LATEST NEWS:
My Debut at the Atlantic Theatre Company This past October, I was featured in Ice Cream (Anti-)Social, an evening of one-act plays, including pieces by Christopher Durang, Mary Gallagher, and Howard Korder, presented by the Conservatory Class of 2010 of the Alantic Acting School, at Atlantic Stage 2 in New York.
New York comedy... in Montreal!
On August 20, 21, and 22, 2009, I premiered The Manhattan Comedy Project, a new live comedy show, at the Theatre Ste. Catherine in Montreal, Canada. I hosted, and the show featured comedians Paul Case, Shawn Hollenbach, Leah Dubie, and cult muscial sensation Wendy Ho. Plus Quebec chanteuse Celine Dion, who recently announced her latest pregnancy, dropped by too! We got some great media coverage and had four jam-packed shows. Future dates and locations are in the works for 2010, so check out the show's website (www.manhattancomedyproject.com) for more information and to find out if the The Manhattan Comedy Project is coming to a city near you some time soon!
Fashion Can Be a B%$#!
In May 2009, I taped a pilot for a new dramatic series entitled Green Room, which takes you behind the scenes at a bustling NYC fashion sales agency. I play Phillip, the irascible and eccentric fashion publicist. Our pilot has was chosen as an "Official Selection" in the Independent Pilot Competition of the 2009 New York Television Festival. (So look out Ugly Betty!) Viewing events took place fromlate September 2009 in Midtown Manhattan. (Click here for pics.) For more details, visit www.nytvf.com. And you can watch the trailer here:
Here She Comes, Miss International
On May 31, 2009, while I was out in L.A. living la vida California for a month, I was fortunate enough to be asked to take part in a live, one-night-only comedy extravaganza at the famous Acme Comedy Theatre, crowning the new Miss International Princess! (I was not the winner.) I was playing Zachary Z., "world-reknowned" celebrity stylist (to huge stars like Morgan Fairchild, Joyce DeWitt, and Charro), and I got to commment on each of the contestant's evening wear. Among Zachary's choice catch-phrases were: "Zantastic!"; "Z-plus!" and "Girl, in that outfit, I wanna ZEX you up!" (Please, please--hold your applause! I'm blushing, already.)
The show was hosted by comedian, actor, and author Paul Ryan, who recently appeared on Desperate Housewives as Bruce (the guy with the scary facelift--check out the hilarious clip here).
I'm on the far right, holding a flower-print, draw-string bag--in a very masculine way, naturally--standing next to Paul Ryan, who in real life is SO not as scary looking as Bruce from "Desperate Housewives."
It was truly an awesome night! The show was sold out, and we got a huge response from the audience.
I also got to schmooze with the celebrity judges, including Estelle Harris, who played George Costanza's mother on Seinfeld (among other famous cranky old yentas).
And yes, Estelle Harris is that old and cranky in real life.
I'm on here! TV
Check out a clip of my stand-up set right here--on here! TV's Hot Gay Comics. (For the entire set, check your local listings.)
Celine Has A Message about the Beijing Games On August 22, 2008, Celine stopped by the studios of here! TV to offer a special message of hope to that little Chinese girl who wasn't allowed to perform the theme song of the Beijing Games' opening ceremony because she was "not cute enough." Here is a clip from the 08.22.08 podcast of here! TV's Busted:
"The Money Minute"--Episode One
Here is the first installment in a series of comedy shorts that I am writing and producing, which poke fun at the "financial advice" segments that you see all the time on cable news and public television. Enjoy. (And leave me comments, youtubers!)
"Working Magic"--My Latest Collaboration With the Midas Touch Folks
This new short film, a satirical comedy with a fantastical twist, was the Midas Touch Media entry into the 2007 National Film Challenge. We filmed it over the weekend of October 20-21, 2007. I play Rob the Bubblewrap Inflator. (Dude!) Click here to watch it.
"Two Coins" Takes 2nd Prize at the Visa "Life Takes" Invitational Film Competition As a member of Team Midas, one of the winning New York teams in the 2007 48 Hour Film Project this summer, I was invited back in September for our team's production of "Two Coins," our entry in the Visa "Life Takes" Invitational, a nation-wide competition that brought together the top 10 teams from 3 cities across the country--New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. On September 29, 2007, a screening and awards ceremony was held in San Francisco, and "Two Coins" took 2nd prize, earning its producer, Midas Touch Media, a $5,000 cash prize! For more on the 2007 Visa "Life Takes" Invitational, click here; and to watch the short, click here. (I play "Death." Surprisingly, very little makeup was required.)
My here! TV Podcast Interview My good buddy, the insanely talented (not to mention, very cute) comedian/multi-media guru, Dave Rubin, is doing a very entertaining (yet informative) podcast for here! TV these days called Hot Gay Comics. You can download his interview of me by clicking here.
