Interview with Todd Barry!!!

If you are like us, you're sitting there thinking about the best way guarantee that you will have a stellar time at the dccomedyfest. You've combed over the website and your mouse keeps bring you back to the same conclusion... "Must see Todd Barry!"

Take your own advice, go see Todd Barry.

Don't trust yourself? Well then, let's see if Todd himself can talk you into it. Todd has three Cd's that will convince you to put yourself in one of our seats. If that's not enough we caught up with Todd and sprinkled him with questions (so if he has sprinkles on him when you see him, it was probably us) and he was kind enough to answer them.

DCCF: What would you be doing if you hadn't gone into Stand-Up?

TODD: I'd probably work at the Apple Store, or be on the Supreme Court.

DCCF: What was it like to roast Chevy Chase?

TODD: It was a bit odd because you usually roast someone who you are friends with. I didn't meet him until I was done roasting him. But still, it was one of the best times I've had performing.

DCCF: Random question here, but we see from the picture of your refrigerator on your website that you enjoy “All-Bran” serial. Do you eat it with soy, skim, 2% or whole milk?

TODD: I rarely eat cereal, but I'd probably go with skim milk. IT JUST MAKES SENSE!!!!!

DCCF: Our research shows that you've performed all over the world. How do your international fans differ from those here in the U.S.?

TODD: For the most part, they don't differ. They're just people sitting there waiting for you to be funny.

DCCF: What was it like for you to see yourself turned into a cartoon on Comedy Central's "Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist" show?

TODD: I'm pretty happy with it, except in one of the episodes they had me wearing a vest. I've never worn a vest in my life. I don't think so, anyway.

DCCF: Any “Great Todd Barry Quotes” that we could use exclusively for or about this dccomedyfest interview?

TODD: DC!!!!!!

See that DC, even one of his famous "Great Todd Barry Quotes" has your name all over it. Catch Todd and the rest of the dccomedyfest by getting your tickets now!

Interview with TJ Miller!

Didn't think we'd let the fest come and go without interviewing at least one of our amazing acts, did you? Of course not! Danielle Scherr, one of our awesome festival producers who you'll see running around keeping the magic going, caught up with TJ Miller (Hud from the hit movie Cloverfield and Carpooler's Marmaduke Brooker) for a chat.

Danielle: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with dccomedyfest, and for giving your fans the chance to spend some time inside the mind of TJ Miller himself.

TJ: Hey Dccomedyfest. Thanks for spending the time with me, and for spending some time inside, in my mind, with me myself.

Danielle: You have worked in a large variety of comedic venues: from live group Improv and sketch comedy - with Recess at GWU, Second City and IO in Chicago - to stand-up across the country, TV roles, and even on the Big Screen, of these many forms of performance is there one that you prefer in particular?

T.J.: No, not really. I prefer interactive children’s theater, but just as an audience member. I prefer sitting with the children. That to me is performance, sitting with children. I’m really interested in how the medium affects the performance, or how the mediums works in different contexts. It’s interesting to see what lends itself better to stand-up more than sketch, or in an improvisational setting, or to racist ventriloquism. It’s also interesting to see how the medium affects the comedy. Shows on TV require a lot less physical exertion as opposed to a live performance. The content to me is most important, not just the medium - if it’s a great idea on film then it’s just as interesting to me as a great stand-up bit. It’s all about what the content is.

Danielle: Sorry about the awkward silences, I’m writing down what you’re saying. This more half bad-date, half interview.

TJ: *laughs* Well I definitely want that mentioned somewhere in the interview

Danielle: In terms of your live performances, do you feel a strong distinction between how audiences receive your Improvisation versus your stand-up routines?

T.J. - That’s the most interesting question of the three, and thank you for interviewing me. Group improv is often giving you a little more lee-way because the audience knows it’s made-up and it doesn’t have to always be funny. While with stand-up the audience tends to be a lot harder on you, they expect, and rightly so, that everything you say is going to be funny. There is a tacit agreement between you and audience that you can talk about anything but, first and foremost it has to be funny. Improv allows for the performer to be dramatic at times and is of course more organic. I try to incorporate improv into my stand-up. The best version of my stand-up is improvising my way to and from the pre-written material, and that all meshes to become my act. In the best stand-up you can’t tell what was improvised and what was written.

