52nd City

Q/A, re: Bill Chott Presents Comedy on Parade

Tomorrow, Monday, Mad Art, 8 p.m.

Those are the details, here's the backstory.

I'm assuming the writer's strike has affected you. How much and how much of that has brought this show into being?

Firstly, I was very happy to see the silver lining to the cloud of the Writer's Strike. I have a lot of projects that I'm looking to getting back to once the strike is over. For example, Bob Odenkirk and Eric Hoffman from Mr. Show are developing a funny throwback to the Red Skelton show and I have a pretty big part in that. We put on a live version of the show over Christmas, which was the only time I had been in LA since the strike.

Also on hold is a project I'm hoping to develop with NationalBanana.com a new website from Jerry Zucker who produced Naked Gun and Airplane!

In the meantime, my comedy school The Improv Trick has really grown. Because I've been in St. Louis full time for the strike, I've been here for some great comedy events. Improv for the Christmas Jam, and Burlesque shows at Atomic Cowboy! My improv students are getting a lot of work doing shows and corporate events, and I've been teaching communication skills to area businesses and groups of speakers.

This project is a direct result of all the great comedy I see when I'm in town. I wanted to bring that comedy to one place where people who are going to "get it" can enjoy it together. Hopefully soon there will be a way to let people know about the great independent acts in town. 'Til then you can come out to Mad Art for the first ever series of Comedy on Parade.

How do you balance out the talent from week-to-week, in terms of having a variety pack of performers?

This show is going to be a different show each week. One week we'll have stand up and improv. Other nights we'll have sketch and solo performers, comedy poets, physical comedians. The talent is all there. Thanks to alternative publications like yours, and Sauce and KDHX, people are getting to know about the great scene that's there. I'm just hoping I can see all the great acts in town so I can put them up on my stage and know that they're the very Best of St. Louis. So, to balance it I just put the best together in the best order I know how. That's just something you learn putting up shows in Chicago, NY, and LA.

Who are some of your favorite stand-up performers in St. Louis?

I've known Josh Arnold for a while and he just steps up there with this cool that puts an audience at ease and ready to laugh. I'm so glad he could be a part of the first night. You know that's a loaded question to ask anyone hosting a night of comedy right? Now if I forget one name, I'm screwed! We comics have a very brittle ego. Have you seen Searching for Comedy in the Muslim World?

To what degree with your Improv Trick students be involved in the shows?

To a really big degree. They'll be the only constant in the show. Everything else will be changing... every show will feature IT. I'm really proud that students who have been studying with me for under two years will have a wide showcase for their talent. Some of my students were responsible for an award winning film, "A (Anonymous)" and we'll be selling those DVD's there all three nights.

Each week will feature the talents of Improv Trick improvisers like George Malich, John Stumpf, Michael Fitzgerald, Steven Vance, Adrienne Lamping and more guests. Feb. 25th will feature an opening act made up of some of my students, some guests and then even more longform improv from The Improv Trick.

Can you tell us about the notion of "alternative" comedy, in a world in which that phrase is often bastardized?

If comedy were permitted to be punk, that's what "alternative"comedy would be. It's surprising; it's not jokes about airline food and New York versus LA. If you're often watching comedy and you think to yourself.... "wait, didn't I hear this before?" Then you're awake enough to really appreciate this show.

This show isn't just for people who "like to laugh," it's for real comedy nerds.