My Canadian Television Debut
It's official folks--I'm a finalist on The Second City's Next Comedy Legend,airing every Tuesday at 9 PM (Eastern time) this summer on CBC Television. (That's the "Canadian Broadcasting Corporation" for my American friends and fans, and, no, you don't get that on Time Warner cable.) I was one of 8 contestants chosen from 4 different cities across Canada--Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax, and Toronto--to compete for a contract with the Second City. (I believe I was the only gay, Jewish lawyer from Montreal/New York in Halifax that week, although it is a very cosmopolitan city, so you never know.) It was so hard keeping it a secret all these months--I took that confidentiality agreement very seriously--but I can finally tell the world! I'm a Next Comedy Legend finalist, and I'm not going to hide it anymore! ["I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross plays in background. And fade out.] Seriously though, I have been a fan of the Second City since I was about 11 years old, so to be a part of this show was literally a dream come true. If you're in Canada, tune in every Tuesday at 9 to find out what happens. If you're not in Canada, you're probably paying lower taxes (the good news), but you won't be able to watch the show live (the bad news), so just check the website (www.nextcomedylegend.com) on Wednesday mornings for the highlights. In the meantime, to whet your appetite, you can see a youtube clip with the best moments from Episode 2 by clicking here.
My New Short Film In June 2007, I was part of the cast of an independent short film entitled Stacked Deck, a cross between a film noir and a western, with a decidedly modern twist. The film was an entry in the 48 Hour Film Project, an international competition whose rules required that the entire film--including writing, shooting, and editing--be completed in under 48 hours. (It's amazing what you can accomplish when you just cut out sleep altogether.) You can view the short by clicking here.
Update: On July 11, 2007, it was announced that Stacked Deck was selected as one of the top films of the 2007 NYC 48 Hour Film Competition! Click here for more information. Yet Another Update: On Sunday, July 15, 2007, a screening and awards ceremony for the New York region's top 10 "48 Hour" films was held at the Two Boots Theater, in Manhattan's East Village, where Stacked Deck took the titles of Runner-Up for both "Best Editing" and "Best Director" categories! Congrats to Team Midas (and a special shout-out to our director, Mike Wickham)!
New Video Clips! I just figured out how to upload video clips to youtube.com. (Wow, welcome to the year 2005, Robert! Next thing you know, I'll be using the Google!) Anyhoo, click here to see clips from my March 2, 2007 set at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto and my January 28, 2007 "Celine Dion" show at Mo Pitkin's in New York City.
I Was a Part of The Best Party Ever! I decided stand-up comedy just wasn't enough for me. So for the entire month of February 2007, I joined the cast of a little show entitled The Best Party Ever, an original off-off-Broadway comedy at the Richmond Shepard Theater (306 East 26th Street, just east of Second Avenue). It's all about the crazy things that happen at keg parties and office parties! (In other words, the show's about sex.) It was an awesome experience, and I can't wait to do more theater!
Celine at Mo Pitkin's! On Sunday, January 28, 2007, "Celine Dion"--fresh from her 4-year, sold-out run at her own 4,000-seat auditorium in Vegas--presented a "wonderful, magical evening of song and laughter" called All the Way, For the Children! The show was "televised" live around the world, right from the little television studio also known as the Upstairs Lounge at Mo Pitkin's. To see video clips of the show, click here.
This Space is MySpace... I finally caved in and got me one of them new-fangled myspace pages. (All right, they're not even that new-fangled anymore, but whatevs!) Check out my myspace page by clicking here, and please add me as a friend. (I find those "adds" really help with the "low self-esteem" issue!)
Looks Like I Can't Get A Date--on T.V.! On Wednesday, June 28, 2006, my episode of the VH-1/Logo series, Can't Get A Date (yes, that is the title), premiered on the Logo network. We celebrated my television debut at the Gotham Comedy Club, where I hosted a very special live comedy show featuring Jessica Kirson, Amy Stiller, Ophira Einserberg, and the sketch comedy of Quasi. You can visit the Can't Get A Date webpage on the Logo Online website by clicking here; you can also have a look at my "bio" on the show's webpage by clicking here. To see when the show will be re-broadcast, click here and scroll down to the bottom of the screen. And to hear an interview I did on CBC Radio, which contains clips of the Gotham show, click here.
My New Blog
I have a real blog now, which you can leave comments on, and everything! (The format I was using for my "Ramblings" page was starting to look a little farkakte, compared with the fancy blogspots the kids are using these days. Plus I just realized that my web host service actually allows you to have a real blog. So now I do.) But not to worry -- all the old stuff can still be found on my "Old Ramblings" subpage.
Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh--A la Radio! On Sunday, March 26, 2006, I was interviewed on Radio-Canada (the major French-language radio broadcaster in Canada). Check out their profile of me on the show's website.
