Stand-up? I can’t even stand up

Gina Yashere, Maria Bamford, me, and Jamie Lee

I’ve been in LA for the past two days to tape a new stand-up show for TV Guide Network called “StandUp in Stilettos.” I’m also part of a theatre tour called “Pumps and Punchlines…” Haha, but I digress. SIS is an all-female comedy series hosted by Kate Flannery from “The Office,” and it premieres on June 16! Kate was lovely and super cute. Haha, but I think she was the only person who had on stilettos. I rocked a pretty basic pair of sandals that were still murdering my feet, and an olive green top with gold accents from the Noriega/Khadafi collection (pictured above).

Funny ladies Jamie Lee and Maria Bamford were on my episode. It was my first time meeting Maria, and she was awesome. My good buddy Gina Yashere came over to the studio a couple hours before her taping so she could catch mine. Because she is also awesome. Can’t wait to see this show. Though in the past year or two I’ve taped several things that never made it to air — or just haven’t made it there yet, I haven’t told jokes on TV in quite some time. Really looking to get my groove back in 2012. Wish me luck!

Homecoming and ‘headlining’

So I was in Jersey this past weekend working at the Catch a Rising Star comedy club in Princeton. Princeton is about 20 minutes away from where I grew up so it was amazing to be home. I get nostalgic for Jersey a lot because there’s stuff you can get there that you just can’t get south of the Mason-Dixon — like an authentic bagel shop bagel w/ cream cheese and lox in the morning, a good thin greasy pizzeria pie… and Puerto Ricans. I really miss those things. Puerto Ricans most of all ;)

I was closing the shows this weekend, which was exciting and scary at the same time. I hesitate to say that I was headlining, because until I really get the hang of the closing spot, I’m not a headliner. I’m just up last. I never feel prepared to close, but I also know that there’s no other way to figure out the art and pacing of closing a show other than to do it. There were 4 shows this weekend and I’d say that 2.5 of them went really well. It definitely helped that I was close to home and had a bunch of friends come out!

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Nothing makes you rethink your material like your former Sunday School teacher sitting in the front row ;) But I knew Mrs. Winfrey could handle it. She was like the “Scared Straight” version of a Sunday School teacher. Heart her forever.

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If it’s possible to have two sets of parents who you absolutely, positively love to pieces, then this is my second set — Charles and Ada Martin a.k.a. Jersey Ma & Pop. Through every mistake and triumph I’ve made in my entire life they’ve been there to support me. From sliding me money when I was broke and building me a computer when I couldn’t afford to buy one, to cheering on all my successes and helping to put my setbacks into perspective, I couldn’t ask for two better people in my life. I mean, other than the fact that they’re diehard Jets fans, I’d be hard pressed to come up with one negative thing about them ;) And even then, they still root for the Green & White ;) If you’re a fan of the martial arts — karate in particular — you might be familiar with Pop. He was featured in the martial arts documentary Fighting Black Kings and he is a Shuseki Shihan in Seido Karate — which is the highest honor a student can achieve. He’s in the Martial Arts Hall of Fame and he’s like a rock star in pretty much every country in the world. So don’t mess with him… Or me… cause he’s still got it ;) Continue reading →