Download or read book Stand Up Comedy in Chicago written by Vince Vieceli and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2014-04-14 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ten years after Chicago saw its first full-time comedy club open, the landscape was decidedly different. Stand-up comedy has exploded in the last couple of years, a club owner told the Chicago Tribune in 1985, thats the only way to describe it: exploded. It was truly a comedy boom, with as many as 16 clubs operating at once, and it lasted nearly a decade before fading, taking with it some of Chicagos oldest comedy stages, including the Comedy Cottage, Comedy Womb, and Whos on First. Still, stalwarts like Barrel of Laughs (south) and Zanies (north) persevered. That part of the story is known; overlooked is the fact there was a comedy boom, period. To hear the story, it is as if stand-up comedy innately morphed from a dated nightclub scene to what one Chicago Sun-Times writer called Chicagos atomic comedy blast.

Download or read book Mastering Stand Up written by Stephen Rosenfield and published by Chicago Review Press. This book was released on 2017-11-01 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stephen Rosenfield, founder and director of the American Comedy Institute, the premier comedy school in the United States, has taught literally dozens of major standup comics in North America, and has also pioneered comedy as an academic discipline in many universities, a trend that is rapidly spreading. Mastering Stand-Up draws on Rosenfield's own extensive experience (and those of countless stars like Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, Rodney Dangerfield, Louis C.K., Steve Martin, Roseanne, and Johnny Carson) to show the reader—and would-be comic—what works, what doesn't, and why. Forty sharply written chapters cover every conceivable angle of the joke and how to tell it. There are a number of books on comedy and how to do it, but none has the breadth and authority Rosenfield brings to his theme. It's not for nothing that the New York Times has described him as "probably the best-known comedy teacher in the country." Rosenfield's book is sure to become the classic text on its subject. And it should help thousands who long to make others laugh to realize their fondest hopes.

Download or read book Chicago Comedy written by Margaret Hicks and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2011-04-22 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An overview of Chicago’s comedic legacy, from its early days . . . to its present day position as a breeding ground for some of comedy’s biggest names” (Gapers Block). Famous for being a city of broad shoulders, Chicago has also developed an international reputation for split sides and slapped knees. Watch the Chicago style of comedy evolve from nineteenth-century vaudeville, through the rebellious comics of the fifties and into the improvisation and sketch that ushered in a new millennium. Drawing on material both hilarious and profound, Second City alum Margaret Hicks touches on what makes Chicago different from other cities and how that difference produced some of the greatest minds comedy will ever know: Amos ‘n’ Andy, Jack Benny, Lenny Bruce, Del Close, John Belushi, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert and so many, many more. Includes photos!

Download or read book The Perfect Amount of Wrong written by Mike Bridenstine and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2023-09-25 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In just over a decade, a tiny, do-it-yourself stand-up scene on the North Side of Chicago produced some of the most successful and influential stand-up comedians of their generation. Hannibal Buress, T.J. Miller, Kyle Kinane, Cameron Esposito, Pete Holmes, Beth Stelling, Matt Braunger and Kumail Nanjiani make up a partial list of names of comics who emerged from a scene that had very little industry attention--or even a home club. It was also a scene that took a backseat to the city's vaunted improv institution, and if we're being completely honest, it was a scene where comics mostly performed to drunks in the backs of dingy bars on their off nights. None of it was glamorous. None of it should have worked at all. But somehow, some way, the comedians from this scene have managed to etch their own names into the Chicago comedy pantheon. The Perfect Amount of Wrong is the story of that scene, as told by its veterans.

Download or read book Stay Hungry written by Sebastian Maniscalco and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-02-27 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From comedian and actor Sebastian Maniscalco—star of the film About My Father with Robert DeNiro—an inspiring, honest, uproarious collection of essays tracing his career from playing boxing rings and bowling alleys to reaching the pinnacles of comedy success. At twenty-four, Sebastian Maniscalco arrived in LA with a suitcase and saved up minimum wages. He knew no one and nothing about standup comedy, but he was determined to go for it anyway. Two decades later, he’s on the Forbes’ list of highest earning comedians, selling out arenas, and starring in numerous hit comedy specials including Why Would You Do That? and Is It Me?. Stay Hungry tells the story of the twenty years in between. On the way from clueless rube to standup superstar, Seb was booed off stages; survived on tips and stolen food; got advice from mentors Andrew Dice Clay, Vince Vaughn, Tony Danza, and Jerry Seinfeld; fell in love; and stayed true to his Italian-immigrant roots. The one code that always kept him going: stay hungry, keep focused, never give up, and one day, you’ll make it.

