A.d.d. Comedy With Dave Razowsky

We salute Michael Gellman by reissuing the 2014 “ADD Comedy with Dave Razowsky” interview we had in Chicago. Michael has moved to Canada after working for years at Chicago’s Second City. At SC Michael was a performer, then a director and a well-respected teacher. throughout Chicago. Michael is as close to a mentor as I have, and I wish him great success! 

Today’s guest on ADD Comedy with Dave Razowsky is Beth Kligerman, Director of Talent and Talent Development at Chicago’s Second City. She’s been with the Second City for over 20 years and has nurtured some of Second City’s finest actors including Keegan-Michael Key, T.J. Miller, and Jason Sudekis. She’s also been on over 60 cruises, and if you’re auditioning for her would love for you to have a mischievous twinkle in your eye! Recorded at Chicago’s Second City.

Today’s guest on ADD Comedy with Dave Razowsky is Lily Vonnegut. Lily is an good friend, and this candid, at times foul, conversation with the funny, brash voice-over artist is hilarious. Lily voices Brittnay Matthews, Mikayla Van Buren, and Judith Dinsmore in the 90 million (!) viewed YouTube series (that’s NEVER safe for work), “The Most Popular Girls in School.” (I play the alcoholic Mrs. Van Buren!) Lily is the daughter of writer Kurt Vonnegut and photojournalist and author Jill Krementz. Lily’s a blast!

Today on ADD Comedy with Dave Razowsky, we’re re-releasing our interview with screenwriter Kay Cannon to celebrate the release of her film, “Pitch Perfect 2,” the sequel to her wildly successful "Pitch Perfect." Kay, a writer on “30 Rock," is so smart and funny and honest and inspiring, that it’s no wonder that her first film made over $60 million dollars domestically. We talk about “Pitch Perfect’s” journey to inception, Rebel Wilson’s kindness (which lead to her being cast), and Kay’s part in "30 Rock’s" most expensive joke. Recorded at the LA Scripted Comedy Festival at iO West in Los Angeles. Thanks to James Grace and crew!

On ADD Comedy with Dave Razowsky, we’re re-releasing our Scott Lowell interview to celebrate Scott Lowell! Scott was on Broadway in “The Elephant Man,” starring Bradley Cooper, which was just nominated for four, count ‘em, four Tony awards, and is heading to LONDON! Aside from this great accomplishment, Scott has been on “Bones," "American Dad!,” “Heroes,” “CSI,” and played Ted Schmidt in the groundbreaking Showtime series “Queer as Folk.” Congrats, Scott!

Today’s guest on ADD Comedy with Dave Razowsky is Lance Kinsey. Lance is a Second City alum who’s been in five "Police Academy" movies, "Loaded Weapon," and was a consultant on "Whose Line is it, Anyway?" Lance is making the film fest circuit promoting “All Stars,” the film he wrote, produced, and directed. We talked about what it means to be on set for the first time, the creative process, our love for the Second City family, and working with, and stalking, celebrities. Lance was one of the first folks I ever saw on a Second City stage, and he remains one of my favorites.  

Today’s guest on “ADD Comedy with Dave Razowsky,” is actor Ptolemy Slocum. Yeah, he’s been in “The Wire,” “Looking,” “Veep,” “The Sopranos,” and more. Yeah, he’s running the new school at The Nerdist here in LA. But prior to this podcast he and I never met nor talked, yet through this chat I discovered a kindred improv spirit! Ptolemy talks about conquering fear, the power in not following the improv rules, and the best storage for your stuff is, well, at the store. I’ve never had a podchat like this.

Paul Stroili’s our guest today on “ADD Comedy with Dave Razowsky." I know Paul from the theatre world in Chicago. Paul’s done an extensive amount of TV work, but he also wrote and starred in the film “The Beating,” which has been well received at nearly a dozen film fests. Paul was nominated for an Ovation Award for “Best Solo Performance” for “Paul Stroili’s Straight Up with a Twist,” which enjoyed over 1400 performances nationwide. Our podchat covered Actors Equity’s 99-seat ruling, creating from adversity, and answers the question “How is it that improv is like pizza and blow jobs?”. Yep, it’s covered. 

Today’s guests are Deb Lacusta and Dan Castellaneta. I’ve known Deb and Dan since the early ‘80s, when I was cast in a play Deb and Dan wrote for Chicago's Bailiwick Theatre. Improvisationally Deb’s performed with the great Spolin Players, and The Second City Alumni Jam. She’s written for “The Simpsons,” “The Tracy Ullman Show,” and co-wrote and performed in “Deb & Dan’s Show,” with her collaborator, acting partner and husband Dan Castellaneta, of “The Simpsons” fame. I remember watching Dan perform at Second City etc., and felt so lucky when we could all play together out here in LA. We spoke about process, ambition, taking risks, and some great people we’ve worked with. We recorded our interview at The Fanatic Salon in LA’s westside. This is a good one.