Danielle: What was your experience like at Second City?

TJ: It was good. Second City was a great place to work, there is a reason people that work there end up doing well outside of Second City. It’s a place where there is so much performing going on, and talented people. I was touring all over the country, and one Monday a month you can perform at the mainstage in front of a very big hometown Second City audience. It has all the frustrations of any theatre company, but it was a great experience improvising after every show. It gave me a lot of repetition performing, and you work with some of the funniest people in Chicago, they’re really pretty amazing people working in that building. It is comedy university in a way, but you have to have extracurricular activities.

Danielle: What would you say has been your most memorable stand-up experience?

TJ: A lot of them are memorable, but recently I did a show with Andy Kindler in Montreal. It was this big theater show with a lot of people that I really look up to, and suddenly I was performing in a show with them. I think Andy Kindler is one of the funniest guys alive and now I’m doing a show with him which is pretty amazing. Even just performing in Montreal was a really great experience. I’ve been doing showcases and performing etc. but I always wondered about how people get invited to perform in certain shows, and once I got “Variety’s Top 10 Comics to Watch” I just got invited up to do a set. It’s pretty amazing to be a part of a festival that I have always been in awe of. I don’t know if it’s the MOST memorable, but this one was great. Some of the worst performances are just as memorable as the best, and they are all equally valuable for your development as a comedian.

Danielle: As Marmaduke Brooker on “Carpoolers” you play a character whose humor is drawn from his combination of large physical stature and “emotionally stunted and hyper-articulate” personality. Do you enjoy playing characters whose comedic qualities are so clearly emphasized in the show, or do prefer roles based in more subtle absurdity?

TJ: It was a very specific situation, I try to tailor what I do comedically to the context. “Carpoolers” was on a network that was more family friendly and I was this element that was the most outrageous part of the show. I played a character that was very different from myself. While acting in Cloverfield I wanted to play a character that was closer to home and more relatable. In “Carpoolers” my character was written to be played as a stoner/slacker but I said, I think this has been done before, so instead I did a character living at home by choice because he thinks it strengthens the family unit. A sort of a eccentric guy that maybe was brilliant, the character was retarded in some ways but accelerated in others. Hud (from “Cloverfield) is an awkward dude that wants everyone to have a good time, but he has been thrown into a crazy situation: and that’s where he gets his bigness from *Tj dramatically yells “MONSTROUS” at this point in the interview*.

Danielle: On "http://www.tjmillerdoesnothaveawebsite.com/" I found that you have a list of both notable and impressive skills. Such as, fold tongue, juggle and define most words. Could you tell me the best thing you have ever juggled?

TJ: I’ve juggled knives, torches, clubs, and apples; all sorts of dangerous things.

Danielle: What is the best word you have recently defined?

TJ: I feel like I use surreptitious too much. I’ve been very surreptitious about using it in this interview. I like to use it because I can define it using another word people don’t know, which is clandestine.

Danielle: Do you have anything in the works right now?

TJ: OH YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT! I HAVE SO MANY PROJECTS IN THE WORKS I CANT EVEN SAY IT ALL OVER THE INTERNET. It won’t even fit on the internet, but you can try. I’m telling you, it won’t fit. I’m working on “How to Train Your Dragon” a Dreamworks, animated film. Also, “She’s Out of My League” which will be in theaters next spring. I have an incredibly small part in the movie “The Goods: The Don Ready Story” where I am physically attached to Jeremy Piven (WHICH I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT). I also wrote a short called “Successful Alcoholics” that Lizzy Caplan from “Cloverfield” is in. Also, I’m pitching a TV show which will probably not get picked up, and if not we’ll make it a dvd.

Danielle: Your comedic career has grown very rapidly, what is one of the major goals you hope to accomplish in the future?

