Comedian Kaitlin McCarthy Gets 'Subjective'

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Mike Epps will bring his Funny As Ish Comedy Tour to the Miller High Life Theatre on Saturday, March 9.

Sometimes a venue can dictate the kind of event hosted there. Or so was the case for Kaitlin McCarthy's showcase for presenting comedy as art, “Subjective.”

Anyone not already convinced that comedy is art might not be reading this column. They also might not have experienced such artistry at “Subjective's” home base of Var Gallery (643 S. 2nd St). McCartney, an associate of Milwaukee Comedy and stand-up herself, made something that may have already been special into something even more distinct. Of “Subjective's” origin, she explains, "The show that was originally being produced at Var Gallery was a regular stand-up showcase. When the person hosting and producing this original show decided to step down, my producing partner and I wanted to change things up a bit. We had this beautiful venue, Var Gallery. The comics are surrounded by fantastic art. We are firm believers that stand-up comedy is an artform, so why not present it as such?"

The participating comedians’ artistry isn’t only contextualized by the presence of paintings and sculptures and such, but declaration and audience interaction. As explained on Milwaukee Comedy’s website: “Each comic on display will prepare an artist statement and at the close of the show, we’ll take questions and critiques from the audience.” As for how that mission manifests itself live, McCartney offers, “As the host of ‘Subjective,’ I introduce the show and its concept. Then I warm up the crowd for about 10 minutes. I read each comic’s statement as their introduction. Then at the end of the show after all the comics have performed, I have them come back up on stage for the Q and A.”

And that’s where things can get really serious, or even really goofy. McCartney continues, “Just like the artist statements, the questions can be silly or serious, related to the jokes they’ve just heard or simply, ‘How do you feel about cats?’ An actual question that’s been asked. We usually end up having a really great discussion about comedy and it gives the audience a bit more insight into the world of a working comedian.”

If comedy is often the outworking of personal issues of those performing it, Subjective offers a forum for funny people to vent the stuff of life that fuels their schtick, however discomfiting the discussion of that stuff may be for the performers and their audience. Says McCartney, “To my knowledge, we haven’t had any tears at Subjective… but there are definitely some huge moments of vulnerability in the comics’ statements: deaths of loved ones, divorces, mental illness, poverty, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and more, have all been alluded to. The comics I have on the show come from all backgrounds and lifestyles, so they all have different reasons for getting into comedy.

“But any sort of art form requires vulnerability. When a person expresses themselves in any creative way, whether it’s painting or making music or telling jokes on stage, they’re making themselves vulnerable to the audience. It could go spectacularly well or horribly bad. Or somewhere in the middle. That’s the risk you take when you create art. You’re submitting yourself and your work for critique. And that’s why I named the show ‘Subjective.’ The comedy you see on stage and the artwork you see on the walls are being presented for your subjective critique.” And the only requirements for comedians to be subject to ‘Subjective’? “They must be funny, which is a pretty standard requirement for comedy shows,” she says, adding, “and they have to be cool with having a homework assignment: the artist statement.”

McCartney encourages those thinking themselves funny and transparent enough to play ‘Subjective’ to submit a clip of their work and some information about themselves to booking@milwaukeecomedy.com. “If we like what we see,” McCartney promises, “we’ll do our best to get you on one of our stages.”

The next Subjective is Friday March 8 at 8 p.m. and takes place the second Friday of every month. As for Milwaukee Comedy and other local promoters staging shows in unusual locations like Var Gallery, McCarthy says, “We don’t have the stand-up comedy clubs any more so Milwaukee Comedy and other independent producers are really pushing forward and stepping up to produce amazing shows, not only to give comics here a stage, but also to bring great shows to the people of Milwaukee. The Milwaukee scene is more homegrown than others.”

Courtesy of director Cristina Ossers, here’s a clip of some of what attendees can expect at ‘Subjective.’

Mike Epps’ Funny As Ish Comedy Tour Comes to the Miller High Life Theatre

Saturday, March 9, Mike Epps headlines a bill of five African American stand-ups on the Funny As Ish Comedy Tour for 8 and 11:30 p.m. shows at The Miller High Life Theatre. Further down the bill there's Lavell Crawford, whose varied resume is as roughly colorful as his onstage presence is animated.

Dropping 120 or so pounds from his frame a couple years ago counts as an estimable personal achievement for Crawford, but he's been racking up accolades as a comic and actor since he was a regular on BET's “ComicView” in the '90s. Coming in second on the 2007 season of “Last Comic Standing” blew up his career to an even wider audience. It led to opportunities such as the Comedy Central special, “Can A Brother Get Some Love?” and roles including bodyguard Huell Babineaux in “Breaking Bad” and its sequel, “Better Call Saul,” as well as the angry dad in the video for hip-hopper J-Kwon's one real hit, 2004's "Tipsy." Comedically, he's often at his best when he revels in the roots he came up from to being the success he is today.

In the clip below Crawford confesses to being a momma's boy and contrasts his own childhood deference to his maternal parent with the less respectful audacity exhibited by a white school chum.

Karah Minelli is Late Night Milwaukee

How cool would it be were individual cities to have their own post-evening TV news, comedy-anchored talk shows, like those running from the lineage of Steve Allen to Jimmy Fallon? Local ComedySportz improvisor Karah Minelli is at the helm of what may be the next best thing to such a program with the latest edition of her brainchild, Late Night Milwaukee.

Minelli explains, "We are a live talk show that takes place in the ComedySportz main stage theatre (420 S. 1st St.). Our next show is on Thursday, March 21 at 9 p.m. Of the humorous element to her unique enterprise, she says, "The show starts off with a monologue given by me, as any talk-show would, and during the monologue there are a number of topical jokes about the current events in Milwaukee and about the show." After the monologue, she and keyboard-playing musical director/fellow improvisor Michael Kittleson sing a song of their own composition. Of the previous show's number, Minelli enthuses, "In our last show, which was the holiday show, we did 'Grandma Got Ran Over By The Streetcar,' which was absolutely a blast."

As for what follows after the opening merriment, "Throughout the interviews, I try to let the guest speak and not worry about being funny because comedy in those moments finds (itself) naturally. And Kittelson is always ready on the keys to add-in little songs which always gets a laugh. In previous shows we have done sketch-like interviews, which tend to be a little on the ridiculous side. Always hilarious though."

Of Late Night Milwaukee's third episode playing later this month, she makes a distinction, though "This upcoming show is a little different because of the line-up of guests, I want to give them as much time to promote and perform. Our theme for this show is the Music of Milwaukee, so I will be interviewing and having performances by Radio Milwaukee’s Music Artist of the Year 2018 Amanda Huff, Lex Allen, soul/pop artist and songwriter who is part of Backline MKE and rapper Shle Berry. We also will be having our entire show styled by the vintage store in Bay View, Plume. They are also going to be doing a little pop-up shop before and after the show!"

Alas, very little of the past five months' previous two installments got onto any kind of video, but this time, "We are still finalizing the details but I will most likely be having some UWM students film it and edit it. I chose this option because I would like to give those who are in school more opportunities."

For lack of any representative clips of a previous Late Night, here's Minelli in a brief play that was part of director Patrick Schmitz's Sketch 22 event this past January. Minelli shows her face at around the 1:07 mark: