Catching Up With Comedians

Greg Hilbers joins host Rich Stein

Greg "Hilby" Hilbers a proud Oregonian and fan of comedy made his way to the Comedy Store in 1974, just two short years after it opened its doors on April 7, 1972.Although getting laughs and a strong response on his first stage performance, he headed back to Portland to develop more in his local scene but returned in 1976 to re establish his stand up career at The Comedy Store and became a paid regular within a pretty short time. He was part of that early wave of comedy pioneers who came from all parts of the country to risk it all and attempt to join what in previous generations could only be learned only in Vaudeville, burlesque, saloons and strip joints. 
Greg paid his dues at the Westwood Comedy Store and came up alongside Sam Kinison, Argus Hamilton, Dice Clay, while watching his idol Freddie Prinze lose his life! Greg was there to witness first hand Jay Leno, David Letterman, Roseanne Barr and others shoot to the Stratosphere.  Greg was happy to just be one of the comedy family and decided early on he didn't want to spend his life out on the lonesome road which had  laid claim to more than its share of bodies and souls over the years. Greg had a fine career on his own terms and worked when and where he wanted until calling it a career after 18 years. He sure has a lot of stories though and still might have a screenplay or two left in him before the last roundup is called.
Please welcome to our mic this week, Greg Hilbers

Comedienne Julie Kidd joins host Rich Stein

Julie Kidd raised three kids as a single mom, taught dance at night and started doing comedy once she re connected with her step sister Cindy Burns. They struggled for years but eventually helped form The Laff Pack and that led to co-founding The Funniest Housewives of Orange County.  It took off pretty quickly and they were soon filling up large venues for monthly shows and corporate shows all over So.Cal. and beyond.  Julie and Cindy started getting spots on The View, The Tonight Show, opening for Joan Rivers and so much more. Sadly she lost her sister and comedy partner Cindy Burns to cancer just a few years back.  Julie decided to honor Cindy's strength and vision by keeping the Funniest  Housewives brand going, bringing in some of the brightest and funniest comics from OC, LA and beyond.  Julie also wrote a book about the Funniest Housewives and it is currently being made into a documentary by Julie and her son, who is also a successful film maker/ editor.  Julie is a force of nature, she just had another book come out this week ( about: How To Write A Book ) and she has some others coming up quickly right behind. Please welcome to our microphones, the dynamic and unstoppable Julie Kidd.

Michael Jovanovski. aka JOVO joins host Rich Stein

Please welcome JOVO to the podcast today. After working as a Set Designer/ Decorator and Lead dresser behind the camera for thirty years, Jovo threw caution to the wind and took the plunge into full time acting in 2020. The first time I met Jovo was on a movie set and I could instantly tell he had the chops of an actor and a funny one at that.  The man is from Windsor Ontario, Canada for goodness sakes, so just add him to that already long list of funny Canadians.
His story reads like a Screenplay if not a documentary; first generation Canuck, middle child, parents emigrated from Macedonia and made a life for their family of five by hard work and old world values. 
Mike moved from Windsor to Vancouver at 21 to try his hand at the crew side of show biz. On this podcast he will talk of growing up, playing sports, pursuing pro hockey but ultimately the acting bug caught him.
For all his young years he worked behind the camera but with the same passion and dedication he now puts in front. In a relatively short time he has appeared in television commercials, Inde. films; he is currently shooting a feature and he has also appeared in a commercial during the Super Bowl and he has been nominated and won top awards for performances in the independent film market.  How can you not root for a guy with his passion and heart and on top of all that, he posts clips, shorts, reels and gags on social media every day. 
Ladies and Gentleman: Coming up to our mics, please welcome, JOVO 

Comic Willie Randolph joins host Rich Stein

Willie Randolph was fresh out of the air force and looking to go pre-med when he strolled into the Claremont, Ca. Laff Stop one night.  An Ohio native, his family had transplanted to San Bernadino, California and Willie had never planned to be a comic but his natural talents, charm and likability gained him quick amateur status and before long he became a dependable and sought after emcee, host and booker.  
I took no time at all for Willie to fall in love with the comedy life, night life and getting paid to tour the country with comics and friends and get paid well to do it.  He opened for Jay Leno early on at the Houston, Texas LAFF STOP and that credit served him well all the way up until he became a road headliner which wasn't too many years after he had started.
I know you will enjoy listening to Willie talk about his many appearances opening for big name singers and appearing on just about every cable comedy show that employed comics steadily through the eighties and nineties. Still the same nice, humble guy he  has always been, he discusses a few health hiccups and detours but life has brought him full circle back to Claremont with his wife and his son who is about the age now that Willie was when he started his journey.    Ladies and Gentleman, coming to the mic, it is my pleasure to introduce to you,   Willie Randolph....

