POSTED: Friday, February 11, 2011, 8:00 PM
Natasha Leggero, known for her hosting duties on Last Comic Standing and as a regular round table guest on Chelsea Lately, plays Helium Comedy Club tonight (Feb. 11) and tomorrow (Feb. 12) at 8 and 10 p.m. Our comic
connoisseur Ryan Carey had a little chat with her before she hopped the plane to fly into town.
City Paper: Are you excited to leave sunny L.A. for the frozen tundra of Center City Philadelphia?
Natasha Leggero: I actually performed not too long ago at a couples-only retreat in the Pocono's. It was a
Comedians of Chelsea Lately show. What I soon came to realize is that couples only retreat equals "swingers". So after the show I stayed in my hotel room with the door locked.
CP: What gig made you realize, "It's on ... time to quit the day job"?
NL: Quitting your day job, that just sorta happens. You're almost driven in a way that you're not in control of. You have to be committed, "okay every night, five nights a week for the next ten years I'm gonna get up and potentially humiliate myself in front of a crowd full of strangers." If you think about it too much you won't do it. I've had some amazing shows and I've had some terrible shows throughout the years. I performed at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting in the back of a thrift store in Anaheim, you have these out of body experiences where you realize, "What am I doing, do I really need attention this bad ... you just kinda hope that you're being guided by something bigger than neglect from your parents."
CP: Is that something you're speaking about from personal experience?
NL: No, not at all. I would say that there are a lot of funny people and you see a lot of hilarious improvisers that come from really great homes. But I think that's something that makes a stand-up comedian a lot of time, they didn't get enough love from at least one of their parents, which is what drives them to stand-up.
CP: What can you tell me about that N.A. meeting gig? That sounds pretty crazy ...
NL: Heroin addicts need to laugh, too! They're really great crowds. I perform at halfway houses, where people are earning their rights to have free time out of prison. When you have a life as a stand-up, you're constantly being asked to do crazy shows — in laundromats or a bar full of sailors — I used to perform every Sunday at 4:30 p.m at an ice cream parlor. That's the life, especially in L.A. because there aren't a ton of clubs, people just make up shows. If you're serious about it then you go do them.
CP: How has Chelsea [Handler] helped your career?
NL: Chelsea has helped me a lot — and a lot of comedians. For example, I'm finding a lot of girls come up to me after a show, and they'll say it's their first time at a comedy club. In the past, I think the comedy club regulars were a bit on the conservative side. They just wanna laugh, they don't wanna think. When I first started stand-up, I'd have to make random plumbers laugh on their night off. Now it's better because you're getting your demographic of young, hip cool people coming out who want you to challenge what's happening in society, it's a new type of audience.
CP: Was Reno 911 an all-business atmosphere, or what?
NL: Not at all, Tom Lennon and Ben Garant ... some of my favorite things I've done have been with them. They're amazing improvisers. When you work with amazing improvisers, YOU become much more funny. They open you up for hilarious jokes, you're less self-conscious, I've done two pilots with those guys.
CP: What do you think about the podcast world? Things got a little awkward when you went on WTF with Marc Maron.
NL: Marc's podcast always gets awkward, we all know him so he likes to give into it, which is, i think, why his podcast is so great. I have a podcast called
The Lavender Hour. It's a salon-style super show that I do with my writing partner Duncan Trussel. I have guests like Tim Heidecker, Chris Hardwick, Dave Willis from
Aquateen Hunger Force, Reggie Watts ... We delve into some deep issues.
CP: Did you enjoy judging Last Comic Standing?
NL: Last Comic Standing was an amazing experience for me. You really can't ask for anything more than spending days with Greg Giraldo (R.I.P.) and Andy Kindler having belly laughs all day long. The benefits far outweigh the negatives (which were, like, a few people I knew from when I was an open miker had to get rejected).
CP: Any broad generalizations about the current political climate?
NL: I think it's interesting that Sarah Palin has a reality show, and she's talking about running for president. Donald Trump's another one, has a reality show and he's thinking about running for president. I think they're gonna turn the presidency into a reality show. Tonight on The Presidency. Who will be eliminated tonight, North Korea or Iran? Text in your vote ...
For a comprehensive list of other stand-up gigs happening in Philly, check our online Comedy listings. Giggle!
