Chic Galleria » comedy

Vote for NYC’s Hottest Young Talent on April 12

Denise Tong — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 22:17:31 +0000

Singers, dancers, musicians, rappers, and comedians will bring out their best at You Got Talent 2, a fundraiser for the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF). Audience voting will determine the top three acts and all proceeds from ticket sales will help Asian American families in New York City.

Host: Comedian Air Tabigue
Judges: Singer/musician Taiyo Na, singer/songwriter Baiyu, and last year’s winner Caroline Tseng
DJ: VNA

Circle Nightclub
135 West 41st Street (btwn 6th/Bway), New York, NY
6:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m.

Grab pre-sale tickets for $20 or pay $25 at the door.

An Evening with Gilbert Gottfried at 92Y Tribeca, March 23

Denise Tong — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 10:26:04 +0000

92Y Tribeca’s Friday Night Dinner series will host comedian Gilbert Gottfried on Friday, March 23 at 7:00 p.m. Gottfried will join Rabbi-in-Residence Dan Ain to discuss his career and his new book Rubber Balls and Liquor.

Visit the event page for details and to snag tickets before they sell out.

SNL is Back

Austin Anderson — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:23:47 +0000

As I watched Saturday Night Live at a buddy’s house last weekend, I couldn’t help but think one thing: SNL is back! This year SNL celebrates its 35^th anniversary and in my opinion, this year’s cast is in the prime to take their place alongside SNL legends. Generations have grown up with different “All Star” casts. There were the original years with John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and Chevy Chase who were among the cast that literally started it all. Then there was that great cast of the mid 80’s to early 90’s with Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, and Chris Farley who brought a new sort of humor that was unheard and unseen before. Most recently there was the cast of the mid 90’s to the early millennium with classic characters by members like Will Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon, and Molly Shannon. With recent retirees like Daryl Hammond and Tina Fey, who still make cameo appearances, and current cast members which include Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg who are already becoming household names, this group has rekindled that swagger we all know and love about Saturday Night Live.

While generally being a well known and liked show, SNL has been plagued with clusters of years, usually about 3 or 4, with a relatively unknown cast and comparable lack of success with viewers. With 20/20 hindsight, these have been seen as transitional years, where one great group of cast members say goodbye and a new group of faces emerge to take their place. And what makes this cast great is simple: they are enjoyable to watch. One thing that has made SNL so popular is reoccurring characters by the cast and with current characters such as MacGruber, a parody of MacGyver, and Penelope, the one-upper, the current cast has maintained that popular attraction. Another genre that has become synonymous with SNL is impersonations, which the cast’s talent of shined during last year’s presidential campaign. So one thing is for certain, this years cast does not lack the talent that made previous SNL casts great.

SNL has been known for launching the careers of numerous successful movie stars, however, today’s cast have somewhat turned that scenario on its head. Members such as Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, and Kristen Wiig have appeared in a number of modern day films, bringing big screen success back to the small screen. Even cast member Kenan Thompson had previous success before joining SNL, having stared in shows on Nickelodeon. In addition, the cast is not the only part of the show that has improved over the past few years. More popular hosts and musical guests have been appearing, due to the successful public image of appearing on the show lately. Recent hosts and musical guests such as Justin Timberlake, Jack Black, and Beyoncé are all potential candidates to join the likes of Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, Christopher Walken, and Tom Hanks in the famous Five-Timers Club. This has brought a new sense of camaraderie between the show and pop culture that audiences love.

While this season’s success will depend on a couple other key elements, such as the writers, the cast will undoubtedly bring us plenty of laughs and memorable moments that will add to immense amount we already know and love from Saturday Night Live.

Austin Anderson is the Co-founder of Chic Galleria Publications, LLC and Anderson Public Relations. While a current student at the University of Oklahoma, majoring in Advertising in the Gaylord College of Journalism & Mass Communication, Austin has his finger on the pulse of how young people view the world today. Austin is a member of the student run advertising and public relations agency, Lindsey+Asp.

Photo via www.nbc.com

Colorful Dating Experiences Captured in Book

Editor — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:01:00 +0000

Christa Banister is a full-time freelancer writer, specializing in music, movies and books-related reviews and interviews and is the author of two novels, Around the World in 80 Dates and Blessed Are the Meddlers.

Christa, can you share a little bit about yourself and how you got started?

Well, ever since I was five years old, I’ve loved to write and dream up stories. In fact, my Mom always says I was an easy kid to please because all I needed were paper, pens, crayons and plenty of books to be happy. And when you grow up in a small town (Ladysmith, Wisconsin is my one stop-light hometown of just 3,900 people), books and stories were the best way to escape to all the places you’ve dreamed of traveling to. So that, along with my love of Judy Blume’s books like Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Superfudge, helped pave the way toward my future career path.

