Laughs Comedy Spot at Totem Lake in Kirkland has upped the ante on funny.
The comedy club will feature one of the hottest new comedians, Whitney Cummings starting tomorrow night, and welcomes former Saturday Night Live cast member and long-time comedian Kevin Nealon, next weekend.
For Nealon, who will be at Laughs March 12-13, it is the second time in two years in Kirkland.
“The audiences up there are particularly good,” said Nealon. “Very well read and smart.”
He says that many comedians these days are falling into one style and make a big mistake by not trying to stand out.
“I always believe in being original and unique,” said Nealon. “I try to pick topics other comics don’t.”
Nealon, 56, currently stars on the HBO comedy “Weeds” as Doug Wilson, but is best known for his 13 years on Saturday Night Live. Some of Nealon’s most famous characters were Mr. Subliminal, Hans and Franz and Mr. No Depth Perception.
Nealon said that he shies away from doing his characters during stand up to do more current material, with one exception, Mr. Subliminal, which he did prior to SNL.
He was also the anchor of Weekend Update for three seasons, with a sign-off of “That’s news to me.” But coming up with that one line was maybe the hardest part of SNL.
“I didn’t have one for the first week and I was beating my head into the wall,” said Nealon. “I finally got it one night in bed.”
Nealon received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Sacred Heart University.
“It helped me to figure out what I wanted to do with my life,” said Nealon. “It gave me time to play intramural table tennis.”
Like many comedians coming up in the 1980s, Nealon got his big break doing his stand-up act on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, first appearing in 1984.
“It was really the highlight of my career,” said Nealon. “As a stand up it is like the bar exam for a lawyer. I have never had a natural high like that.”
Nealon, who wrote a book last year, “Yes, You’re Pregnant, But What About Me?” is also starring in the animated TV show, “Glenn Martin DDS,” which is on Nick at Nite.
Nealon also tries to keep up with up-and-coming comedians like Cummings.
“We follow each other on Twitter,” said Nealon.
And while Nealon has been to the top of the stand-up mountain, Cummings has just found her Sherpa – Joan Rivers.
One of the biggest nights in the life of the young comedian’s career came during the Comedy Central roast of Joan Rivers. As a virtual unknown, Cummings brought down the house with her jokes at the expense of the comedy icon. But it was River’s reaction that meant the most to Cummings.
“She said to me ‘this roast for you was like Johhny Carson for me,’ and I started crying,” said Cummings, who will be at Laughs until Saturday.
The 26-year-old’s list of accomplishments is impressive. Cummings was named by “Entertainment Weekly” and “Variety” as one of the hottest young comedians in the nation.
“It is a total honor because they are completely different types of publications,” said Cummings.
With just five years in stand up, she has already released a CD “Emotional Ninja,” this past year.
“It takes a long time to build an hour worth of material,” said Cummings, who was also in the movie, “Maid of Honor.”
Cummings has been on the Tonight Show but said that her big moment came on the Howard Stern show.
“The next day I had people recognizing me and I gained 14,000 Facebook requests,” she said.
Cummings biggest break on TV came on the show Punked.
“There were over 300 people there for the tryout,” said Cummings, who got out of line and was grabbed by show officials. “They wanted me cause I wasn’t someone who liked to be on camera.”
But she might be best known for her time on the E! Network’s show Chelsea Lately, where she is a contributor to the comedy round table.
