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Comedy Workshop
The Comedy Workshop and the attached ''Comix Annex'' was a comedy club in Houston, Texas. Opened in 1978 It was quite popular in the 1980s and the breeding ground for a group of influential comics, once known as the ''Texas Outlaw Comics'' that included Ron Shock, Riley Barber, Bill Hicks, Jimmy Pineapple, Steve Epstein, John Farnetti, Carl LaBove and Andy Huggins. Comedian Brett Butler of Grace Under Fire fame and SNL longtime writer T. Sean Shannon honed their skills as members of the CW competitive dysfunction. In addition, Sam Kinison had his beginnings at the Workshop as well, with it being the location of where his 1993 posthumous comedy album, ''Live from Hell'', was recorded. The workshop side of the Comedy Workshop was a spawning ground for improvisational comedic actors, with regular shows made up of Sketches, primarily those grown out of improvisational exercises. The founders were Steve and Vicki Farrell and Paul and Sharon Menzel. It grew out of the collaboration ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Comedy Club
A comedy club is a venue—typically a nightclub, bar, hotel, casino, or restaurant—where people watch or listen to performances, including stand-up comedians, improvisational comedians, impersonators, impressionists, magicians, ventriloquists, and other comedy acts. The term "comedy club" usually refers to venues that feature stand-up comedy, as distinguished from improvisational theatres, which host improv or sketch comedy, and variety clubs (which may also host musical acts). Types Comedy clubs are usually broken down by comedians into "A rooms", "B rooms", and "C rooms": *A rooms usually cater to people with movie deals, people with television shows, and generally well known acts. *B rooms are where the best aspects of both A rooms and C rooms meet. Young comics need B rooms as a stepping stone. These are rooms where someone doing a 10- to 15-minute set (hosting/MCing) can be asked, after they've been going up long enough, to do a 20-minute set (featuring) and so on. These ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in 2020. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the seat and largest city of Harris County and the principal city of the Greater Houston metropolitan area, which is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States and the second-most populous in Texas after Dallas–Fort Worth. Houston is the southeast anchor of the greater megaregion known as the Texas Triangle. Comprising a land area of , Houston is the ninth-most expansive city in the United States (including consolidated city-counties). It is the largest city in the United States by total area whose government is not consolidated with a county, parish, or borough. Though primarily in Harris County, small portions of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by both List of U.S. states and territories by area, area (after Alaska) and List of U.S. states and territories by population, population (after California). Texas shares borders with the states of Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and the Mexico, Mexican States of Mexico, states of Chihuahua (state), Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south and southwest; and has a coastline with the Gulf of Mexico to the southeast. Houston is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas and the List of United States cities by population, fourth-largest in the U.S., while San Antonio is the second most pop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Texas Outlaw Comics
The Texas Outlaw Comics were a group of comedians based in Houston, Texas in the mid-1980s.Staff report (April 18, 1991). 'Texas outlaw' fires from the lip. '' Washington Times'' Formed at the Comedy Workshop comedy club in Houston, early members included Sam Kinison, Bill Hicks, Ron Shock, Steve Epstein, Carl LaBove, John S, Riley Barber, Dan Merryman, John Farnetti, and Jimmy Pineapple. Other members included Andy Huggins and Steven Juliano Moore.Harward, Randy (September 19, 2007)Comedy: Story of My Life. Comedian Ron Shock returns to the road, continuing a unique life journey.''Salt Lake City Weekly''Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas, Directors (2009). '' American: The Bill Hicks Story'' Epstein said, "We're looking for people who speak their minds, whose comedy comes from themselves–the people who aren't interested in selling out." American Scream: The Bill Hicks Story.' HarperCollins, They chose and trademarked their name because Sam Kinison was using the term "Outlaw" to b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ron Shock
Howard Ronald "Ron" Shock (October 19, 1942 – May 17, 2012) was an American comedian and storyteller who was best known for his reenactments of stories that he extracted from newspapers. Early life Shock was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico.Weatherford, Mike (May 17, 2012)Storytelling comedian Ron Shock dies from cancer at 69.''Las Vegas Review-Journal'' According to his website biography, Shock had been "a many great things" throughout his childhood, including a student of the priesthood, member of a chain gang, jewel thief, prison inmate, vice-president of Macmillan Publishers, and an inventor with three patents in electronics. "One went on to become Quick Alert," Shock said to the ''Salt Lake City Weekly''. "I sold it for $15,000, and the guy I sold it to made millions. In financial circles, I'm called a !@#$%^& idiot." Career Shock began his comedy career at age 40, playing the Improv in Los Angeles, a gig that ultimately helped lead to his Showtime special ''Bad Gig Blues' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bill Hicks
William Melvin Hicks (December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material—encompassing a wide range of social issues including religion, politics, and philosophy—was controversial and often steeped in dark comedy. At the age of 16, while still in high school, Hicks began performing at the Comedy Workshop in Houston, Texas. During the 1980s, he toured the U.S. extensively and made a number of high-profile television appearances, but it was in the UK that he amassed a significant fan base, filling large venues during his 1991 tour. He also achieved some recognition as a guitarist and songwriter. Hicks died of pancreatic cancer on February 26, 1994, at the age of 32. In subsequent years, his work gained significant acclaim in creative circles—particularly after a series of posthumous album releases—and he developed a substantial cult following. In 2007, he was No. 6 on Channel 4's list of the "10 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brett Butler (comedian)
