David Mann Brings Comedy, Gospel and Soul to Milwaukee

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Photo courtesy Tillymann Entertainment

David Mann

For David Mann, stand-up comedy was the invention whose mother was keeping people from getting fidgety.

As the man known for acting in various Tyler Perry productions, singing soul gospel and adult R&B with his wife, Tamela, and other activities at the cross-section of entertainment and ministry explains how he wound up adding “comic” to his resume. “I accidentally backed into stand-up. I was doing a couple of events and would be asked to stretch the time and to keep going, so I started developing more and more material for each event. And that’s how I landed in stand-up comedy.” 

Comedy is now Mann's main thing on stage, but it didn’t start out that way. “Acting is my first love. I discovered that years ago by really acting, and it was acting up in class,” he says. “My mom used to say, ‘You don’t get paid to act a fool, so go up to that school and do what they say do.’ Fast forward years later, guess what I get paid to do,” he recalls, with the proviso, “Now I would prefer stand-up.” 

Mann will practice his preference headlining the Laugh Your Ash Off Comedy Show 7:30 p.m. Friday Oct. 22 at Unity Gospel House of Prayer (1747 N. 12th St.). He may be playing a church, but that doesn't mean his act is only for regular pew-fillers.

Black Church Experience

“A lot of my stuff does come from the black church experience, but a lot of my comedy-whether it's about love, marriage, family-comes from a point of view that everyone can identify with,” he says. “I deal with being an empty nester, childhood bullying, a lot of different issues that everyone can relate to. I try to keep it relatable, so my comedy can reach everyone.”

Get him on the right topic regarding his fellow saints though, and he is apt to borrow a line made famous by fellow comedian Larry The Cable Guy. “I know this may sound weird when I say this, but some of the funniest stuff happens in the church at black funerals,” he explains. “I know nobody wants to admit it, but it is hilarious when somebody actually reaches in a casket and says, ‘Take me, take me.’ I don’t care who you are, that’s funny!” With episodes such as that and other shtick he shares about his spiritual extended family, it should come as no surprise when Mann claims, “Church really developed me as a comedian.” 

Mann’s blood relation, as viewers of cable’s TV One channel may know, have joined his comical character as stars of their own reality show, “The Manns.” He assures viewers it is closer to his family’s life than some series in the same genre are about their subjects.       

“Most, if not all. of the stuff that we filmed is authentically who we are. I would say about 98% is really us and what was captured on film is what would have happened regardless of the cameras being there. The cameras happened to be there capturing our experience rather than us creating an experience for the cameras,” Mann asserts. “The laughter, the drama is who we are as a family.” As for the present, he and Mrs. Mann have scripted projects about which he’s excited to see be released, too. One finds him playing playing against his jovial type. 

More Medea

“Soul Santa will be out at the end of year. In this movie there is no comedy from me, and, ironically, Tamela and I played a divorced couple. Her character had her life together, and my character was a little wild and out there,” he says. “I play a Black Santa Claus in the movie, and I was just proud to accept the challenge of a serious role.” The other upcoming movie for the Manns treads more familiar territory for folks who have come to know the couple from their association with Perry and the character that built his reputation as a playwright, actor and filmmaker. About the forthcoming Madea’s Homecoming, Mann simply exclaims, “All I can say about it is laugh, laugh, laugh! It’s going to be crazy, and that’s all I can say about it!”

His enthusiasm extends to proclaiming the usefulness of his comedy and encouraging lovers of the laughable arts to check him, including his fine singing voice, out. “I have something that can soothe, ease and calm whatever you may be going through. Leave the weight of world at the door, and I guarantee you that I can make it better with this hour listening to the stories and the music and just vibe with me!”

Here Mann gives no truck to misogynistic hip-hop lyrics, has fun with Auto-Tune, reminisces about boy bands, dances and more...