TJ: I’d like to take my stand-up to the next level, but not a full next level, just a half a level. I really want to develop and tour more with stand-up. Also, I’d like to get to do something I have more control over. All the things I’ve worked on I’ve just been hired to be an actor in, and although I’ve improvised on those projects, I really want to get to a place where I have more control over the content. Which is why I love sketch and improv and stand-up where I have complete control. It’s your content. Not just your take on the content. It takes a really long time and a lot of credibility to get to that point. For example I play a character named “Stainer” in “She’s Out of My League”. If I had to tell 8 year old TJ that he would be called Stainer in a movie called “She’s Out of My League” I don’t know how he’d feel. He might cry. He might just be really scared and confused about how someone from the future came back to tell him about movies he’d be in. But you have to do this stuff to build credibility. I want to get to a place where I have creative control.

Danielle: What was the best part of being a guest on the “Late Show with David Letterman”?

TJ: Honestly, that whole experience was surreal. The thing that makes me laugh over and over again is when I say “I’m on letterman!”. That was a bit I had prepared, there was more to it. Someone on a comedy blog (thecomicscomic) had actually said I was so excited that I just yelled it out, which is not true. I’m really much more professional and composed than that. If you watch the clip David Letterman has seen it all, and so when some guy yells out “I’m on Letterman this is amazing” he just glosses right over that comment, moves right on to the next thing like a seasoned vet. It also makes me look slightly crazy.

Danielle: Is there anything you want us to make sure dccomedyfest blog readers know about before coming to see you perform this year in the festival?

TJ: Get in there! If you miss the show it’s not something you’re ever going to get back in your life. So don’t face the possibility of regret, it’s something you can’t overcome. Not only is it going to be funny but I’m performing with some incredible acts, it will be a really great show that you’ll regret missing. Regret is really hard to live with.

Take our word for it, don’t regret not seeing TJ Miller live in action. Get you ticket’s now to reserve your seats.

No Joke! The dccomedyfest is here!

So there you were in March. No dccomedyfest. April, same deal. May?!? No dccomedyfest! What up with that? Quietly, Silently, Carefully we were planning the best fest yet!

"Best fest yet" you say!

Yes, Best fest yet!

How can that be? We've got it all. Stand-up? Check! Improv? Check! Sketch? Check! Come see Todd Barry (yes that awesome guy from Dr. Katz), TJ Miller (Hud from Cloverfield), JB Smoove, The New Adorables, Lizz Winstead, and so many more at the fest.

When is it? How about next weekend! That's right August 7, 8, and 9th!

Where can you find out more? How about our main website http://www.dccomedyfest.com/? Check it out to find out if you are going to see shows at your favorite venue! The ComedySpot? Check! The DC Improv? Check! The Black Cat? Check! The Source Theater? Check! The Arlington Cinema and Draft House? Check! A Synagogue? Sure we've got one... Sixth & I! A dance club? Check, head for Town Danceboutique! No taverns, I don't see a tavern, do I? Check, we've got Solly's Tavern on Tap!

Order your tickets today!

Interview with Rob Cantrell

You've been combing over our Shows page (not your bald spot) and probably have thought "Snap, I love all these new acts this year. But, and I have a really BIG BUT, how about some comics I know and love. Last year you had Rob Cantrell from Last Comic Standing. Where is the talent like that?" Well brace yourselves, we have Rob Cantrell coming back just for you.

Yep, that's right Rob Cantrell. Rob grew up right here in our area, went off to pursue happiness and fame, and now comes back on occasion to show his city of origin a little of the funny that made him famous. We got him to answer a few questions just for you.

dccf: Hey Rob, thanks for taking the time to talk with us again. It’s been a year since we last talked to you. We are looking forward to having you back at this year’s dccomedyfest. What have you been up to since last year’s fest? Any highlights you want to share with us?

Rob: I made Theatrical debut in Chicago in The Marijuana-logues with Doug Benson and Tony Camin last week. That was huge and so the Yacht bought with Fat Joe last September.

dccf: We saw that you were just in DC for a show with Zach Galifianakis at Lisner Auditorium. How was that experience?

Rob: It rocked!! Zach is super talented. He is the only pianist that I know that can dip Copenhagen tobacco and smoke crack at the same time.

dccf: Along with Zach, who have been some of the performers you have performed with over the years? Any dream match-ups for a One Night Only show?

