Interview: Dave Attell on Friendship and Bumping Mics Show with Jeff Ross

By A.D. AMOROSI

At 54 years old, with skin in the comedy game for three decades, Dave Attell is one of stand-up’s most audacious and instantly recognizable commodities. Foul-mouthed and inappropriately funny, his presence has been requested for more than a few Comedy Central series (including the famed 'Insomniac,' named for his long-running tour from the 1990s), as well as HBO’s brilliant but recently cancelled 'Crashing.' One of the few stand-up comedians who could hold their own on-stage with Attell – Jeff Ross, the man behind all of the Comedy Central network’s celebrity roasts – does so this weekend when the touring duo bring their 'Bumping Mics' showcase, first viewed on Netflix, to Atlantic City. We caught up with Attell waiting to tip his toes in the sand.

Review: Hulu and Magnolia Pictures' 'Ask Dr. Ruth' is Poignant and Funny

By A.D. AMOROSI

In Ryan White’s documentary on America’s most prominent sex therapist, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the director – known for his Netflix series The Keepers and HBO’s The Case Against 8 – paints a gorgeous portrait of an always positive woman’s pain and humor with intricate, nuanced brushstrokes. The Hulu network and Magnolia Pictures’ film, Ask Dr. Ruth, opens in theaters nationally on May 3, before becoming available exclusively on Hulu, June 1.

Interview: Comedian David A. Arnold on Working as a Television Writer

By A.D. AMOROSI

To say that comedian David A. Arnold has led a charmed life would not be an exaggeration. An enormously talented stand-up, Arnold was in the right place at the right time when he got a staff writing opportunity for Tyler Perry television productions such as "House of Payne" and "Meet the Browns." From there, Arnold parlayed the experience into writing episodes of "Fuller House," the sadly short-lived Kelsey Grammer-Martin Lawrence’s sitcom, "Partners," as well as writing for Rickey Smiley and Kevin Hart. He did all this while maintaining a career in deliriously funny observation stand-up.

Review: Rock & Roll Oracle Cards by NYC's Math and Medium

By A.D. AMOROSI

Since the 15th century, reading tarot cards has moved beyond its origins in fun and games. With its allegorical art work and its means of divination based on certain characters, tarot cards became a way for believers to seek spiritual guidance from those who knew how to read them. Now, in the 21st century, Natalie Mertz - the founder of NYC’s Math and Medium graphic design and branding firm – is nudging the form into the future with the newly-released Rock & Roll Oracle Card Deck of 40 illustrated cards with full holographic backing.  According to Mertz and her Rock & Roll Oracle Card Deck, the high priests and priestesses of the present day include Grace Jones, Elton John, George Harrison and Miles Davis.

Interview: Actor-Comedian Sasheer Zamata Can Do it All

By A.D. AMOROSI

Actor-comedian Sasheer Zamata may not have been keen to discuss one of her most famous credits, her 2014-2017 tenure on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, during our recent interview, but that’s cool. Zamata is focused on moving forward with her bourgeoning film career (she’s got The Outdoorsman and The Weekend coming out this season), her stand up gigs (including a Netflix special, Pizza Mind), and a stand up tour that brings her to Punch Line comedy club this week.

Interview with Moshe Kasher, 'The Jay Z of Comedy'

By A.D. AMOROSI

With his 2009 stand-up album Everyone You Know Is Going to Die, and Then You Are! and his 2012 memoir, Kasher in the Rye: The True Tale of a White Boy from Oakland Who Became a Drug Addict, Criminal, Mental Patient, and Then Turned 16, Moshe Kasher has proven himself to be one of comedy’s wittiest and most caustic figures. Yet, there is also depth, smarts and heart to everything he does. While Kasher’s last stand-up tour featured his then-new wife, fellow comedian Natasha Leggero, as his co-headliner, Moshe is on his own heading into Punch Line Philly this week. Kasher spoke to us from the road via email.

Interview: Red Grant on Life as an Actor and Touring Comedian

By A.D. AMOROSI

Before he hits the road this weekend, actor, comedian and family man Red Grant had a lot to say about his long career in stand-up,  working and hanging out with friends like fellow comic/thespian Katt Williams and hip hop giant Snoop Dogg, and acting under the direction of renowned filmmaker John Singleton. We interviewed Red as he was heading into our hometown during his comedy tour.

Interview: Robert Kelly Discusses TV, Comedy and Life

By A.D. AMOROSI

When Robert Kelly hits Punch Line comedy club this week for a run of live shows, the self-deprecating stand-up comic and actor brings with him the lineage of the early 2000s when he rose to fame the likes of Bill Burr, Jim Norton, Kevin Hart and the late, great Patrice O’Neal. Though some know Kelly first from his 2005 stand-up tour with Dane Cook, Tourgasm (which wound up as a series on HBO in 2006), others know Kelly for his acting stints on Louie, where he played Louis C.K.’s brother for five years, and, more recently, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll with Denis Leary. We recently spoke to Kelly via phone for this interview.

