Catch A Rising Star

September 9, 2009

An e-mail thank you letter from my first performance for Catch a Rising Star at Broadway Comedy Club led to a guest spot for another Catch a Rising Star show at the same club. The guest spot is nice. No bringing, no barking, just a stress-free opportunity to show up and perform.

The audience was a modest twenty people, but considering I didn’t have to bring anyone, it was more than enough for the price of free.

Only three comics were participating in the competition portion of the program, which I assumed should have had more contestants, but not everyone is willing to bring.

The host, James, was a generic black guy doing some generic black guy jokes. He came across as a friendly and personable, but not the more sought out comedian adjectives of good, funny, or the creme de la crème: hilarious. Although I told him my name and how to pronounce it, he botched my introduction. I am again considering using a stage name.

Even without being part of the competition and having no friends there to impress, I was nervous. I spent half my set walking on top of the cord, unable to navigate the stage independently. I swallowed a few punchlines since I wasn’t breathing often. All in all, a disappointing performance.

Obviously, I wish I had done better. Especially because this could have been a chance for the Catch A Rising Star people to look at me as someone to call on when there are spots to be filled. But I’m starting to realize it’s a long road that is going to require something I’m not well-versed in: patience.

On the bright side, I may have the look for the part. I met a clown-by-day and comic-by-night named Sassi who runs a Friday happy hour open mic. After just meeting me she said, “well, you look funny.”

I replied that, “outside of this current circumstance, I would take that as an insult. But considering where we are, thank you.”