Download or read book Do You Talk Funny written by David Nihill and published by BenBella Books, Inc.. This book was released on 2016-03-08 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Public speaking can be terrifying. For David Nihill, the idea of standing in front of an audience was scarier than cliff jumping into a thorny pit of spiders and mothers-in-law. Without a parachute or advanced weaponry. Something had to change. In what doesn't sound like the best plan ever, David decided to overcome his fears by pretending to be an accomplished comedian called "Irish Dave" for one full year, crashing as many comedy clubs, festivals, and shows as possible. One part of the plan was at least logical: he was already Irish and already called Dave. In one year, David went from being deathly afraid of public speaking to hosting a business conference, regularly performing stand-up comedy and winning storytelling competitions in front of packed houses. And he did it by learning from some of the best public speakers in the world: stand-up comedians. Do You Talk Funny?: 7 Comedy Habits to Become a Better (and Funnier) Public Speaker shows how the key principles of stand-up comedy can be applied to your speaking engagements and presentations to make you funnier, more interesting, and better looking. (Or at least two of the three.) Whether you are preparing for a business presentation, giving a wedding toast, defending your thesis, raising money from investors, or simply want to take on something you're afraid of, this book will take you from sweaty to stage-ready. You'll learn how to: - Craft a story and content that your audience will want to listen to - Find the funniest parts of your material and how to get to them faster - Deal with stage fright - Master the two most important parts of your performance: timing and delivery Ten percent of the author's proceeds from this book will go to Arash Bayatmakou via Help Hope Live until he is fully back on his feet and thereafter to one of the many facing the same challenges after suffering a severe spinal cord injury.

Download or read book Stand Up Comedy in Chicago written by Vince Vieceli and Bill Brady and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2014 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ten years after Chicago saw its first full-time comedy club open, the landscape was decidedly different. "Stand-up comedy has exploded in the last couple of years," a club owner told the Chicago Tribune in 1985, "that's the only way to describe it: exploded." It was truly a comedy boom, with as many as 16 clubs operating at once, and it lasted nearly a decade before fading, taking with it some of Chicago's oldest comedy stages, including the Comedy Cottage, Comedy Womb, and Who's on First. Still, stalwarts like Barrel of Laughs (south) and Zanies (north) persevered. That part of the story is known; overlooked is the fact there was a comedy boom, period. To hear the story, it is as if stand-up comedy innately morphed from a dated nightclub scene to what one Chicago Sun-Times writer called "Chicago's atomic comedy blast."

Download or read book Standup Comedy 101 written by Jim Rauth and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-07-04 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "If you're looking at this book, trust your instincts," says Jim Rauth founder of the Comedy College a standup comedy school located in Milwaukee and Chicago. Jim has been teaching "Standup Comedy 101" for the last 19 years. Jim's students have appeared on HBO, Comedy Central, NBC's "Last Comic Standing", Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien and more! Jim also has managed a comedy club and has produced over 600 comedy shows. "In the early years, I was producing an open mic in Chicago and in the same room we had TJ Miller, Kumail Nanjiani, Kyle Kinane, Nate Bargatze and Hanibal Burress when they were starting their careers on a Tuesday," said Rauth. If you're looking to be funnier for the next party or you're heading for a national television gig, this workbook will get you there. It's worked for numerous Comedy College students who have made to national television shows and others who make their living doing standup. The book is an easy read and the exercises are simple to follow. It's designed to help you get your comedy act together for you first comedy performance, and then to help you keep building your comedy career.

Download or read book Facebook Marketing All in One For Dummies written by Amy Porterfield and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2012-12-05 with total page 788 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Great new edition covers what you need to know for successful Facebook marketing Facebook keeps evolving, and so does the social mediasphere. Even if you have a Facebook marketing strategy, have you taken into consideration Pinterest? Spotify? Foursquare? Facebook Marketing All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Edition does. This detailed resource not only reveals how to create successful Facebook marketing strategies, it also shows you how to incorporate and use the entire social network to its full potential. Covers the tools, techniques, and apps you need to know to create successful Facebook marketing campaigns Nine minibooks cover the essentials: Joining the Facebook Marketing Revolution; Claiming Your Presence On Facebook; Adding the Basics; Building, Engaging, Retaining, and Selling; Understanding Facebook Applications; Making Facebook Come Alive; Advanced Facebook Marketing Tactics; Facebook Advertising; Measuring, Monitoring, and Analyzing Explores the new Timeline design for Pages, changes to Facebook Insights, new apps to incorporate into your strategy, and more Facebook Marketing All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Edition is the perfect resource for any marketer who wants to build or refine a social media marketing presence that includes Facebook.