Brett Butler (born January 30, 1958) is an American actress, writer, and stand-up comedian. She is best known for playing the title role in the ABC comedy series ''Grace Under Fire'' (1993–1998), for which she received two Golden Globe Awards nominations. Life and career Early life Butler was born Brett Anderson in Montgomery, Alabama, the eldest of five sisters. She was four years old when her father, Roland Decatur Anderson Jr., an oil company executive, moved the family to Houston, Texas. Her mother Carol left Roland, an abusive alcoholic, and moved with their children to Miami, Florida. Her mother battled depression, and the family was sometimes so poor that they ate Tootsie Rolls for dinner. Butler briefly attended the University of Georgia. Before experiencing success as a stand-up comic, she worked as a cocktail waitress. In 1978, at the age of 20, Butler married her first husband, Charles Michael Wilson, three months after their meeting. Wilson was abusive and in 1981 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grace Under Fire (TV Series)
''Grace Under Fire'' is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from September 29, 1993, to February 17, 1998. The show starred Brett Butler as a single mother learning how to cope with raising her three children alone after finally divorcing her abusive husband. The series was created by Chuck Lorre and produced by Carsey-Werner Productions. Premise ''Grace Under Fire'', produced by Carsey-Werner, was part of a wave of shows in the late 1980s and 1990s that were built around a comedian (and in some cases, closely based on his or her comedy routine). Many of Carsey-Werner's shows were based on nontraditional, non-nuclear families. ''Grace Under Fire'' followed a similar formula, set in the small fictitious town of Victory, Missouri; Butler starred as Grace Kelly, a divorced single mother and recovering alcoholic. The show begins after the main character divorces her abusive alcoholic husband of eight years in an attempt to start life anew and prevent her children from making t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sam Kinison
Samuel Burl Kinison ( ; December 8, 1953 – April 10, 1992) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. A former Pentecostal preacher, he performed stand-up routines that were characterized by intense sudden tirades, punctuated with his distinctive scream, similar to charismatic preachers. Initially performing for free, Kinison became a regular fixture at The Comedy Store where he met and eventually befriended such comics as Robin Williams and Jim Carrey. Kinison's comedy was crass observational humor, especially towards women and dating, and his popularity grew quickly, earning him appearances on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', ''Late Night with David Letterman'' and ''Saturday Night Live''. At the peak of his career, Kinison was killed in a car crash. Kinison received a Grammy nomination in 1988 for the single " Wild Thing" from his '' Have You Seen Me Lately?'' album, and a posthumous win in 1994 for Best Spoken Comedy Album, ''Live from Hell''. Early life Samu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Live From Hell
''Live From Hell'' is the fourth and final comedy album by Sam Kinison. It was released in 1993, a year after his death in an automobile accident. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Comedy Album. Track listing The album contained the following tracks:Gracenote Live From Hell ''Live From Hell'' is the fourth and final comedy album by Sam Kinison. It was released in 1993, a year after his death in an automobile accident. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album, Grammy Award for Best Spoken Comedy Album. T ... Retrieved 2010-10-13. # I Missed the Joan Rivers Show # Execution for Pee Wee # Captain Kangaroo # Russians Are Losers # Sammy's Pawnshop # J.F.K. # Space Pussies # The Kurds # Willie Nelson # The Smart Bomb # 100 Hour War # Bob Hope # The Pee Trough # Know When to Die # Sam's Tirade # Rap Sucks # Cable TV # Bad Taste # The Homeless # Don't Swallow Ref ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Improvisation
Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of improvisation can apply to many different faculties, across all artistic, scientific, physical, cognitive, academic, and non-academic disciplines; see Applied improvisation. Improvisation also exists outside the arts. Improvisation in engineering is to solve a problem with the tools and materials immediately at hand. Improvised weapons are often used by guerrillas, insurgents and criminals. Engineering Improvisation in engineering is to solve a problem with the tools and materials immediately at hand. Examples of such improvisation was the re-engineering of carbon dioxide scrubbers with the materials on hand during the Apollo 13 space mission, or the use of a knife in place of a screwdriver to turn a screw. Engineering improvisations ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dudley Riggs
Dudley Riggs (January 18, 1932 – September 22, 2020) was an improvisational comedian who created the Instant Theater Company in New York, which later moved to Minneapolis to become the Brave New Workshop comedy troupe. Family and early career Riggs was born in Little Rock, Arkansas and joined the circus when he was five years old. His family performed in a variety of acts with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus where he learned comedy in the vaudeville style. He worked as a circus aerialist, comedy acrobat, and clown. Later, he formed a group that toured the country during winters when the circus was not operating. Audiences at shows put on by the troupe were often quite hostile toward the performers. After years of trying to appease the crowds with traditional performance styles, Riggs began to request input from them. As an example, he might ask "Who do you hate in this town?" If the audience replied, "the mayor," the performers would quickly improvise a s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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