topics, often segueing them right from her conversations with the audience, that no one ever knew what was coming next. She started with a few digs about Sacramento politics and referenced her earlier days when she performed comedy at the historical Laughs Unlimited in Old Sac (the term “sac” was discussed at length with all of the testosterone-laden references intact), She also discussed her three children and the uniqueness of each of them, the F-word, health care, CNN and more.

During her audience participation segments, Poundstone was able to find, at random, a state worker who writes regulations and proposals, a professor who teaches writing at UC Davis to artists and the business manager of a local magazine (from whence the “Sac” references were born). Each one provided unintentional fodder for Poundstone’s quick wit and unique interrogation skills.

At times she resembled a parent dragging information from a child. “And then what happened?” she asked, followed by, “What made you do that?” and finally, “What were you thinking as you were making that decision?”

Each question usually dragged out less-than-voluntarily, elicited laughter from those in the crowd and a secret desire that she not turn her laser-focused questions on them. However, the “business manager,” the “state regulations writer” and “Dr. Andy” will forever be included in the audience’s recollections of this performance

So captivated and in-tune was the audience that when an intermission was announced, one audience member felt so comfortable that she shouted out that Poundstone “ought to join us in the lobby.” Surprisingly, she did just that. This led many to wonder whether they were watching Poundstone perform her act or if she just having an intimate conversation with them.

A special acknowledgment goes to Garcia-Hedberger and The Crest Theater for continuing to bring big-name comedy to Sacramento. In the last six months, The Crest has been the venue of choice for Lisa Lampinelli, Bob Saget and the locally produced Coexist? Comedy Tour. Continuing that trend, it was announced that San Francisco-based political humorist Will Durst will be appearing May 8.

Headlines March 12th For One Night Only!

Doug Stanhope is a stand-up comic. Has been since 1990. His material ranges from true-life graphic perversion to volatile social criticism. Doug is vulgar, opinionated, brutally honest and shockingly uninhibited and is certainly not for everybody.

Doug has built a wide-ranging television resume of dubious achievement. He hosted The Man Show on Comedy Central as well as the ubiquitous pseudo-porn for the sexually crippled, “Girls Gone Wild”, both solely and shamelessly for financial gain. He has appeared on “The Howard Stern Show”, “Comedy Central Presents”, “Premium Blend”, NBC’s “Late Friday”, “Spy TV” BBC’s “Floor Show Live” while on ecstasy and wrote, produced and starred in Fox’s “Invasion of the Hidden Cameras” and has even popped up on “Fox News with Greta Van Sustern” and “The Jerry Springer Show”. But none of it compares to seeing him live.

He’s appeared at major comedy festivals including the Montreal Just For Laughs, Aspen US Comedy Arts, Chicago Comedy Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, where he won the Strathmore Press Award in 2002.

Also in 2002, he was named as one of the Top Ten Comics To Watch by both Variety and the Hollywood Reporter. He has released three CDs and three DVDs including the latest through Showtime, “No Refunds” in 2008.

“Ask anyone whose opinion matters, and they’ll tell you Doug Stanhope is one of the top ten stand-ups in the world today.

Stanhope’s confrontational stance comes from the rough, blistered underbelly of America’s trailer parks; he’s a feral, aggressive man full fuelled by primal urges to drink, fight and screw ­ and the corrosive material has all the venomous aggression you might expect from that background.

Click here for Reservations and to buy tickets!

Tell them you saw it on Sacramento Comedy.Com!

A Sacramento Comedy.Com Interview

For most of us, after school meant coming home to do chores and homework. For Don Barnhart, it was running to the studio to watch his father, Don Barnhart Sr., direct Robin Williams and Jonathan Winters in the TV show “Mork & Mindy.”

“Every Friday, from 6 in the evening until usually 1 in the morning, they [the cast] would get fired up and just go all night. It was during the time when, uh, you know, cocaine wasn’t considered addicting. But watching them was amazing and it just rocked my world.”

One day, Winters grabbed Barnhart Jr. during a break in taping and asked him what he wanted to do with himself. “I told him that I wanted to do what you do, Jonathan, I want to be a comic and an actor.” Barnhart said that, “Jonathan sat me down and for 20 minutes basically told me his version of the secret of success. I was so happy that I ran over to my dad and enthusiastically told him of my encounter. My dad simply replied, ‘Turn around,’ and there was Winters, talking to an empty table.”

Barnhart always has been a man of passion. When he was 18, he rode his bike on Memorial Day to the recruiting office to enlist. Luckily, it was closed for the holiday. Shortly after that, he skateboarded past the world-famous Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, where he saw a ‘help wanted’ sign for a doorman. He got the job and from there went on to wash dishes, cook, scrub bathrooms and do odd jobs. He quickly rose to manager, talent coordinator and then, one fateful night, house MC.

“One night the MC got sick and they knew I had a little acting experience so they asked me if I wanted to MC. I quickly replied ‘Yeah, of course!’ and the first person I opened for was Dana Carvey. The second was Dennis Miller. That was just before they got on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ During those times, comics were very supportive of each other. Carvey took me aside and told me to relax and explained how he wanted to be brought up on stage.”

Over the next few years, Barnhart perfected his act and opened for comedy legends such as Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Judd Apatow, Drew Carey, Louie Anderson and Tim Allen.

Asked about the state of comedy today, Barnhart talked about how comedy rooms have proliferated and the plethora of comics that he calls the “same acts, different face.”

“They are talking about the same things everyone else is talking about. It’s just not personal and in-depth. One of the biggest compliments that I get are from people who ask, ‘Did you spy on us?’ because the people relate to what I am saying. My act is so personal that people identify with it. Crowds feel like they know me when they watch my show.”

Five years ago, Barnhart and his wife left Southern California for Las Vegas. There is plenty of work and it was removed from the negativity of the entertainment industry, he said. “We were able to channel more of our money into producing our own projects. One of them is a syndicated television show, ‘The Freedom of Speech Comedy Show.’ We keep it switched up; we have a clean comic, a black comic, a Hispanic comic, a dirty comic, a juggler and an improv audience participation performer. I am just a fan of the art.”

Barnhart also is a certified hypnotist, an interest that dates back to when he was 18. The comic said hypnotism helped overcome some of the negative thinking he grew up with. One of the things Barnhart said he enjoys is to incorporate hypnosis into the act on the last night of his run. “I don’t make people do crazy, embarrassing things,” he said. “I help them unlock some of their potential and reduce their fear and engage them in some improvisation games.”

Barnhart has performed a one-man show called “The De-Evolution of Man” and has shot “The Click Click Club,” a DVD that talks about how men have lost their spine  and don’t know who they are. “We used to be construction workers and laborers and used to be strong and manly, and now we have become house husbands stooped over our desks doing Facebook de-evolving until it makes us hunch over and drag our knuckles as we walk,” he said.

Barnhart also has wrote, co-starred and directed the full-length motion picture “China Dolls.” Co-starring his wife, Linda Vu, it is a fictional account of human trafficking that Barnhart witnessed when he did shows overseas. “It’s an action thriller,” said Barnhart. “It is like the ‘Lethal Weapon’ of human trafficking.”

With one other film in preproduction, 10 weeks a year or so performing on cruise ships, and more than 20 weeks at clubs, colleges and corporate events, Barnhart said he is living his dream. We wonder, is he following the advice of Jonathan Winters?

Barnhart is spending one of those weeks with Sacramento when he appears March 17 – 21 at Laughs Unlimited, 1207 Front Street, Old Sacramento, CA 95814. Contact Laughs Unlimited for your tickets.