Last Comic Standing 2: Audition News & Updates

It’s only been a week since we last posted information about the open-call auditions for Last Comic Standing 2, but we already have enough updates to pass along to readers.

News is starting to circulate on the newsgroups and forums about the open-call held in Los Angeles on January 13. Those wanting to participate in future open-calls should be advised that the earlier you get to the club on the day of the audition, the better. Reports from some who participated have stated that lines were forming in L.A. early in the morning, with some 70 people already in line by 4 am for the 10 am auditions.

It was estimated that about 500 people came to the tryouts, and that only about 1 out of 5 got a chance to be seen, which is actually good considering the large number that turned out and the amount of time needed to introduce and perform for the judges there that day. In any event, if you want to increase your chances to be seen, and have no other route to go but to get in line, the earlier the better when heading out to the audition in your area. It should also be noted that it was L.A., so some of the other locations chosen for auditions may be a little less intense when it comes to auditioning.

Some of the names floating around as having passing the L.A. auditions and moving up are such recognizable names as Todd Glass, Pablo Francisco, Jimmy Dore, Tammy Pescatelli, Kathleen Madigan, Rick Kunkler, Cory Holcomb, Sharon Houston, Bonnie McFarlane, and Monty Hoffman. It is important to remember that the stipulations of the auditions were that contestants could not have appeared on The Tonight Show, and so comics who have made some headway into television and the club-circuits were certainly eligible (as was the case last year with such talent as Ralphie, Cory, and Rich, amongst others). Still, those of you who want a chance, but feel the pressure of running up against well-known names, remember that the winner last time was a guy name Dat Phan and not one of the “old-timers.”

By now, most of you reading already know that the open-call auditions are being done in a number of clubs around the country during the month of January. Many of you who read our report last week also know that after the auditions are done for the day, each club will be presenting a free show that night to showcase those comics that made it past the first stage of the auditions.

In relation to the free shows, we now have some additional official information pertaining to those shows. As was discovered from reviews of the January 13th free show in L.A., each show will be emceed by one of the comics from the first season of Last Comic Standing. Ralphie May hosted the shows in L.A. (with Dave Moral and Geoff Brown in the audience), and will be doing the one in Addison, TX, as well.

Furthermore, we have some additional details about times of the free shows in each city, including information on the free shows in San Francisco, Tampa and New York (which were not confirmed last week). Some of this information is the same as the last article, but updated with the newest information:

Ralphie May will be hosting the free show at The Addison Improv (4980 Beltline Rd, #250) in Addison, TX, on January 19 at 8:00 pm. For reservations click here.

Dat Phan will be hosting two free shows at The Comic Strip (1568 Second Ave, between 81st & 82nd St) in New York, New York on January 21 & 22. The time of the shows is 8:30 pm each night. More information can be found by clicking here.

Rich Vos will be hosting the free show at The Comedy Connection at Faneuil Hall (245 Quincy Market Place) in Boston, MA, on January 25 at 8:00 pm. Click here for more info.

Cory Kahaney will be hosting the free show at Zanies Comedy Showplace (2025 Eighth Ave, South) in Nashville, TN, on January 27 at 8 pm. This is an update from last week when it was unsure here at RNO if there would be a free show. You can You can check here for more details.

Dave Mordal – who is also doing some on-camera interviews with the hopefuls for NBC at many of the open-calls around the country – will be hosting the free show at Zanies Comedy Club (1548 N. Wells) in Chicago, IL on January 29 at 8pm. Click here for more info.

As for The Improv (1600 E. 8th Ave, C-112) in Tampa, FL, there will definitely be a show at 5:30 on January 29, although it has yet to be announced who the host will be. We will report when we have more details. For now, though, you can make reservations. Click here for more info on the show.

And speaking of the comics from the first season, we have a couple of updates about them that may be of interest to longtime fans:

Ralphie May has a concert DVD coming out in early February, Just Correct, and a review of the disc can be found also here. You can also order it at Amazon now.

As for Cory, Rich, & Dave, there’s a brief interview with them from the Boston Globe to help promote their January 16-17 performances at the Comedy Connection in Boston.

And Tere Joyce – a personal favorite of mine from the first season – also made an appearance this past Saturday at Fiesta De Locos IV, in San Diego, CA. Tickets were $15 & $20, with money going to charity.

In some news about the show's executive producer and host, Jay Mohr will be appearing in a three-episode arc on The West Wing this Spring as a controversial talk-show host. Will this conincide with Dat Phan's appearance on the same show also coming up this Spring? Most probably not, but it is interesting to note that both will be appearing on the show this season.

That’s all the news for now. We’ll try to be back next week with details about the San Francisco, Texas, and New York auditions and shows. Until there, as Cub Koda always said, see you at the record bins.

You can e-mail Dale about this column or his other projects at justabob@iglou.com. You can also click here to buy his book, The Urban Legends of Rock and Roll: You Never Can Tell, or any of his other books.

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