Ron Coleman joins host Rich Stein

Ron Coleman started his comedy career in southern California around 1989. He found success quickly and before long he was a sought after opening and feature act on the road. Once he started working he was picked up by The Improv, Catch a Rising Star and other chain clubs and he was working week long engagements.  By the late nineties comedy had cooled off from the boom of the eighties. Ron married and moved to Las Vegas around the year 2000. Before long his family grew to four and he started his own trucking company called Ron Coleman Transport and he had a booming business working with the convention center business in and around Las Vegas. As time went on he missed his comedy days and decided to go back to it while maintaining his trucking business. Before long he had started getting enough comedy work just in Las Vegas that he and his wife decided it was time to cash in their chips, sell the trucking company and Ron returned full time to stand up comedy. Ron has been one of the best friends I ever made in comedy. He works hard and has always been a friend and support system to many up and comers and always a faithful friend from our original group which I was proud to belong to with Ron always as our "Sarge!" You couldn't meet a nicer and funnier guy who also is a fan of any comic who puts themself out there and takes that chance every night on stage.  Ladies and Gentleman:  Ron Coleman

Sam Fedele joins host Rich Stein

I first met Sam Fedele in the early nineties. I had been working the stand up circuit for at least five years but he came in with nothing but pure energy and enthusiasm. As it turns out Sam had grown up in New Jersey and after serving his country as a marine, he had married young, and started his own blueprint business.  He had grown dissatisfied with that job and with the encouragement of his wife Kim ( and a growing family of one daughter and one on the way) he jumped into stand up comedy and has never looked back for one second.  
Watching Sam perform is akin to watching a happy tiger prowling the stage as he is always in motion and is very physical sometimes leaping from the stage into the crowd or running across the stage to make a point or just have fun.
Sam started going on the road and worked the national circuit of comedy clubs.  As a former marine he eventually added the military tours to his comedy caravan working such places as Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar, Kuwait and many others to entertain the troops. 
He has additionally become a much sought after comedian working the cruise ship circuit as well as opening for Celebrities such as Ray Romano, Brad Garrett and many others. He performed alongside Brad Garrett on a very funny week of Celebrity Family Feud and Sam will be performing at Brad Garretts Comedy Club at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas at the end of July. I know you will enjoy the great spirit and fun chat I have with Sam about his great ride in stand up comedy.

Chance Langton joins host Rich Stein

Chance Langton was born and raised in Quincy Mass. Music and songwriting were his first loves and he had been writing songs and performing music as a pro when he was performing at The Troubadour in Los Angeles and one day happened to drive past the Comedy Store in the late seventies.  Doing 6-7 minutes was like a walk in the park for Chance so when he was passed by owner Mitzi Shore at his very first audition, he joined a very elite cadre of comics who were already regulars at what was the first generation of comics to turn professional after having made their bones at the very same club. Chance used his musical gifts as well as his sharp comedy material and timing to kind of switch careers. He returned to Boston, which had arguably the greatest pool of talent developing in any major city anywhere else in the country including Los Angeles and New York.  In our conversation Chance tells many stories of his journey both working with many of the greats and also what managers, agents and others did for him and how he might have done a few things differently if he had known then what he knows now.  All comics big and small have their struggles but Chance remains to this day one of not only the greatest to come out of Boston, but one of the greatest to come out of the comedy explosion of the 1980's.  I hope you enjoy listening to this great comic, musician and New Englander: Sir Chance of Langton...

Gene Hamm joins host Rich Stein

Like most Artistic youngsters, Gene never understood why his teachers always said that,
"You Can Only Do One Thing!"
Gene loved Drawing, Acting and Music, so one day he wrote them all on a piece of paper and threw them into the air and when they landed they opened up the portal for ANIMATION. 
Gene had some great mentors early on and along the way he has worked for and with everyone from Hanna Barbera, Disney, Walter Lantz, Tex Avery, Art Klokey to his own company... HAMMINATION!
In Addition to that, he taught ANIMATION for ten years passing along his artistry to the next generation of animators. Like many actors and creatives, he spent enough time at The Improv and The Comedy Store in LA, to eventually develop his own comedy routines and I for one can attest to seeing his act in Los Angeles in a theater not even six months ago and he is like a Gentle Giant morphing the one liners of Stephen Wright with the wacky style of Jonathan Winters. I know you will enjoy hearing the wisdom and wit of my guest, Gene Hamm.
 

Jaz Kaner joins host Rich Stein

Jaz Kaner was a guitar player working in clubs and bars in Hawaii and eventually even worked for Don Ho. After getting a few laughs while on stage he eventually moved to the San Francisco area to try out his musical variety / comedy act amongst the Robin Williams', Paula Poundstone's and other up and comers who made up that scene. Jaz worked for many years, in comedy clubs, colleges, and eventually cruise ships. He now makes his living as the founder and C.E.O. of BANZAI SURFING in Huntington Beach. They are a year round surfing school for children and people of all ages who enjoy the beach and want to just start out as a beginner or increase their skills at surfing. I know you will enjoy the multi talented and always funny Jaz Kaner as we ride the waves of laughter, together! SURF'S UP! 

Actor/ Comic Brad Slaight joins host Rich Stein

Brad Slaight was raised in Cedar Springs just outside of Grand Rapids Michigan. After completing two years as a high school teacher and just shy of tenure, he was asked by his older brother to join him for a life changing trip to California. He thought about it for five minutes before saying YES! 
All these years later and Brad has carved out quite a career as an actor, writer and comedian. One of those rare beings who has successfully avoided a day job because he uses many talents and trades to make his living.  The author of more than a dozen plays, he earns his royalties whenever these plays are performed on a stage. He has written for episodic television as well as acted in many shows such as Parks and Recreation and a two year turn on The Young and the Restless, where he played Izzy Adams, the Scoundrel!
As a comic he worked for years in a group called Moving Violations as well as part of a two man team with comic Buzz Belmondo. Brad continues to perform as a stand up comic as he is now in a position where he can choose the gigs he will enjoy doing.  He also has worn the hats of producer, director and editor so he sets a great example to both young and old in the business; Don't wait for the world to come to you, but rather produce the best stuff you can and get it out there for the world to see!