Shawn Hansen's Comedy Corner with Tom Green

Shawn Hansen's Comedy Corner with Tom Green

Acting in the movies Freddy Got Fingered, Road Trip, Bob the Butler, Stealing Harvard, and many more, Tom Green started his career on a Canadian access television program in 1994.

Performing with a variety of dif- ferent celebrities, Green said he had the most fun working with Rip Torn, Harland Williams, Jason Lee, Cameron Diaz, and Sean William Scott.

Hosting a current talk show on the Internet from his house, Green has been on tour since this past January, and will be coming to The Wilbur Theatre at 246 Tremont Street in Boston on Friday, Sept. 10 at 7 p.m.

“I’m excited to be coming to Bos- ton,” said Green. “I’ve been to Boston once in my life. I loved it, and I think it’s one of these things where I re- ally felt like I haven’t been to Boston enough to be honest with you.”

Traveling all over the United States on tour, Green feels like it’s an amazing theater to perform at.

“I have had a few friends that have performed there recently who tell me it’s the best place to perform in the country. Rob Schneider, and Norman MacDonald told me about it, and I’m excited about that, and it’s going to be a great show.”

Starting his own television show at Community Television in Ottawa from 1994-1999, Green said it prepared him- self for the big stage.

“A few years later, we were on the

Canadian Comedy Network, which was an actual paid cable show that I was working for that we got picked up by for two seasons,” said Green, explain- ing that it eventually was picked up by Music Television [MTV] in New York.

With his show airing on MTV for a number of years, Green played a lot of pranks on his parents. He said some of his favorite stunts pulled were leav- ing a decapitated cows head in their bed, painting their house plaid, and airbrushing their car with an explicit design, just so he could videotape their

reactions.

Although all these stunts were

pulled, Green said his parents never actually called the police on him. His father’s name is Richard, and his mother’s name is Mary Jane. Green said, “Sometimes I tell my mother that she should open up a marijuana dispensary. Mary Jane Green’s I think would be a very popular spot.”

On his talk show that can be seen by going to www.tomgreen.com, Green will rap with the artists he has on that day.

“I’ve had Flavor Flav, and Xzibit, Jurassic Five, Too Short, and I rap with them on my show, and it’s pretty cool,” said Green.

Other then having rap artists on his show, Green has interviewed Ed McMahon on more then one occasion, Jimmy Kimmel, and Val Kilmer. His influences of starting a talk show on television have been David Letterman, Jay Leno, Johnny Carson, Talk TV, Monty Python, and Saturday Night Live [SNL].

“Since I started my public access show, I got to host SNL, I got to host the David Letterman show,” said Green, explaining that he was one of the very few people in the world that got to guest host that show.

“Right now I’m doing it weekly cause I’m on tour,” said Green, explain- ing that anyone can watch his shows online. You can go there anytime, 24-hours a day, we’re on the air.”

Green said his online show has an estimated 2.5 million viewers per show. He feels if people come out to his show, they will enjoy it, especially if they liked his work on MTV.

“It’s a very high energy, silly, ridicu- lous, thought provoking fun show,” said Green. “I’d like to attack things around me in my own life, and pop culture in the news.”

After the show, Green is going to have a meet and greet where pictures will be taken.

He will be at The Wilbur Theatre on Sept. 10, and the Comedy Connection in Chicopee on Sept. 11.

Shawn Hansen's Comedy Corner with Mitch Fatel

Shawn Hansen's Comedy Corner with Mitch Fatel

Performing on stage for the first time at the age of 15, comedian Mitch Fatel reflects about his early career in the en- tertainment industry. He reminisces about dressing up in Incredible Hulk pajamas, telling everyone in the crowd he had to leave early because he has school in the morning.

On Sept. 11, Fatel will be coming to The Wilbur Theatre at 246 Tremont Street in Boston, and will be performing there for the first time since last year.

Appearing for the first time in front of an audience, Fatel was at the Comic Strip, and felt it was unique to have a young kid on stage.

“It was a really excited moment for me to go on stage, and I was always very nervous, but the audience was very happy to see a young kid try something new,” said Fatel.

When his comedy club teacher booked the gig at the Holiday Inn, Fatel hit the stage for his first time performing in front of a bunch of businessmen during happy hour.

“I started getting booed, and said, ‘One day you guys are going to be sorry you’re booing me because I’m going to be famous, and you’re going to have to pay to see me,” said Fatel.

Born in Manhattan, raised in Yonkers, NY, Fatel feels he didn’t move to Los An- geles because he loves his home state.

“I’m such an East coast fan,” said Fatel. “I feel so comfy here, and I was always able to make a living in comedy

not having to live in L.A., so I kind of set down roots here. I probably should be out in L.A., but I just can’t leave New York, I just love it so much.”

Even though 35-year old Fatel first took the stage at the age of 15, he doesn’t consider being a comedian for 20 years.

“I always have a problem with anybody saying that they are something, and they don’t make a living at it,” said Fatel. “I always thought that it’s so easy for people to say there a comic just because they have been on stage. I say, no that’s not what you do, you’re not a comic. In my mind, I never considered myself a comic until I was making a living at it.”