Rob: Sarah Silverman, Tracy Morgan, Mitch Hedberg, Arj Barker, Dave Attell, Lewis Black and Todd Barry. ///Chappelle or Chris Rock would be my dream line up.

dccf: Is your DC fan base different from the fans you encounter else where in the U.S.? Rob: I really don't make it back to DC as much as I would like but everytime I am in town I am doing something new and I think my fans appreciate that.. ... They have seen me grow like a flower..An extremely hetero-sexual flower.

dccf: On the CD page of your web site (http://www.robcantrell.com/cd.html), you appear in a Karate outfit. Any chance you are vying for a Jackie Chan styled role in an upcoming film?

Rob: Yeah, that photo is for my album which is tentatively titled "Exile On Lame Street". On the Chan film? Nope, I'm an old school Bruce Lee motherfucker.

dccf: This year on your “What’s Happenin’…” space on your website you have a link to a video clip of you performing? Are there any other good places for folks looking to check out a little more of your material before coming to see you at this year’s dccomedyfest?

Rob: Brooklynradio.net

dccf: What is the strangest place you have found the idea for one of your jokes or bits?

Rob: In jail.

dccf: Stand-up must have a lot of moments for you where you just have laugh off how strange or surreal something that just happened to you. Was there one moment you could share with us where you were like “I don’t even think I would believe me that that just happened!!!”?

Rob: I grew wings and I took a shit on a cop in mid flight.

dccf: For dccomedyfest audience members who haven’t been lucky enough to see you perform yet, what can they expect to see? And is there a special treat for people who did catch you last year (or several times since)?

Rob: I keep it real and I have new sweatshirt.

dccf: Anything you want us to make sure dccomedyfest blog readers know about this year?

Rob: My show is 7pm Friday @ HR-57, I love you in a very hetero-sexual flower way.. Check me out!

Want to get more pre-fest samples of Rob before you come to the fest? Tune into 106.7 FREEFM on Friday Morning April 13th to hear Rob Cantrell on the Sports Junkies. Then make a bee line to the fest to see his show (the seats will fill fast).

Interview with Rory Scovel

It's time to check in with a local favorite. You've seen him all over the DC area performing. And then you haven't seen him for a while.

He's a Stand-Up. No! An Improvist! No! A Stand-Up! That's right, he's both. And who is the local rising young star? None other than Rory Scovel. Rory started local, has toured around some, and is now taking the Big Apple by storm. We caught up with Rory and found out what he has been up to since last year.

dccf: Hey Rory, Thanks for taking a few minutes to answer a few questions. Sure you are from DC, but people have questions. What have you been up to lately?

Rory: Things have been pretty hectic lately. My girlfriend and I recently moved to Hoboken, NJ to pursue our entertainment dreams. We've been playing in NYC and trying to get some stage time. She was recently cast in 2 productions and I have been doing any standup show I can get on.

dccf: We understand you spent a lot of time in Canada and other northern places last fall. Were you hiding from the police or was it something comedy related that took you out of town for a while?

Rory: I did a yuk yuks comedy tour through western Canada. I was fortunate enough to get a booking with Yuk Yuks through Dave Moroz at Aspen Talent and couldn't see myself turning down the offer. It landed me the opportunity to meet great comics in Seattle, Washington as well, which is what landed me a spot in the 2006 Seattle Comedy Competition.

dccf: Any way people can check out parts of your adventures from last fall?

Rory: On my website (www.roryscovel.com) I have the 17 minute set I performed the very last night of the seattle competition and also a new documentary that I'm working on. The doc is about myself and a few comics and what performing comedy means to us and what effect it has on our outlook on life. We all have different opinions but one bond, we love performing.

dccf: Your website mentions that you have "infectious stage presence". Has this been reported to the Center for Disease Control and what are the symptoms?

Rory: It has been reported and they told me to F off, which I thought was a little immature. Since that day I've been trying to bring down the Center for Disease Control. Everyone has a platform, this one is mine.

dccf: You just finished taping for Live at Gotham. Can you tell us what that was like and where and when we can expect to check that out?

