Stand-up comedy in the USA
History
Stand-up comedy has its roots in various traditions of American entertainment popular in the late 19th century, ranging from vaudeville and humorist monologues (by personalities such as Mark Twain, a notable master) to circus clown antics. Most early comedians were merely regarded as opening act "joke tellers" who warmed up the audience, or kept the crowds entertained during intermissions. Being a comedian was often considered a stepping stone to a proper show business career. Jokes were generally broad and (often when not broadcast) mildly risqué, and often dwelt on stock comic themes ("mother-in-law jokes," ethnic humor). "Blue humor", or comedy that was considered indecent, was popular in many nightclubs, but working "blue" greatly limited a comedian's chance for legitimate success. Today, this type of routine is more commonly seen.
The fathers of stand-up comedy were often called "masters of ceremonies" during the "golden age" of radio broadcasting. Jack Benny, Fred Allen and Bob Hope all came from vaudeville and often opened their listening programs with topical monologues, characterized by ad-libs and discussions about anything from the latest films to a missed birthday. Each program tended to be divided into the opening monologue, musical number, followed by a skit or story routine. Their guests were varied and included other radio comedians, including Burns and Allen. A "feud" between Fred Allen and Jack Benny was used as comic material for nearly a decade.
In the late 1950s and into the 1960s, a new generation of American comedians began to explore political topics, race relations, and sexual humor. Stand-up comedy shifted from quick jokes and one-liners to monologues, often with dark humor and cutting satire. Lenny Bruce became particularly influential in pushing the boundaries of what was considered acceptable entertainment. (Such "boundary pushing" among comedians dates back at least to vaudeville in a traditional joke called The Aristocrats that comedians would usually tell only to each other). African-American comedians such as Redd Foxx, long relegated to segregated venues, began to cross over to white audiences during this time.
Phyllis Diller ventured out as the first solo female stand-up comic, opening the door to other funny women such as Joan Rivers, Lily Tomlin and Roseanne Barr. In what was historically a man's domain, Diller was a true stand out. She began working small clubs and eventually shared the stage with the likes of Bob Hope, Don Rickles, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr.
Stand-up comedy exploded during the 1970s, with several entertainers becoming major stars based on stand-up comedy performances. Stand-up expanded from nightclubs and theaters to major concerts in sports arenas. Richard Pryor and George Carlin followed Lenny Bruce's acerbic style to become counterculture icons. Steve Martin and Bill Cosby had similar levels of success with gentler comic routines. The older style of stand-up comedy was kept alive by Rodney Dangerfield and Buddy Hackett, who enjoyed revived careers late on life. Television programs such as Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show launched the careers of other stand-up comedians.
By the 1980s, the rising popularity of stand-up led to a boom in stand-up comedy venues for locally-based and touring comics in several cities. Many stand-up stars landed major television deals, and established television and film stars such as Kip Addotta, Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy and Billy Crystal tested their comic skills with live stand-up comedy appearances. The advent of HBO (which could present comedians uncensored) and other cable channels such as Comedy Central contributed to the stand-up comedy boom.
By the 1990s, a glut of stand-up comedy led to its decline, as the market became somewhat flooded with comedians of varying talent levels. Established stand-up comedians still commanded top ticket prices, however, and talented new comedians had many smaller venues in which to establish themselves.
Many observers believe that Chris Rock's stand-up career, which took off in 1996 with his popular special Bring the Pain, was instrumental to stand-up comedy's revival during the late 1990s. By the 2000s, comedy had enjoyed a resurgence, not only because of Rock's popularity, but because of newer media outlets such as the internet, television channels like Comedy Central and various comedy schools, troupes, and improv groups nurturing new talent through workshops and classes.
New York City
In the United States, New York City is still widely considered to be the heart of the stand-up scene, with scores of young rising stars as well as established comics regularly trying out material at the Comedy Cellar when not on the road. Caroline's on Broadway helped pioneer the "headliner club" and is still considered one of the top clubs in the country for headliners, with past performers such as Andrew Dice Clay, Bill Hicks, Colin Quinn, Gilbert Gottfried, Mitch Hedberg, Jerry Seinfeld and a host of others.
In New York City's Greenwich Village, comedy flourishes outside of the stand-up club circuit as well. Theaters that are more known for sketch comedy, such as the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (UCB), as well as cabarets that do not exclusively offer comedy, like Rififi, hold weekly comedy shows. The UCB Theater has a show called "Crash Test" every Monday, hosted by Aziz Ansari. Rififi has "Invite Them Up", hosted by Bobby Tisdale and Eugene Mirman.
Some would say that these places are helping to breed a new comic form known as alternative comedy, which is characterized by more character-based, surreal, or absurd humor as opposed to observations of everyday life or more polemical themes. A growing number of comics (Demetri Martin, Slovin and Allen, Andres du Bouchet) do not strictly tell jokes on stage, opting to play music or perform sketches, making their performances more vaudevillian than traditional stand-up.
