There are so many different styles of comedy and each one has their own, at least the ones that stand out. You have the standard monologues that stand with a microphone and use words to create their mood, musical-type acts that use instruments or sing and have musical accompaniment, prop acts that use visual aids to make the crowd laugh, and improvisational acts that they do comedy The cuff are all great in their respective ways and I won’t begin to categorize each and every style here. I’ll just go through a lot of theater comics and say why they’re my favorite and then try to put them in a top 10 list. There may even be some here that you’ve never heard of…yet! But that doesn’t mean they’re not incredibly fun. It simply means that they are not a household name. There are thousands of great comedians performing all the time on the world stage that have yet to be discovered and just because you are great, it does not exclude that you are a star.
So here we go: robin williams is an excellent example of comedy that has no limits. Lots of energy and uninhibited with a flair for the dramatic and a good percentage of improvisation. jerry seinfield he is a monologist who uses very well-crafted words and sentences in observations on topics that everyone can relate to. Nothing comes out of his mouth that he hasn’t carefully thought out beforehand. richard prior he was unique when it came to standing up. You never knew what he was going to say, but you knew for a fact that he was going to say it in his irreverent style and you were going to laugh your ass off! Jorge Carlin it’s the best of both worlds. He is a monologist, a wordsmith and his facial expressions are to die for. He is very lively in his approach and you can’t help but get caught up in the show. Brian Regan it also fits the same monology style with goofy animated facial expressions. His material is very relatable and makes him one of the most enjoyable acts working on the circuit today. howie mandel is one of the best ad libers in the business today. His wit and charm are perfect and when he first appeared on the scene in the late 70’s he would sometimes work on props to add to the experience. the amazing jonathan, like Howie, uses the audience to create a “no two shows are the same” atmosphere. He uses props as aids and does magic in a unique way. steven wright It has a classic style. He uses well thought out and creative observational humor and expresses it all in a very deadpan and deliberate way with his own perspective on things. I remember working with Steve at the old Improv in New York. He was about to continue and he seemed very introspective and I asked him if he was okay. He looked up and in his low-key voice he said, “I’m very hyperactive.” he kills me bill cosby He is the classical narrator. No one can deliver them like he does. The best thing is that no matter how long the story is, you never get bored of listening to it. Great style and many have been influenced by it over the years. Victor Borge He was definitely a master musical comedian. He started out as a classical pianist, who later became a consumer comedian. Known as ‘The Great Dane’, he surely was and is terribly missed. Otto and George is a Triple X-rated ventriloquist who is very dirty and hysterically funny. He is one of a kind and an act that I love to watch when I am out and about to go to a show. He makes me laugh laughing. You never know what Otto will make George say. Sam Kinison he was a comedian with a very irreverent style like Pryor was.
You never knew what he was going to rant about, but you knew he was going to attack it with full force. A great stage character, loud and funny. jay leno he is a fantastic monologuist. He also doesn’t go by what he sees on The Tonight Show because that’s written material that has to be put together quickly by a team of writers all the time. Go see his show live and you will see the real Jay Leno. Like Seinfeld, it uses carefully crafted words to build a very visual image for the audience to imagine. Abbott and Costello they were one of the best comedy teams of all time. As I’ve mentioned in other articles, they had the unique ability to blend cerebral material and slapstick as one and present it in one of the funniest presentations you’ll ever see. don rickels he is a great comedian who works with crowds and uses the audience for his humor.
It breaks all stereotypes and barriers and makes people realize that in the end we are all the same. And even though his on-stage character may seem insulting in a comedic way, you know that at his core he is a sweet, genuine and very nice man. He is all of those things. Martin and Louis we were a great comedy team that mixed slapstick with music. Dean had a great warm and loving personality on stage and Jerry was the hyper wild kid who could do anything for a laugh. They were the sight to see in the 50’s and well worth any price of admission. For my honorable mentions I would love to list Steve Martin, Jack Benny, Henny Youngman, Jim Carrey, Monty Python, Burns & Allen, Red Skelton, Bob Nelson, Eddie Murphy, Dom Irerra, Richard Jeni, Bob Hope, Pudgie, Buddy Hackett, Pat Cooper, Danny Kaye, Woody Allen , Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner, Jackie Mason, Jeff Dunham, The Great Ballantine, Lisa Lampanelli, Rosie O’Donnell, Senor Wences, Foster Brooks, George Wallace, Lewis Black, Bobby Collins, Burns & Schreiber, Phyllis Diller, Patti Rosborough, Greg Hahn, Alan Stephen, Dennis Blair, Carrot Top, Pee Wee Herman (Paul Reubens), Jackie Vernon, Charlie Callas, Larry David, Nick Di Paolo, Denis Leary and Allen & Rossi. So here we go: My Top 10 Favorite Stage Comedians List
1. Abbot and Costello
2. Martin and Lewis
3. Robin Williams
4. Otto and George
5. Richard Pryor
6. Jorge Carlin
7. Bill Cosby
8. Howie Mandel
9. The Incredible Jonathan
10. Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno and Brian Regan (tied for 10th) That’s it for my shortlist. Trust me, that was hard for me. Being a comedian for so long, it’s obvious that I’ve been heavily influenced by the genre and there are so many acts that I’ve loved to watch in my life. For me, listing them all would take too long. If you have any favorites that I haven’t mentioned, please let me know because I may have missed some. Once again, thanks for reading, from THE TORNADO COMEDY!!