Rory: It was an amazing experience. I never pictured myself getting such an opportunity so the entire weekend was overwhelming. The experience overall was great. All the comics that were taping that weekend were really cool and the actual show itself was more fun than I can describe. I was very nervous prior to my set but then realized the audience was very much on the performers sides. I think the show airs sometime in May or June. i haven't been fully informed but heard that info from a small white rabbit. hahahahaha, see how funny I am?

dccf: Why are we under the impression that you can help us with the purchase of an HDTV?

Rory: I taped a commercial for Circuit City a year and a half ago or something like that. Thanks to my buddy and improv partner Tyler Korba I was given the chance to audition for the shoot. Tyler works with Discovery Channel and they were hired to shoot the commercial. That experience was really cool as well. I'm just glad they were able to find something I said on tape usable. I don't see myself as much of an actor.

dccf: What was the strangest review that you've ever received after a show?

Rory: Hmmmmm. I'm not sure. I don't get reviewed very often. I was told that there was someone in the audience this past christmas in Greenville, SC who found my set to be super cheesy. Nothing pisses me off more than not knowing who that person is so I can ask them why they think that.

dccf: What was the 2006 Seattle International Comedy Competition experience like for you?

Rory: It was a really cool one. I was able to meet a lot of great comics that were competiting who have dropped my name to many people and helped me get random stagetime and attention. Comics help comics more than anyone else and that competition was a great way to meet more comics. I also was given the chance to spend a month in Seattle, a city I have now grown to love more than most. If you haven't visited Seattle, do so. The comedy here is incredible, the scene is thriving and the overall energy in the city is very creative and artistic.

dccf: Now that you are a full time stand-up comic, will audiences who know you from the various improv shows still be able to see you perform some improv?

Rory: Dr. Fantastic will be performing improv at the DC comedyfest this year. If you know anything about Dr. F, you know that we are the greatest improv troupe in the history of time and even before time was invented. This show will see the return of Dr. F cofounder Zhubin Parang. He is a "lawyer" now in NYC and has missed a few Dr. F performance opportunities. It will be fun to play with him again. I use quotations because lawyer stands for drug dealer in the big apple.

dccf: Anything you want us to make sure dccomedyfest blog readers know about before coming to see you at the fest?

Rory: I love money. Bring some money and just hurl it at me while on stage. I love pretending I'm in "showgirls" also. I use quotations because showgirls stands for "Zhubin's living room buying drugs."

Don't miss your chance to catch Rory at the fest. You'll then be able to say you saw Rory before the he "Made It Big". And by "Made It Big" we mean "Made It Big".

You, the blog reader, are probably sitting there thinking "Gee, dccomedyfest, you've talked to top notch acts from the world of improv & sketch, and even talked to a stellar Canadian Stand-up comic. Do we need to prompt you to talk to some homegrown all-star American talent?" The answer, a resounding no. In fact, we sat down and blogged a while with none other than Elon James White.

We think you'll love Elon James, but we'll let him win you over.

dccf: How did you get first get involved with Stand-up comedy?

Elon James: I first started stand-up after being yelled at. I was working in corporate (Information Technology Bitches, WHAT!) and I would go hang out at a little west Indian restaurant and complain. Every day I'd go tell stories about all the people I hated and one of the customers who would come by and hear my complaining told me I should be a stand-up. I argued for about 6 months but then relented and have been doing ever since.

dccf: So far in your career, what has the most interesting place Stand-up has taken you to perform?

Elon James: The most interesting place I've done comedy was at a bar somewhere in the middle of Pennsylvania where people were wearing cowboy hats, but not in an ironic way. They were serious. It looked like the bar from "The Accused"(never heard of it? Wiki that mutha!) Me walking into the town tripled the Black population. I realize that's mathematically impossible, but rest assured it happened. But I had a great time.

dccf: What made you decide to found "The Brooklyn Comedy Company"?