Interview: Chad Daniels - Comedian and Soccer Dad

By A.D. AMOROSI

When Minnesota-born stand-up comic Chad Daniels hits Punch Line Philly in September, he comes with the dubious distinction of being one of 13 comedians to have appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, before former host Jay Leno changed his mind about giving up the host chair and got NBC to remove O’Brien. Now, the snarky Daniels has continued his relationship with O’Brien with many a star turn on the stages of CONAN on TBS, as well as releasing albums on the Stand-Up and 800 Lb. Gorilla labels, and appearing on the Comedy Central network with two stand-up specials, Chad Daniels: As Is and Comedy Central Presents.

Interview: Terry Fator on Trump, Working Clean, and his Borgata Atlantic City Show

By A.D. AMOROSI

The one thing that you must know about Season 2 America’s Got Talent winner, Terry Fator, is that he won’t work blue. The Texas-born, comedian-impersonator-puppeteer-ventriloquist puts fair, clean but wickedly funny family entertainment first (along with a love of the U.S. military, as Fator’s CD sales and merchandise proceeds benefit military charities), when performing his 200+ celebrity impressions. After being recently named (for the second time) in the Forbes list of top earning comedians (just behind Kevin Hart and Jerry Seinfeld), Fator got a rare opportunity to leave his Vegas residency at the Mirage to appear at Atlantic City's Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa where he’ll appear on September 7.

Interview: Girl Code's Jessimae Peluso on Comedy, Weed and Cheese

By A.D. AMOROSI

When considering comedian Jessimae Peluso, there are several career paths that she’s followed since leaving her home town of Syracuse. To millennials, Peluso is beloved for starring in the first several seasons of MTV’s Girl Code and comically sharing in the sisterhood of women. To stoners, she’s the funniest writer covering cannabis at magazines like Cosmopolitan and Playboy. To those on Facebook Live, Peluso has her own show, Weedsday, that raises awareness about Alzheimer’s Disease. And to the stand-up comedy world, she’s a treasure who pokes fun at her romantic relationships. Peluso spoke to me from Beirut where she is – in her words – “doing stand-up comedy for Hollywood Pop Up Comedy Clubs because having a regular job just don’t cut it.”

Interview: Rita Rudner on Stand-up, Early Broadway Gigs and Her Dog Twinkle

By A.D. AMOROSI

Rita Rudner is an indisputable comic legend, whether through her uniquely elegant and epigrammatic stand-up routine, her volumes of wry essays such as Naked Beneath My Clothes: Tales of a Revealing Nature, or her dry-witted scripts such as Peter’s Friends, the latter of which was co-written with her husband, British film director Martin Bergman. When we speak in anticipation of her shows in Manhattan (Feinstein's/54 Below) and Millville, New Jersey (Levoy Theatre), Rudner is busy playing with her dog, Twinkle, dealing with a leaky sprinkler and a dry wall patch, and, what she said is a, “husband who is of no use because he is watching the World Cup.”

Interview: Don Jamieson from VH1's 'That Metal Show'

By A.D. AMOROSI

Don Jamieson has had so many careers and interests, it’s hard to focus on just one. Behind the scenes, Jamieson produced and wrote for HBO’s Inside the NFL, penned the screenplays for the Apt. 2f series, and crafted one-liners for raunchy comedian Lisa Lampanelli. He even played guitar in acoustic hardcore punk bands. Yet, it's his work in heavy metal (co-hosting VH1's That Metal Show and collaborating on the BlondeAndCrossbones website) and comedy performances (albums of prank calls and caustic stand-up routines) where Jamieson truly lets his hair down as he'll do this weekend at Philadelphia's Helium Comedy Club.

Interview: Comedian Peggy O'Leary, Delco Queen

By A.D. AMOROSI

Peggy O'Leary might be best known as the Manhattan-based comedian whose live drinking game show, Hard, Lonely & Vicious, has her playing messy host to NYC’s raw, boozy, stand-up comics. However, the blunt O’Leary is a native of Delaware County – a blue collar working class suburb of Philadelphia – that Comedy Central fans are getting to know courtesy of her old friends in Delco Proper. For our interview, O'Leary (a regular at the New York Comedy Festival, the stages of the Upright Citizens Brigade and as an opening act for SNL's Michael Che) talks about taking her liquor-laced act on the road and explains the allure of the mysterious Delco region.

CSz Presents 'Murder Manor: The Golden Girls Edition' this April

By A.D. AMOROSI

This April, when CSz Worldwide (the global improvisational ComedySportz Network), presents the newest iteration of Murder Manor, their live experience based on the board game Clue, it will tap into a Glamorosi Magazine favorite: the classic sitcom, The Golden Girls. The show, now in syndication, is beloved original fans and new younger viewers who tune in to watch Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty navigate their lives as mature adults in Miami, Florida. Produced by the famed Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions team from 1985 to 1992, the show is still stunning, not only for its caustic humor, but for its frank and funny depiction of sexuality amongst older adults.

Review: Vegetarian Viet Nam Cookbook by Cameron Stauch

By REESE AMOROSI

Chef Cameron Stauch has a unique and diverse background: he has prepared meals for royals and dignitaries while cooking for the Governor General of Canada, and he has immersed himself in local cuisines while living in Southeast Asia. Now, Stauch combines his culinary expertise and life experiences in a new cookbook, Vegetarian Viet Nam (W. W. Norton & Company).

Comedian John Mulaney is Having a Very Good Year

By A.D. AMOROSI

Comedy has experienced an uncomfortable renaissance in the Trump era, what with most comics finding their own hard-nosed take on the President’s double-speak. Yet, few comics have gotten the welcoming reception in 2017 experienced by The Comeback Kid, John Mulaney. Before year's end, he’s touring Philadelphia, Las Vegas and Seattle with a new stand-up special, Kid Gorgeous, and his usual mix of oddball abstract humor and explosive realism.

Comedian Jimmy Kimmel Talks to The Killers; Rips Graham-Cassidy Bill

By REESE AMOROSI

When it comes to the nightly talk show wars, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has been winning 2017’s ratings battles. However, when it comes to making marks beyond comedy, it’s the titular host of Jimmy Kimmel Live who is on top. This Fall, Kimmel showed off his music smarts by interviewing The Killers in September’s Magnet Magazine. On the political front, Kimmel’s monologues against Graham-Cassidy, a bill by Senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy meant to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, is credited with helping sway state senators’ constituency to speak out. On September 27, Kimmel’s healthcare rants helped him snag a rare ratings win among adults 18-49. As for the Graham-Cassidy Bill? It’s toast.

El Compadre Restaurant to Launch Taller Grafica Popular Art Show

By A.D. AMOROSI

When immigration rights activists and wedded restaurateurs Cristina Martinez and Benjamin Miller opened shop, part of their goal was to act as presenters of the art of protest. The marrieds presented gallery shows at their former restaurant, South Philly Barbacoa (just off East Passyunk Avenue’s culinary mile), and now at El Compadre in the Italian Market.

Interview: Comic Cole Escola on Inspiration and Spaghetti Hair

By A.D. AMOROSI

If sketch comedy was looking for a new king or queen you could easily nominate Cole Escola. A doyen of the NYC sketch comedy scene with radical showcases such as Help! I’m Stuck! and time spent with sassy comedian Bridget Everett, the young native of the Pacific Northwest has been branching out into television with Logo’s Jeffrey & Cole Casserole, Hulu’s Difficult People and Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle. It’s the sketch stage where he’s best served though, allowing him to wear an array of wigs and impersonate Broadways darlings such as Bernadette Peters. He called us from his home in NYC.

Interview: SNL Writer Anna Drezen Discusses Her Stand-Up Comedy

By A.D. AMOROSI

Once you get nominated on a list like Comedy Central's “8 Comedians You Need To Look Out For,” you have to live up to the hype. Author, editor and stand-up comedian Anna Drezen has more than surpassed that exposure as editor-at-large at the satirical women’s magazine Reductress, and as the co-author of both How to Win at Feminism (with the Reductress staff) and How May We Hate You? (with Todd Dakotah Briscoe). As a script writer, she’s noted for being part of Saturday Night Live’s controversial yet winning season – 2016-2017 – that featured Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump impersonation and Melissa McCarthy’s Sean Spicer.

Interview: Gina Yashere Discusses Stand-up, Improv and Sketch Comedy

By A.D. AMOROSI

With her gravelly voice, wide eyes and offbeat sense of humor, Gina Yashere is one of Great Britain’s most recognizable comedians. The London-born, Nigerian performer appeared on the Blouse & Skirt panel program and the Lenny Henry in Pieces sketch comedy series in the UK, then moved to the United States in 2009, and became a regular on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.  Despite her sketch comedy success, it is stand-up comedy that is her signature. We spoke to Ms. Yashere via phone to talk about her work on both continents.

Review: Earth Henna White Lace Temporary Tattoo Kit by Lakaye Studio

By REESE AMOROSI

The artists behind Los Angeles-based Lakaye Studio have earned a loyal following for their popular henna and jagua formulas and design kits. Now, in addition to their sienna and indigo colored stains, they offer White Lace Temporary Tattoo kits to make henna-inspired designs in white, and they can even be embellished with glitter.

Interview: Standup Comic Charles Gould Leaves 'em Wanting More

By A.D. AMOROSI

Charles Gould may seem put-upon in his online comedy of relationship errors, Charles, By the Way, and in his ComedyCentral.com show, Tips for a Happier, Healthier You, both web series with episodes shorter and sweeter than 4 minutes. He expands on this theme in his live stand-up gigs: Gould is convinced that he’s at a loss for finding the perfect love relationship. We spoke to Gould while he was on the East Coast leg of his current tour.

Michelle Obama to Speak at Pennsylvania Conference for Women, Release Book

By A.D. AMOROSI

Former First Lady Michelle Obama has spent her first seven months away from the White House on vacation with her husband, the USA’s 44th President, Barack Obama. As of July, however, she’s back in the public eye with the announcement of a speaking engagement at the Pennsylvania Conference for Women, and news of a book, Chasing Light, showcasing photos from her time in Washington – both in October.