Day: September 1, 2010

More Saturday Night Live news? SNL eyes a fourth new hire to the featured cast! Meet Jay Pharoah

Posted by | Sep 1, 2010 | |

If people were excited to hear that Saturday Night Live had hired three new cast members to featured player status (as well as a number of new writers), then what will they have to say when news drops that SNL has its eyes on giving a big break to another new cast member? Let's find out! EXCLUSIVE and DEVELOPING! The Comic's Comic has learned that Jay Pharoah, a young stand-up comedian from Virginia's Tidewater who has a full arsenal of impersonations — including one of President Barack Obama (and yes, he'd likely do it instead of Fred Armisen!) — is just about a done deal to become the fourth new cast member to join the on-air ranks when SNL's 36th season begins on Sept. 25, 2010. He'll be joining Vanessa Bayer, Paul Brittain and Taran Killam as the cast newbies. This would represent the biggest single infusion of new talent into the show since 2001, when Lorne Michaels also hired four new featured players for the 27th season (trivia answer: Seth Meyers, Amy Poehler, Dean Edwards and Jeff Richards). But what about Jay Pharoah, you ask? His bio says he's 22, but began working on his impersonations as early as junior high and in local comedy clubs in the Tidewater by the time he was 15. He says he would like to meet his comedy idols, Eddie Murphy and...

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Seth, “brother” of Zach Galifianakis, has Sean Penn “Between Two Ferns”

Posted by | Sep 1, 2010 | |

Just when you least expect it, there's a brand-new episode of "Between Two Ferns," the hit series that's not quite a talk show but is most definitely starring Zach Galifianakis — or, in this case, his "twin brother" Seth — and featuring Sean Penn. Penn says that talking about himself and being a movie star ain't all it's cracked up to be, which I'm sure comes as a shocker to Seth. Thank you, Comedy...

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Eugene Mirman talks about things you can do, but won’t see at his third annual “comedy festival”

Posted by | Sep 1, 2010 | |

In its third consecutive year, it's beginning to be difficult to call the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival the anti-festival. Actually, it's been difficult all three years. Despite the fact that some of Mirman's festival features are clearly fake and satirical, there's an even truer fact — it's even more factual, that is, to say, that the sheer depth of talent in the shows curated by Mirman and his colleagues rivals most of the comedy festivals that other cities and organizations throw each year. It's also loads of fun! As Mirman told me today about this year's schedule, and how it compares to the first two years: "It's a little festival-y, in that there's more shows that I really like, and not shows that are totally ironic. But either way, it's all silly good times." What other comedy festival do you know, for example, that kicks off with "An Evening of Comedy From 1986," headlined by Mirman's comedy hero, Emo Philips, and also has hairdressers offering to style your do as if it were 1986. And if you're like me and have less hair now than you did in the 1980s, not to worry. "They will have a pile of hair," Mirman said. There are more details to come that aren't listed online just yet. Mirman revealed a few of them to me today. Yes, there will be fake passes...

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“Love Can Suck…” but this show doesn’t, thanks to Leslie Meisel and Megan Neuringer

Posted by | Sep 1, 2010 | |

Warning: The show "Love Can Suck a Dick…and So Can I," does not feature any actual acts of fellatio. Double warning: Leslie Meisel and Megan Neuringer will make you double over with laughter as they rewrite whatever notions you have of a show that revolves around heartbroken woman. The show is a true collaboration, with Neuringer writing and directing (and co-starring as the manifestation of Meisel's "broken heart") and Meisel performing a combination of great character work and inspired crowd work. Despite centering on heartbreak and opening on a scene that even Debbie Downer couldn't top (or bottom, as it were), Meisel's whimpering mess goes meta based on a suggestion from her heart to write a one-woman show, which becomes a hit, and fast-forwards more than 3,000 shows to what the audience gets to see. Roll a clip! As Wendy, who is deaf and has a thing for the ladies, and as Carla, a Staten Island woman who is breaking it down, Meisel shines in improvising with unsuspecting audience members. Fun facts: She learned ASL to commit to Wendy's character, and as Carla, she shows us that any man can sit in as the "perfect man." I don't want to spoil it all, but if you'd like to see two woman with great working chemistry, who also are willing to eat chow mein onstage for the sake of comedy,...

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What do you mean it’s not called Team CoCo A GoGo? Conan O’Brien, TBS already picked title

Posted by | Sep 1, 2010 | , |

Despite what the folks at The Hollywood Reporter say, or my best intentions to get Conan O'Brien to name his new show Team CoCo A GoGo, the talk-show host's new talk show on TBS will be called exactly what the ads already have been calling it. See the ad? If that doesn't tell you already, well, here's Conan himself telling you the news. Which, of course, isn't news, since the ads already told you the title. And no, it's not really going to be called "Conaw." Roll...

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