Elon James: Drinking. Definitely started with a little drinking. I was at my favorite bar (Ripple Bar, what!) in Brooklyn and in an effort to rationalize the inordinate amount of time I was spending there, I figured I'd start doing shows there. But I over do EVERYTHING, so next thing you know I was holding auditions, branding a style of comedy that I wanted to push and then boom. We have BcCo. It's been one of the defining things in my comedy career.

dccf: For those of not in the know, can you tell us about "4 Shades of Black" and why it has received so much critical acclaim?

Elon James: "4 Shades of Black" was born out of frustration. A lot of people have one view of a "Black" comedian and its normally shaped by Comic View and Def Jam. I was told "You're not a black comic" 1 too many times. So I decided to create a show with other comedians I know who had similar experiences. I wanted to show that black comedy is quite diverse. And I think that's why the show is well received. It's not conforming to anything. Its comedy that messes with preconceptions.

dccf: What should fans looking to see "4 Shades of Black" at the fest expect to see?

Elon James: A top of the line show. Baron Vaughn was at the HBO Comedy Arts Festival last year and is all over the country now. Michelle Buteau was on Premium Blend, HBO Comedy Arts Fest '07 and has a few TV shows under her belt and Jordan Carlos Just did Live At Gotham and was at the "Just for Laughs" festival last year.. This is a dynamic show that I'm proud to be apart of.

dccf: The other members of "4 Shades of Black" are Jordan Carlos, Michelle Buteau, and Baron Vaughn. Do you all have a competitive relationship off stage, trying to be the funniest person in room? Or is more of a family feel?

Elon: Everyone does what they do. There's not really any competition since we're all very different types of people. It's all about the funny.

dccf: We see from your blog, Catharsis 101, that you live with two women. Do you ever find yourself in and Three is Company moments?

Elon James: If by "ever find" you mean "at all time" then yes. I live with 2 comedians and one of them is my girlfriend so its constantly a full fledged sitcom. 'How can I drive my roommate crazy? Ooooh, I know. Wax the floor! Yeah, she won't be able to walk with out falling, but then again, I did clean the floor, hahaha, Life is grand.'

dccf: Your blog mentions that you didn't try out for "Last Comic Standing" this year but are planning to do so next year. Are you going to watch this year? Is it hard to watch other stand-ups?

Elon James: I'll watch if anyone I know gets on. I do watch an incredibly large amount of comedy in general so I may not be the first one in front of the TV but I'm sure I'll be well versed (since everyone I know will tell me about it)

dccf: Occasionally the audience must do things that catch you off guard. What has the audience done at times that has kept the shows fun for you?

Elon James: I've had audience run up to me after my set to give me updates about my old neighborhood. I come from Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, and occasionally discuss the ghetto of legend on stage. No matter where I am there's always someone who's from there, or has family from there, or has been there on a very unfortunate day. I had a family run up to me yelling "There's an APPLEBEE's! There's an APPLEBEE's IN BED-STUY!" The concept of thugs trying to get an apple turnover, to me? Hilarious.

dccf: What acts at this year's dccomedyfest are you looking forward to having a chance to see in action?

Elon James: Well I'll probably catch Rob Cantrell. I've worked with him a lot in NYC but haven't seen him in a while so it'll be cool to see him do his thing. I'll probably get over to catch Eddie Brill as well.

dccf: For dccomedyfest audience members who haven't been lucky enough to see you perform yet, what can they expect to see?

Elon James: A Blazer. I'm pretty sure there's gonna be a Blazer involved.

dccf: Anything you want us to make sure dccomedyfest blog readers know about you and "4 Shades of Black"?

Elon James: That we're awesome. Pretty sure that's all they need to now. oh, and we'll be giving away money and gold and other things that might make people want to come to the show.

If we've peaked you interest head to our shows and tickets page for more details. Then we'll see you at the HR-57 Mainstage: 9:00PM on Friday April 13th for The Tonight Show Audition Show where you'll get to see Elon Audition to be on you guessed it THE TONIGHT SHOW!!!

Interview with LOUNGE-ZILLA's Fiely Matias

If you find yourself thinking "The dccomedyfest has a lot of good acts, but I'm looking for something that is refreshingly adult in nature and outside what I would see in the average club or theater. I bet they don't have that kind of show!" Well, you'd be hands down, flat out, 100% wrong.