Fatel said that people, who want to be comedians, shouldn’t consider themselves to be in the industry until they make it big.

“I always took pride in that, and never considered myself a comedian until I got my first paycheck ever, and started paying the bills. I was a waiter for many years, and then in 1996, I went to the Montreal Comedy Festival, and I got a $150K holding deal with Disney, and went from someone who is making $350 a week to somebody who suddenly has a check for $150K. I think that’s when I finally con- sidered myself a comedian.”

In Fatel’s shows, he starts off say- ing his name, and that he is very funny. Reflecting on his teenage years, Fatel remembers going to a comedy show with his parents, and hearing someone reading off a list of names. ‘Hey everybody, how’s everybody doing, how’s everybody feel- ing, you having a good time?’ I thought to myself, I’ve seen that so many times, and I thought how different and unique, and

weird would it be if a guy just walked up and said, ‘Hi, I’m very funny,”’ said Fatel.

On stage, he will talk about hobbies, and topics that are clean so everybody can bring their parents.

Recently, Fatel had an audition for a Doritos radio commercial.

“I should be able to get it because I do actually really love Doritos, so I didn’t have to act like I was faking it,” said Fatel. “It’s just so crunchy.”

For more information about Fatel, go to http://www.mitchfatel.com/. He will be at the Comedy Connection in Chicopee on Sept. 10, and The Wilbur Theatre on Sept. 11.

Shawn Hansen's Comedy Corner with Artie Januario.

Shawn Hansen's Comedy Corner with Artie Januario.

In the summer, there are many things to do down the Cape, but did anyone think about the Comedy Lounge?

This entire summer at the Radisson ho- tel, the only comedy club in town is back having shows every Saturday night.

On July 24, Alvin David, Mike Whit- man, Ira Proctor, and Artie Januario tore the stage up in front of a room packed of comedy fans.

David, the host of the night talked about being in the air force when he was younger, and had people laughing, and said, ‘Okay, one more,” for the people that didn’t get the jokes. That was a great segway to set up his next line, and make the audience think of what is going on.

“We had a lot of fun tonight,” said David. “We had myself, and Michael Whitman, and Artie Januario, with a little Ira Proctor. It was a good crowd. It was a little lean off the top, but we got through it, and we made it happen. Everybody had a good time.”

Performing at the Comedy Lounge about four times a year, David said Whit- man is one of the funniest comedians he has met in his entire life.

“Artie killed it tonight, and you had Ira doing a guest spot, which is just great for everybody.”

If there were three comedians perform- ing that night, Whitman would have been the middler, but since there was four, I guess he was known to be second place?

With a story telling act, Whitman was talking about being at work, and having to take five harassment classes last year. He joked, “How long is it too long to stare? We’ll never know.”

Chuckling a few times at the end of each joke, Whitman brought up a bit about email e-greets. He laughed, “Happy Birthday different font, Michael R. Whit- man. Times New Roman, that’s just what I wanted. I hated last years Courier New.”

After the show, Whitman said the audi- ence was, “Pretty tight. It felt like I had to start them up every time, but they come. They look like they had a good time.”

Performing in Hyannis for 5 years, Whitman feels it’s good when performing with friends.

“Alvin’s great, and Ira stops by as a na- tional headliner for a guest spot, and Artie takes you home,” said Whitman.

Every Thursday at Remington’s res- taurant, he hosts his own show at Dick Doherty’s Comedy Vault in Boston.

Januario said, “Tonight’s show was an excellent. We had about 100 people, which is close to the capacity, and I was happy about that because it’s always good to perform in front of a full room.

Performing down the Cape as opposed to on the other side of the bridge, Januario said he feels people are more laid back here.

“If you’re down here on the Cape as opposed to the greater Boston area, it’s harder to do local references. When I mentioned Revere Beach, very few people knew what I was talking about, because there’s people here from New York, Connecticut, or I don’t know where they’re from, but they don’t know some of the local stuff. You can do big stuff like Red Sox, or Patriots because people know that. Then again, you might alienate people because there might be New York Giants fans here, or Yankees fans here.”

When Januario went on stage, along with the other comedians, the crowd responded well. Everyone seemed to go bonkers when he talked about being a pharmacist, growing up in Revere Beach with needles in the sand, and his family.

Proctor, who made a guest appearance, was taping a bit for Comedy Central. He had a hilarious bit about Dunkin Donuts saying, “For now on we have a bathtub outside, we’re going to fill it with regular coffee.” With that said, he finished with talking about having an easy pass on the side of the building, and a coffee cup outside driving by at 60 miles per hour, swooping up the drink.

Catching up with Proctor after the show, he said he has to send three min- utes of film to Comedy Central. “I have a special two night weekend on Labor Day,” said Proctor, explaining that people should come back to the Comedy Lounge.

For more information about the Com- edy Lounge, go to http://www.comedylounge.com/.

The set of Shawn Hansen's Comedy Corner

Bob Seibel decked out in Shawn Hansen's Comedy Corner paraphernalia.

Interviewing Bob Seibel on the first TV Show of Shawn Hansen's Comedy Corner.

Bill Burr talks about being in the comedy industry.