comedy

A year ago, Trevor Noah did not have an easy job ahead of him.  The South African comedian was just starting work replacing a television icon as the host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.”  For many loyalists of the satirical news show, the Daily Show and its former host, Jon Stewart, were inextricably linked.  And the reviews have invariably made comparisons between the styles of the two men.

Lake Effect is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and to celebrate we're bringing back some of our favorite interviews from that first year on air.

On the first day of Lake Effect 10 years ago, producer Bonnie North chatted with comedian Tommy Chong. Chong was in town to perform in a limited run of the Marijuanalogues, and had recently published his book, The I Chong, in which he reflects on his time in prison. 

The 11th annual Milwaukee Comedy Festival kicks off tonight at Lakefront Brewery, and this year’s headliner is stand-up comedian and best-selling author, Jen Kirkman. 

These could be said to be both the best and the worst of times for political comedy and for stand-up Hari Kondabolu, the worst has never felt closer to home. He's received more contentious reaction to his jokes and opinions on social media now than ever before and says he's witnessing a turning point in the U.S. political landscape.

Comedian Lisa Lampanelli is known as the "Queen of Mean,” but if you think that’s all she is, then you’re in for a big surprise.

No one is safe when this insult comic hits the stage, but when the lights go down and she's back to normal life, Lampanelli says it makes her "cringe" when she hears someone use a racial slur.  

"Offstage is a whole different story. You know, I'm very careful with language and things like that just because in my gut, I'm a different person than I am on stage," she says. 

"We're just two brothers that are on stage, having a lot of fun," says Chad Orr of Two Brothers, One Mind. "We're going to show you something that's pretty neat, and you're going to have fun with us - enjoy the ride."

While comedy and magic may not seem like the most natural combination, brothers Chad and Jeff Orr have created a unique show by doing just that.  Together, they are known as Two Brothers, One Mind, and have developed an act that blends comedy, mental magic, and audience participation. 

It's hard to catch comedian Paula Poundstone at rest. In addition to her semi-regular gig as a panelist on the NPR news quiz, Wait! Wait! Don’t Tell Me!, Poundstone is also a working stand-up comic who tours pretty incessantly.

Stewart Huff has been on the standup comedy circuit for the past 15 years. In that time he’s performed in comedy clubs nationally and internationally, including the Improv in Los Angeles and New York, and he’s been part of the HBO Las Vegas Festival, where his act can be viewed on pay-per-view. He also has three comedy CDs to his credit, including the latest, Stewart Huff, Probably.

Jen Kirkman is all over the place.  And we mean that in a good way.  The comedian has a popular Netflix special, called “I’m Gonna Die Alone,” and a book on the New York Times bestseller list, called I Can Barely Take Care of Myself. 

With a multitude of talents and accomplishments under her belt, Kirkman doesn't find the validation of different mediums necessary to feel successful. However, she does stress the importance of just sharing who she is with her audience.

Later tonight, on Comedy Central, is the finale of John Stewart’s run as host of “The Daily Show,” the iconic sort-of news show.  Lake Effect essayist Tom Matthews is going to miss it, which he expressed through his essay:

It was one of the tens of thousands of lines that Jon Stewart delivered during his 16 years on "The Daily Show." It was December 2004, and more and more Americans were demanding that the Bush administration get us out of Iraq.

In Milwaukee, it's easy to get overwhelmed when choosing which summer festivals to attend. The Milwaukee Comedy Festival is celebrating "Ten Years of Funny!" August 6-8 .

Billed as Wisconsin's largest comedy event, the annual festival features performers from across the United States and Canada, and takes place at the Next Act Theatre, and for the first time at the Historic Turner Hall.

David Letterman retired earlier this week after more than 30-years as a late night TV talk show host. Leading up to this week, many of the stories about Letterman's career pointed to his skill at deconstructing the very concept he was a part of.

For those of us old enough to remember him, Sid Caesar was the king of live television in the 1950s. In Your Show of Shows Caesar all but defined the sketch comedy TV show. He also surrounded himself with a bevy of equally brilliant writers, many of whom who would go on to great things on their own: people like Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Larry Gelbart, and Neil Simon.

Recently, Milwaukee Comedy's Matt Kemple and WUWM's Rachel Owens had the pleasure of sitting down, chatting and laughing with comedian Johnny Beehner. Beehner is from Milwaukee and has been working on perfecting his craft since his College years. He found himself spending most of his Thursday nights doing stand-up at The Safe House restaurant downtown.

On his Twitter page, W. Kamau Bell says “I tell jokes, but I’m not kidding.”  Known by many as a political comedian, Bell is best known for his critically acclaimed, but short-lived FX comedy series Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, for which Chris Rock was the Executive Producer.