Please Welcome Back LOUNGE-ZILLA. This sensational act wowed audiences at the 2005 dccomedyfest and is a fan and critic favorite everywhere they go. This show has it all. Lounging Singing, Adult Humor, and an AMAZING 3-D Special Effects Finale that MUST BE SEEN TO BELIEVE. So get your tickets and line up now to insure you get your seats for this show.

Not convinced yet? Let's meet Fiely Matias (aka LOUNGE-ZILLA) and just see if you can resist getting in line to see him in action.

dccf: Thanks for taking a few minutes to share some info with dccomedyfest audiences. It sounds like Lounge-zilla has been very busy since we saw you guys at the 2005 dccomedyfest. What have you guys been up to since then?

FIELY: The past few years have been all about the 'LOUNGE-ZILLA! - Asian InvAsian Tour!' My trusty piano-clanging sidekick Dennis T. Giacino (better known as 'Scary Manilow') and I have been on the road full- time and it's been a blast! We've performed at by-invite-only comedy fests and venues in New York City, Singapore, Toronto, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Orlando, Atlanta, Palm Springs and, of all places, a cruise ship bound for Belize! We're about to embark on a tour of Canada this summer (Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver, Saskatoon and Regina). The last city, Regina, is pronounced like 'Vagina' so it just feels a little bit naughty everytime we talk about it but we're going no matter how anatomically female the place sounds. My future plans also include working on a duet album with Tony Bennet just so I can win a Grammy. Now if only someone would tell him about the project I'd be on my way!

dccf: How did the shows in Prague go? Was the language difference a problem or is good comedy fun a language of its own?

FIELY: Prague was crazy, Euro fun! The castles, the parks, the people -- beautiful! The men, the women -- all gorgeous. I was walking across the Charles Bridge one afternoon and it was jam-packed with hundreds of super-model-like Czechs -- that's when I realized that I was the ugliest person in the city. Prague is a real melting pot of Czechs, Brits, Germans and Americans so most folks speak English there. They loved the show! And for those who didn't speak English -- well, they just cheered when I stepped out the pup tent sporting a giant penis in the 3-D finale of my show. Those newly democratic Commie countries just love anti-establishment, edgy comedy! Besides, where else can you see an Asian that well hung?

dccf: Do you find that audiences know what they are getting themselves into when they come to a Lounge-zilla show?

FIELY: Mostly. We attempt to get the word out in the press with such taglines as "an atomic blast of TWISTED MUSIC, NAUGHTY COMEDY and an OUTRAGEOUS 3-D FINALE that must be seen to be believed!" Or "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned . . . except for a bitter gay Asian cabaret singer with a broken heart and a microphone." Even better -- "He sings. He dances. He sucks! He's the Armaggedon of Queer Cabaret and he's invading the world!" Still, every once in a while, we get someone who thinks they're seeing a cute little Asian guy singing Karaoke! And now with that Sunjaya kid on 'America Idol' -- all the crowds want are goofy hairstyles, funny costumes and off-key singing. Sunjaya and I are doing our best to oblige.

dccf: What made you guys decide to do a bad lounge act comedy show? When did you realize that you had failed to do a bad lounge act and had to accept that you had a great show on your hands?

FIELY: We have a great show on our hands? Thanks for the compliment but don't tell nobody! Our act is much better if the audience's expectations are low. And if they're liquored up a little beforehand. For real, we made the decision to create 'LOUNGE-ZILLA!' -- the most ludicrously awful, self-centered lounge singer known to mankind -- several years ago in New York City. We had mistakenly stumbled into a supremely awful lounge show (which will go unnamed to protect the guilty) which was filled with overly emoted contrived ballads, ridiculous costumes, clunky piano accompaniment and botched tech cues. We felt so bad for the guy. It was sad. Very sad. Which, naturally, makes it very funny and ripe for a comedy spoof -- bad singers, fun punchy lyrics, loud costumes -- who could pass that up?! Think of 'LOUNGE- ZILLA!' as our homage to so-bad-it's-good entertainment -- kinda like 'The Captain and Tennille' only without the creepy sailor outfit and the page boy haircut!

dccf: Which review or award has meant the most to you since you started doing the show?