Then armed with my journalism degree after four years of college in Minneapolis, Minn., I packed up whatever fit in my trusty Buick Century and moved to Nashville, Tenn., in hopes of working at my favorite music magazine, CCM. And after a year and a half of unpaid internships and a slew of odd jobs, I was hired and stayed on staff as a critic, columnist and editor for 5 1/2 years. Then around the same time I was about to get married, I decided that a change in professional life would be a good thing, too. So I launched my own freelance writing business three and a half years ago and write everything from movie reviews to magazine features. Then after a dare from a good friend of mine, I pursued one of my biggest dreams a good ten years before I expected to and began writing the novel that eventually became Around the World in 80 Dates, which released in October 2007. My book deal required that I also write the sequel in the same year, so I wrote Blessed Are the Meddlers shortly after, which released in August 2008.

Where do you draw inspiration for your work?

As the old saying goes, “art imitates life,” and that’s where I got the bulk of my inspiration for my novels. The friend who dared me to write the novels did so because I had such colorful dating experiences before I met my hubby. So that, combined with a good dose of imagination, is what colors the inspiration. For movie reviews and some of my other writing, pop culture plays a big part there.

Describe your books and favorite experience with your profession?

I like to describe my books as romantic comedies in book form with a side order of sarcasm. I hate predictability, so I like to mix things up a little.

As far as my favorite experiences in my profession, it was traveling across the pond to London for a CCM Magazine article. I’d always dreamt of going to London, and it was amazing to do so right before Christmas on the company’s dime. Not only did I get to explore the city all by myself, but the interview was with one of my favorite bands, Delirious.

What are your plans for the future?

I’m currently working on my third novel, the last in the “Sydney Alexander” series. I’m also working on a fourth novel that’s definitely a different style, so I’m excited about that as well. And in the meantime, I’ll just keep writing for magazines and websites–a great life, that’s for sure!

For more information, including her upcoming book signings and sample
chapters of her novels, check out her Website at
www.christabanister.com.

Based in St. Paul, Minn., she also weighs in on various aspects of pop
culture on her personal blog at
http://christabanister.typepad.com/heythereitschrista.

Jazz, Comedy and Cartoons

Editor — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:01:00 +0000

Cartoonist, radio show host and writer are just a few ways to describe Bob Cochran. This man wears many hats; check out his bowler!

Bob, can you share a little bit about yourself and how you got started?

I started cartooning in high school by putting out my own weekly zines when the school paper turned down my material. I continued them for a few years afterward until the postage got too expensive.

I started doing radio at the Wilkes University station, WCLH. I did a Reggae show, a Jazz show and an Avant Rock show that featured stuff like Captain Beefheart, John Cale, etc.

I also did some production work at WVIA-FM, the Wilkes-Barre-Scranton NPR station before moving to Maine in the late ’90′s.

What are your current projects?

I’m working on several things at the moment. Trying to put together a book of cartoons and short humorous stories similar to what’s posted on my MySpace pages.

I also do cartoons for a new sports humor site, sportsmansdaily.com, recently launched by Tom Alexander, a friend from my PA days. I provide illustrations for an Austrian magazine, “Concerto,” as well.

I’m always on the lookout for freelance cartooning and humorous illustration work, too. I recently did up a cartoon for the Teaologist’s MySpace page.

My weekly radio show features newer artists, many from small labels or self-releasers. I like to feature Jazz artists from outside the US that listeners may not get to hear otherwise as well.

I also do a occasional Women in Jazz shows that feature not only singers and pianists, but all-women big bands, bassists, baritone sax players, drummers, etc. I decided to do thing while talking to a young female Jazz fan who loved the baritone sax but was being discouraged from taking up the instrument because she was a girl. I don’t believe anyone’s dreams should be limited simply because they don’t have a Y chromosome.

Can you tell me more about your radio station and it’s audience?

I’m Jazz Director at WMPG. The station is a hybrid college/community station. We’re located on the University of Southern Maine’s Portland Campus. We receive some operation funds from them, but the bulk of the money comes from listeners in the community.

We have an incredible variety of programs from Vietnamese and Cambodian to Indie Rock, Celtic, Jazz, Rockabilly, Ska, Reggae and live sound collages.

Our listening audience is pretty diverse as well. The radio signal covers about a 30-mile radius. We also broadcast online at WMPG. org. We’ve received e-mails from New Zealand to Ireland.

What are your future plans?

More of the same to the point that I make enough of a living at it to give up day jobs.

Visit Bob Cochran on his MySpace page and www.wmpg.org. Portland, Maine