Do you feel good when you laugh? Do you walk away from having a good belly laugh feeling light on your feet? I find it to be therapeutic to watch or listen to comedy whenever I'm feeling down. Have you ever wondered when Stand-Up Comedy became popular and where it originated? We watch specials on Comedy Central or go to local live shows but its always interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes or to know more about it. If you are in the Orlando, Florida area, you can head to The Improv on International drive May 2nd and 9th for two Stand- Up Comedy shows. The shows are filled with local talent and are bound to bring belly laughs.
If you were to put a definition on Stand Up Comedy it would be comedy that generally is delivered by a solo performer speaking directly to the audience in some semblance of a spontaneous manner. According to The Britannica Encyclopedia, Stand Up Comedy, in it's known form today, originated in the United States. Some of the original comic lecturers (Comedians) included Mark Twain and Frank Fay. It started off as a solo act then it got honed to a group act where they feed off of each other. A great example of a solo act is Robin Williams. "Saturday Night Live" is a great example of a group act that feeds off each other.
Carmen Vallone is the teacher behind the shows on May 2nd and 9th at The Improv. One of his students is one of my close friends and she feels like his class has expanded her horizons. Learning stand up comedy is no joke. There is a set of guidelines that one should follow in order to be successful in this business. His class follows the book "The Comedy Bible" by Judy Carter. After following his class, you will learn that there are different joke styles and there is more structure then you think. The cool part is that he helps you with your jokes but allows you to have your own joke style.
You take an idea then you build upon it to form a joke. Its like telling a story because you have to have a beginning middle and end with a point that you are trying to make. Talking with my dear friend about her class brought me more knowledge about the stand up comedy scene.
A stand up comedy show is something we never consider when wanting to go on a date because we always focus on dinner and a movie scenario. I mean if you want to get to know someone, take them to a comedy show. You'll find out what makes them laugh and you'll see if you can handle their sense of humor. Carmen Vallone likes to compare a comedy show to a movie; "a movie can be either great or bad but you would never know unless you go see it."
If you ever struggle with figuring out a date night, why not go see a comedy show. If you are in the Orlando area in early May, I would go to The Improv on International drive for a show on the 2nd and 9th. When you see a stand up comedy show, you should think about the history and the work that was put into this genre of entertainment. There are classes you can take to hone your talent or just to gain confidence to come out of your shell.