FIELY: Reviews and awards are great but what's the meant the most to us over the year's is just watching our audiences enjoy the shock and shlock of 'LOUNGE-ZILLA!' Laughter is so very healing and we somehow feel that we're doing our part to make the world a better place. Too Miss America for ya? Well, then the 'BEST COMEDY' and 'BEST OF FEST' awards at the USA National GLBT Theatre Fest, the San Francisco, Orlando and Halifax Fringe Fests feel pretty damn good. And Theatermania.com in New York City calling the show "A helluva lot of fun!" And getting the covers of the San Francisco Weekly, New York Blade, Miami Express News, Orlando Sentinel, Seattle Gay News and the Washington Post (Express Edition) -- that was rewarding. And EdgeBoston.com rating the show an "A+!" above the Blue Man Group, Elaine Stritch's Tony-award winning show and 'The Lion King.' Sweet! But more than all those meaningless kudos, we mostly do the show as a love letter to humanity.

dccf: Should the audience bring their own 3-D glasses?

FIELY: We supply the 3-D glasses free of charge -- we're a class act. Oh, and the best part is that you get to keep the glasses -- take 'em with you. We only ask that you don't tell us what else you do with them in the privacy of your own home. We prefer that little secret stays with you.

dccf: What are you, the Oops Guys, looking forward the most about in coming back to DC?

FIELY: The audiences and the folks who run the dccomedyfest! The best! Blaire, Dave and the dccomedyfest! gang really know how to put on a grand show -- very artist friendly! And the D.C. audiences are great! Real laughers -- and how could you not be considering the political climate nowadays in town? Speaking of which, I am also looking forward to testifying in the Alberto Gonazalez investigation. I have nothing to do with the situation so I know they won't subpeona me but wouldn't I love to appear on CSPAN wearing a glitter kimono and an orange-pink boa? Maybe we could do it in 3-D!

dccf: Occasionally the audience must do things that catch you off guard. What has the audience done at times that has kept the shows fun for you?

FIELY: They show up. That always catches us off guard. Actually, the audience plays a central character in our show. And some folks do find their way to the stage from time to time. We had this 79-year-old grandmother who was a real wise-ass in one of our New England shows last summer. She was so sweet but had the comedy chops (and mouth!) of a truck driver. Always one-upping the 'ZILLA with off-color one-liners! It was an absolute blast! We love the audience interplay during the show. It makes 'LOUNGE-ZILLA!' wildly unpredictable, new and exciting every time you see it and, above all, dangerously LIVE! Q: For dccomedyfest audience members who haven't been lucky enough to see you perform yet, what can they expect to see? FIELY: Something the likes of which they've never seen before! We think that this quote from the Columbus Dispatch in red-state, conservative Ohio says it best: LOUNGE-ZILLA! "Incorporates cartoonish hyperbole, masterful subtlety, strong singing, insult humor, interactive shtick, amusing props, outrageous costumes, partial nudity, profanity and a truly monstrous X-rated 3-D finale that can't be described in a family newspaper." The review goes on to say that I'm "talented", "charming", "clever" and "hilarious" but I would never mention that in an interview. That would be bragging and so declasse!

dccf: Anything you want us to make sure dccomedyfest blog readers know about Lounge-zilla?

FIELY: Come one, come all. 'LOUNGE-ZILLA!' is a joke that everyone gets! The show plays to all crowds -- men, women, straight, gay, in-between, young (well, 16+), not-so-young (even Bob Dole old), Democrat, Republican. The Green Party laughs like rabid hyenas at the 'LOUNGE-ZILLA!' show! And even the Christian Conservatives eat this crap up! Contrary to what you've heard, we happen to know that those Bible-belters really know how to throw a party! LOUNGE-ZILLA! is hilarious, bawdy and rude -- it's an 'everyone can play' show -- just come ready for some good, clean, naughty, rude fun! Okay, maybe 'clean' is pushing it a little. But naughty and rude fun are definitely in store!

Nuff said! Go see LOUNGE-ZILLA or hear about afterwards and wish you had seen it yourself.