We saw Craig Robinson the other night at the improv in Orlando. He’s the dude from the office and he played a keyboard the entire performance while singing in jabs and jokes to the audience. (He used to be a school music teacher) Comedians are always nastier in person, but I thought he was fairly similar to how he plays roles on TV. I was thoroughly entertained, but no political jokes whatsoever. Smart dude.
He’s been in some funny shows. Big guest role on Brooklyn 99, Killing It, and I’m the only one who liked the one season of Ghosted.
Saw him give a very impromptu performance at a restaurant in New Orleans during Jazz Fest (just happened to be there when it started and he just performed for everybody that was there- no tickets). It was pretty entertaining and very much made up on the spot.
Stand-up comedy has got to be the toughest gig. A guy up there with guitar just needs something good - the song, his voice or his guitar ... A comedian has to be funny. That's it.
I have always been impressed by the intelligence of stand up comics. Some have been crazy, some have been drug addict but none of them have been stupid.
I'll one up you. In stand-up at least you have material planned. Imagine getting up on stage in front of hundreds of people with no material at all and having to make them laugh. Improv.
The hardest I ever laughed at a comedian was Rodney Dangerfield at the Tupperware Center in Kissimmee. It was around the time the Mary Lou Retton how's your love life commercials were on TV. Some heckler in the crowd yelled out, Hey Rodney how's your love life. Rodney pointed to the guys wife and yelled back "Ask you're wife". I thought the guy was going to charge the stage.
