Stand Up For The Girls this past Wednesday was amazing. I need to thank everyone that was there but first of all, I want to tell you about one of the most courageous things I witnessed at the show.
Lorraine is not a professional comic by trade but she had stand up comedy on her bucket list. She always wanted to give cracking jokes a whirl so she contacted me a few months ago. We worked together a little bit but the majority of the credit goes to Lorraine.
BE PREPARED
My biggest piece of advice to her was ‘ be prepared!’ The nerves are going to hit you BIG time when you hit that stage for your premier appearance so KNOW what you are going to say. Automatic pilot is the only thing that you can rely on. I always remember Joan Rivers talking about ‘automatic pilot’ in her early comedy days when the gigs were mostly strip clubs. Yes, the last thing men want to see on stage is a woman standing on stage TELLING jokes. I told Lorraine the story and I told her if Joan Rivers could get through it, she could get through it.
THREE MINUTES
I called Lorraine a couple of weeks before Stand Up For The Girls and asked her if she would like to do three minutes as an ‘opening act’.
I figured three minutes was more than enough time for her to get her feet wet. There were a bunch of her co-workers coming down so I thought at least, she would have support in the audience. What I didn’t know is that Lorraine didn’t tell them that she was performing.
What Lorraine didn’t know is that her sister flew down from Atlanta just to see her do three minutes.
THE PRESSURE
Lorraine looked a little nervous before the show started and she quietly waited upstairs with the rest of us hardened comedy vets. You think that ALONE would have scared her. But nope..Lorraine was determined to check ‘stand up comedy’ off of her bucket list.
The show started, I warmed up the crowd and I introduced Lorraine. I told the audience about Lorraine’s ‘ list ‘ because I thought it was symbolic of what Stand Up For The Girls represented…the healing power of comedy and the importance of never putting things off.
SHOWTIME
Lorraine took the stage. She launched into her first joke. I waited. The audience roared with laughter. She had them eating out of her hand. She was smart, unique, confident, prepared and most important, funny! Congratulations Lorraine. It was a great way to kick off our show.
THANK YOU
I would like to thank Mark Breslin, Jeff Silverman, Sam Duva and Piero Suppa for lending us Yuk Yuk’s that night.
I would like thank the staff at Yuks including; Fred Mundy, Fatima, Jessica, Ryan, Vivian and the gang who made the evening so smooth.
I would like thank Katherine Craig- a former manager of Yuks who was so supportive of this event in past years but sadly and suddenly lost her own battle to cancer. I know she was laughing with us Wednesday night.
I would like to thank Leigh Jasmine and Ellen Des Rues at CBCF for their commitment and hard work in making Stand Up For The Girls 2012 possible.
I would like to thank volunteers; Katie, Brenda, Sue and Ann for selling tickets and pink poodles! Woohoo.
I would like to thank all my friends in the media who helped me spread the word. You guys and gals are the bomb!
I would like to thank the comedy talents of; Lorraine Van Zon, Anna Gustafson, Martha Chaves, Jen Grant and Evan Carter. Evan was our token male and shout out to Movember- hey, we are all in this together. Sadly, Lisa Gay Tremblay couldn’t make our event due to a family emergency but all is well now and we will have her back next year!
I would like to thank all my family and friends and folks who took the time out of their busy, busy schedules to make it down to Stand Up For The Girls 2012. I am so blessed in my life.
Finally, I would like to dedicate Stand Up For The Girls to all the brave men and women who have been effected by breast cancer. You are not alone. You were especially, in our hearts and souls Wednesday night.
I would like to make Stand Up For The Girls a national event one day so if you would like us to come to your city or you would like to inquire about sponsorship, drop me a line because that’s what I would really like to check off on my bucket list.
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