Download or read book How to Write Funny written by John Kachuba and published by Writer's Digest Books. This book was released on 2001-07-15 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A discussion of the basics and genres of the comic point of view includes essays and interviews with such authors as Dave Barry, Sherman Alexie, and Melissa Bank.

Download or read book Inside Comedy written by David Steinberg and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2023-06-06 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: David Steinberg's name has been synonymous with comedy for decades. The Canadian-born comedian, producer, writer, director, and author has been called "a comic institution himself" by the New York Times. He appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 140 times (second only to Bob Hope), and directed episodes of popular television sitcoms, including Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld, Friends, Mad About You, The Golden Girls, and Designing Women. From 2012–2015, Steinberg hosted the comedy documentary series Inside Comedy, which featured such comedy greats as Billy Crystal, Chris Rock, and Gary Shandling. In this entertaining history of comedy, Steinberg shares insightful memories of his journey through his career and takes the reader behind the curtain of the comedy scene of the last half-century. Steinberg shares amusing and often hilarious stories and anecdotes from some of the most legendary comedians in the industry—from Groucho Marx, Carol Burnett, Mel Brooks, and Richard Pryor to Lily Tomlin, Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Tina Fey. Inside Comedy presents in-depth portraits of some of the most talented and revered comedians in the world of comedy today.

Download or read book All Jokes Aside written by Raymond Lambert and published by Agate Publishing. This book was released on 2016-01-12 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Chris Rock. Jamie Foxx. Steve Harvey. Dave Chappelle. Some of the biggest names in American entertainment today all appeared at Raymond Lambert's club All Jokes Aside, the legendary Chicago showcase for African-American comedy, early in their careers. This insightful memoir follows up on Lambert's critically acclaimed 2012 Showtime documentary, Phunny Business, and tells the story of his life as seen through the lens of All Jokes Aside—its successes, failures, and lessons learned. By the late 1980s, Lambert was earning a six-figure salary as an investment banker on Wall Street, but dreamed of starting his own company. With zero experience, an equally committed partner, and a little borrowed money, he opened All Jokes Aside, and before long was helping to launch some of the biggest names in comedy. This is story of Lambert's journey, a behind-the-scenes look at the world of show business, and an inspiring tale for any would-be entrepreneur. Chock-full of cautionary tales both humorous and dramatic, revealing details on the early careers of top performers, and tangible guidance on how to build a business from the ground up, this book is a much-needed recent history of black entertainment and a powerful memoir of entrepreneurial ups and downs.

Download or read book Dear Committee Members written by Julie Schumacher and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2015-06-23 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Like Richard Russo’s Straight Man this book has a lot to say about the humanities in American colleges and universities…. Very funny and also moving.” —Tom Perrotta, New York Post A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR and Boston Globe Finally a novel that puts the "pissed" back into "epistolary." Jason Fitger is a beleaguered professor of creative writing and literature at Payne University, a small and not very distinguished liberal arts college in the midwest. His department is facing draconian cuts and squalid quarters, while one floor above them the Economics Department is getting lavishly remodeled offices. His once-promising writing career is in the doldrums, as is his romantic life, in part as the result of his unwise use of his private affairs for his novels. His star (he thinks) student can't catch a break with his brilliant (he thinks) work Accountant in a Bordello, based on Melville's Bartleby. In short, his life is a tale of woe, and the vehicle this droll and inventive novel uses to tell that tale is a series of hilarious letters of recommendation that Fitger is endlessly called upon by his students and colleagues to produce, each one of which is a small masterpiece of high dudgeon, low spirits, and passive-aggressive strategies. We recommend Dear Committee Members to you in the strongest possible terms. Don’t miss Julie Schumacher's new novel, The English Experience, coming soon.