Los Angeles
As the home to much of the American entertainment industry, Los Angeles is the other major market for American stand-up comedy, and provides stand-up comics with the greatest opportunity to branch out into television and film. The Los Angeles comedy scene consistently showcases world famous comics regularly playing at major comedy venues, such as The Laugh Factory, the Hollywood Improv, and the Comedy Store. Los Angeles' comedy scene is often criticized for having too many comics interested in transitioning into other media, with relatively few dedicated solely to the art of stand-up. Prominent figures in the L.A. comedy scene have included Kip Addotta, Dane Cook, Kathy Griffin, Dom Irrera, Chili Challis, Jim Carrey and Jay Leno, none of whom launched their careers in LA. There is a newly burgeoning comedy scene in Los Angeles' North Hollywood and Silverlake areas, which have experienced a large influx of artists over the past decade as the housing costs in West Los Angeles have risen. In the greater Los Angeles area of Pasadena, a prominent comedy night club known as The Ice House has also hosted many famous comedians.
Boston
Although not as big as New York or Los Angeles, Boston has long been considered an important comedy breeding ground in the United States. Boston comics often move to New York or Los Angeles in order to achieve mainstream success. The Boston area has arguably produced more native stand-up comics than New York (although it should be noted that many comics seen as natives actually relocated to Boston as college students from other parts of the country). The Comedy Connection is Boston's largest club and hosts many national headliners. Another club of note is The Comedy Studio in Harvard Square which is generally seen as Boston's premiere underground club. Notable Boston-area comics include Denis Leary, Louis C.K., Lenny Clarke, Dane Cook, Steven Wright, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Mike Birbiglia, Eugene Mirman, Doug Stanhope, Paula Poundstone, Patrice Oneal, Bill Burr and Gary Gulman. Many Boston comics have become writers for shows such as Dr. Katz, Home Movies, The Daily Show and The Simpsons. A number of other comedians born in New Jersey and New York got their start in the clubs of Boston, including Joe Rogan, Steven Wright and Bobcat Goldthwait. A documentary film was made in 2003, When Stand Up Stood Out which discusses Boston's role in the comedy boom of the mid to late 1980s.
Detroit
Detroit has been a formidable comedy proving ground for many years. Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle, widely regarded as the heart of the city's comedy scene, pioneered the headliner/feature/emcee format which is now the general standard for comedy clubs, and helped launch the successful careers of Tim Allen and Dave Coulier. Notable Detroit comedians have made appearances on Last Comic Standing, namely J. Chris Newberg and Dave Landau. (Last Comic Standing's season 2 winner John Heffron and Rob Little are from the State of Michigan as well).
San Diego
San Diego is known in the comedy world for launching the careers of many stand-ups. Tony Calabrese, Darren Carter, Charlie Ayers, Mark Brazil, Bobby Lee, Dat Phan, Fred Burns, Dante, Faison Love, Rene Sandoval, Jamie Foxx, Wild Willie Parsons, Anthony Ramos and Tommy Chun all began their careers in San Diego.
San Francisco
In the 1950s, Mort Sahl revolutionized stand-up comedy and launched his recording career after receiving acclaim for his satirical observational routines at the "hungry i". Stand-up comedy legend Lenny Bruce found a liberal fan base in the city, allowing him to take his act even further. During the 1980s, San Francisco had nine active comedy clubs, including the Holy City Zoo, The Other Café, Cobb's Comedy Club, and The Punchline. Many comedians spending time in San Francisco were influenced by the city's liberal intellectual atmosphere: Margaret Cho, Dana Carvey, Janeane Garofalo, Marc Maron, Jake Johansen, and more recently, Rob Cantrell (of Last Comic Standing), Arj Barker and Jim Short. San Francisco has hosted a separate circuit of gay comedy for many years at clubs like Josie's that produced Scott Capurro, Marga Gomez, and politician Tom Ammiano. The city is also known for the new and rather unique "Commie Comics" phenomenon. Recent years have seen a resurgence of San Francisco's place as a "comedy town" partly due to the city's "new wave", consisting of young and edgy alternative comics who have redefined San Francisco comedy. Notable "new wave" performers include Jasper Redd (Def Comedy Jam, Late Night With Conan O'Brien), Louis Katz (Comedy Central, The Carson Daly Show), Kevin Shea (Kings of Comedy, Comedy Central), Sheng Wang (Comedy Central), Joe Klocek (Comedy Central), Jacob and Sherry Sirof (Comedy Central), Ryan Stout (Comedy Central), Brent Weinbach (US Comedy Arts Festival, Comedians of Comedy), Will Franken, Moshe Kasher (Laffapalooza, NBC's Name to Watch), Drennon Davis, Alex Koll, Kevin Camia, Mo Mandell (Craig Fergueson), Kris Tinkle, W. Kamau Bell (Comedy Central) and a host of others.
Texas
Houston and Dallas have also produced many notable stand-ups, perhaps most famously the legendary Bill Hicks of Houston, and Steve Martin, a native of Waco. In 1959, George Carlin and Jack Burns began as a comedy team when both were working for radio station KXOL in Fort Worth. Austin has a thriving stand-up comedy scene with the comedy clubs Capital City Comedy and The Velveeta Room, as well as the vaudeville-style show Esther's Follies.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand-up_comedy
Posted on Friday, October 19, 2007 4812 Views,
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