I had a lovely time at Comedy Death Ray at UCB last night. Scott and BJ run an incredible show. I followed the delightful Andy Kindler, no small task, but the crowd was cool and I enjoyed doing a show where people were literally sitting on fucking stage. People lined up around the block to go to CDR, just as they do each and every week. It’s really inspiring and awesome to see people wait in line for literally hours to get to see live comedy. Also performing: Jimmy Dore, Chip Pope, Moshe Kasher, Aziz Ansari, and my beloved friend Reggie Watts.
This is the promo poster for the off-Broadway play we're not doing.
I also got to hang out with my excellent friend H. Alan Scott. If you only meet one ex-Mormon with 12 siblings in your life, this young geigh comedian should be the one.
Earlier in the day, I had the unique pleasure of visiting (“Queer as Folk” star and) beloved activisit-actor-comedian Hal Sparks at his wonderful renovated 70-something year old home, which is filled with magickal statues and a wonderland of photographs and paintings and special art and music and colors. I told his assistant, Amy, who is awesome, “This is exactly the kind of house I would want if I had the chance.”
We shot an episode of Gettin’ Wet with Sara Benincasa, and a VERY special guest stopped by.
This is me as an extra in someone's gay wet dream.
I also went and visited Mr. James Urbaniak, starrrr of stage and screen and the voice of Dr. Venture on the crazy cartoon series “Venture Bros.” His twins were at nursery school, so he allowed my trusty friend Adam Finmann and I to invade his abode and interrogate him about his life and work.
GO TEAM VENTURE! I asked James to show me how to do this because a fan had demanded it, on the online.
I got to know and work with a really cool gent named Damion Dietz, director of Dog Tags (2008) and many other films. I voiced a Sarah Palin movie involving dildo puppets. NO. BIG. DEAL. We went out for Mexican food in Silverlake to celebrate the conclusion of a cumulative 12-ish hours of recording voice magic, and I got to check out a really cool altar for the Days of the Dead.
When I lived in New Mexico, we saw beautiful displays like this everywhere.
Later that night, back in Beachwood Canyon, I walked past a dude who was out grilling his dearly beloved deceased’s favorite foods. It smelled so good, and he looked kind of proud, as if he knew that people were stopping by and watching in curious admiration.
Did AGORAFABULOUS! at Largo again on Monday night. It was a really different show from the previous outing. After the first out at Largo, I think I finally got what the shape of it is going to be, thanks to some really fucking helpful notes from friends and strangers alike. So the second outing was a lot closer to the eventual “final” form it will take. Sometimes I do the show and it’s too heavy on the funny and not enough on the sad. Other times it’s too heavy on the sad and not enough on the funny. Eventually it’ll balance out. Looking forward to bouncing some ideas off the wonderful folks at Ars Nova when I get home. They’re insightful birds and bees and I know talking to them will be great. My friend Soce the Elemental Wizard and my friend Jessica Delfino are doing their ANT Fest ‘09. If you’re in NYC, check that shit out.
Loved the show at the Largo. Personally, I thought it was a pretty good balance between sad and funny, but then, I have nothing to compare it to. I laughed and was moved. So there ya go.
Glad the West Coast has been a positive experience all the way round for you.
~Amanda~
(aka AmandaSo)
Ah, Damien Deitz.
Dog Tags was SO bad. I HAD to watch it for work, and jeez…but Damien is such a nice guy, I hated rejecting it, but it was HORRIBLE (sorry, Damien).
Isn’t Hal Sparks the bees knees? Especially when Margaret Cho stops by. Please tell me you made out with Margaret just a little bit.