Download or read book Perfect Amount of Wrong written by Arcadia Publishing and published by History Press. This book was released on 2023-09-25 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In just over a decade, a tiny, do-it-yourself stand-up scene on the North Side of Chicago produced some of the most successful and influential stand-up comedians of their generation. Hannibal Buress, T.J. Miller, Kyle Kinane, Cameron Esposito, Pete Holmes, Beth Stelling, Matt Braunger and Kumail Nanjiani make up a partial list of names of comics who emerged from a scene that had very little industry attention--or even a home club. It was also a scene that took a backseat to the city's vaunted improv institution, and if we're being completely honest, it was a scene where comics mostly performed to drunks in the backs of dingy bars on their off nights. None of it was glamorous. None of it should have worked at all. But somehow, some way, the comedians from this scene have managed to etch their own names into the Chicago comedy pantheon. The Perfect Amount of Wrong is the story of that scene, as told by its veterans.

Download or read book Playfully Inappropriate written by Jared Volle and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2019-05-25 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Playfully Inappropriate introduces a radically different approach to writing comedy. No brainstorming. No Broken Assumption Jokes. No joke structures. No kidding. Instead, it focuses on tapping back into your unique sense of humor, personality and creative potential. Have you ever wondered how some comedians can tell such hilarious stories while making the audience feel as if they're hanging out with a friend? Or how top-level comedians can leave you in stitches without ever feeling fake or inauthentic? Comedians were telling hilarious stories and having funny conversations long before they ever learned a single joke structure or tried to list an audience's assumptions. Why trade your natural, effortless ability to make people laugh for awkward joke formulas and brainstorming exercises? Playfully Inappropriate replaces conventional brainstorming exercises and word associations with a fun, easy method of exploration and shows you how to methodically generate hilarious material without ever requiring that you conform to any arbitrary set of rules. You'll discover how "naturally funny people" are consistently able to recognize comedic opportunities and effortlessly respond with hilarious punchlines. Whether you're a stand-up comedian, perform improv, write sketch, or act, Playfully Inappropriate will show you how to bring the same natural flow to your creative process. In this book, you'll learn... How joke-tellers and storyteller comedians use different strategies to create humor How to apply audience psychology to maximize a joke's effectiveness An easy way to create joke premises How to recognize natural opportunities or create your own opportunity for a punchline How to use your natural sense of humor to write both conventional and unconventional jokes How storytelling comedians are able to capture the audience's attention early on How storytellers get laughs without requiring conventional joke structures

Download or read book Tim Tom written by Tim Reid and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2009-02-15 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the heady promise of the 1960s sagged under the weight of widespread violence, rioting, and racial unrest, two young men--one black and one white--took to stages across the nation to help Americans confront their racial divide: by laughing at it. Tim and Tom tells the story of that pioneering duo, the first interracial comedy team in the history of show business--and the last. Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen polished their act in the nightclubs of Chicago, then took it on the road, not only in the North, but in the still-simmering South as well, developing routines that even today remain surprisingly frank--and remarkably funny--about race. Most nights, the shock of seeing an integrated comedy team quickly dissipated in uproarious laughter, but on some occasions the audience’s confusion and discomfort led to racist heckling, threats, and even violence. Though Tim and Tom perpetually seemed on the verge of making it big throughout their five years together, they grudgingly came to realize that they were ahead of their time: America was not yet ready to laugh at its own failed promise. Eventually, the grind of the road took its toll, as bitter arguments led to an acrimonious breakup. But the underlying bond of friendship Reid and Dreesen had forged with each groundbreaking joke has endured for decades, while their solo careers delivered the success that had eluded them as a team. By turns revealing, shocking, and riotously funny, Tim and Tom unearths a largely forgotten chapter in the history of comedy.

Download or read book Chicago Comedy written by Margaret Hicks and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Famous for being a city of broad shoulders, Chicago has also developed an international reputation for split sides and slapped knees. Watch the Chicago style of comedy evolve from nineteenth-century vaudeville, through the rebellious comics of the '50s and into the improvisation and sketch that ushered in a new millennium. Drawing on material both hilarious and profound, Chicago Comedy: A Fairly Serious History touches on what makes Chicago different from other cities and how that difference produced some of the greatest minds comedy will ever know: Amos 'n' Andy, Jack Benny, Lenny Bruce, Del Close, John Belushi, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert and so many, many more.