ADD Comedy with Dave Razowsky celebrates Brian Stack. After years writing for Conan, Brian moves back to NYC to write for...Late Night with Stephen Colbert! We couldn't be happier, so we're re-releasing Dave's interview with Brian. Congrats, Mr. Stack and family. You're good, sir.

Today’s guest on “ADD Comedy” is Jeffrey Nicholas Brown. You’ve seen him. guaranteed. In HBO’s “True Blood” he played Sookie’s dad, he’s been on “Modern Family,” “Arrested Development,” and he’s currently a series regular on Nickelodeon’s “Henry Danger.” You probably didn’t recognize him as one of the blue guys in The Blue Man Group. Yep. He’s one of them. He’s positive, enlightened, funny. In other words, the perfect ADD Comedy guest.

Today’s guest on “ADD Comedy with Dave Razowsky” is Adrian Wenner. Adrian’s an actor, a writer, a producer, and a really fun person to have a podchat with. He produced and wrote on  “Whitney,” “Mad Love,” “My Boys” (working with his wife and the show’s Executive Producer--and ADD Podcast guest--Betsy Thomas!). He’s been seen on “My Boys,” “Becker,” “Scrubs,” but what I love about Adrian Wenner is what a great improviser he is. Great thing about this podcast? Adrian learns something about his family that prior to our interview he never knew! It’s a good one. 

Today’s guest on “ADD Comedy with Dave Razowsky” is James Thomas Bailey. James is the Artistic Director of the CSz Los Angeles and ComedySportz, the longest running show in the history of Los Angeles (26 years).  He has also produced and directed many other hit improvisational theatre productions, including Chickspeare, now in its fifth season.  Dave worked with James on TV’s “Kwik Witz.” Who could ever forget that? 

Today’s guest on “ADD Comedy with Dave Razowsky” is Kevin McGeehan. Kevin is an alum of The Second City National Touring Company, an improvisor, and the creator and host of “Funny Cuz It’s True” (a live spoken word show and a podcast hosted by Kevin). On “The Moth,” Kevin told the heartbreaking and inspiring story about a party he threw for his mother final month alive. This episode is quite inspiring.

Betsy Thomas is our guest on “ADD Comedy with Dave Razowsky.” Betsy knows comedy. She’s been behind a score of shows that have made you laugh and made you wanna hang out with the characters she’s helped create. She’s a writer, a producer and a director. She was the executive producer and creator of My Boys, the exec producer of Bad Judge, co-executive producer of Guys with Kids, exec producer of Whitney. This is another good one!

Pete Hulne is our “ADD Comedy with Dave Razowsky” guest! Pete’s a member of the great improv group “Beer Shark Mice,” and he’s been on “Brooklyn 9-9,” “The Middle,” “American Body Shop,” “Anchorman,” “Elf,” and “The Office.”

Dave Lewman is a playwright and an author who has written for Nickelodeon,  Disney, MTV, Drawn Together  on The Cartoon Network, and Third Rock from the Sun, Mel Brooks’s Spaceballs: The Animated Series. Dave’s the author of 87 books (!), and has written 71 Spongebob comics.

Ithamar Enriquez is an alum of The Second City, and has been seen on “Key and Peele,” “Arrested Development,” “The Office,” and "Jimmy Kimmel Live!”. Ithamar is running his hit show “Ithamar Has Nothing to Say” at The Second City Hollywood Saturday nights at 8pm through April 25th.

In honor of the releasing of the book “Improvisation at the Speed of Life: The TJ and Dave Book,” ADD Comedy with Dave Razowsky and Ian Foley" is re-releasing the podcast interview we did with the legendary improv duo at the Detroit Improv Festival a couple of years back. Pam Victor contributed to the book, which is described as an "in-depth look at the techniques, principles, theory and ideas behind what they do is both authoritative and entertaining.” This book’s available at bookstores and at Amazon.

Rob Riley is an alum of The Second City, a Joseph Jefferson Award-nominated actor, and a former writer on Saturday Night Live. Rob’s been in “Groundhog Day,” “Chicago Fire,” the 2010 version of “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” and co-wrote, directed and performed in the legendary show “Wild Men!” at Chicago’s Body Politic and The West Side in New York. Rob has performed at The Goodman Theatre, Victory Gardens, Chicago Shakespeare, Northlight, and Steppenwolf Theatre Company.