What: The Comedians of Chelsea Lately
When: Doors 8 p.m., show 9 pm.
Where: Coffman Union, Great Hall
Cost: Free (two admitted per UCard)
When they’re not trading quips as chatty and catty pop culture commentators, the comedians of Chelsea Lately’s round table are authoring books, tweeting, writing for multiple television shows or teaching a brief history lesson while blackout drunk.
On Saturday, four members of the popular late night gossip program will blow into town as part of their âÄúComedians of Chelsea LatelyâÄù standup tour.
The tour, which kicked off in 2009, has brought varying members of the roundtable to different venues and college campuses around the country. For this leg of the tour, performers Loni Love, Matt Braunger, Jen Kirkman and Sarah Colonna will be making appearances.
Sarah Colonna, who emerged onto the national comedy scene when she competed in âÄúLast Comic StandingâÄù in 2006, quickly ascended the ranks and has since held her own on the late-night television circuit.
She got her start with some acting bits on hidden camera show âÄúScare TacticsâÄù and a few lines on âÄúDays of Our Lives.âÄù Now, she is a writer and round-table regular on âÄúChelsea LatelyâÄù and executive producer of the reality-show parody âÄúAfter Lately.âÄù
In 1997, long before either achieved any fame, Colonna befriended Chelsea Handler in Los Angeles. After meeting in a âÄúterribleâÄù improv class, they proceeded to work any crowd that would have them.
âÄúWe kind of started going to small, tiny, little coffeehouses and awful bars that nobody was listening to us in and doing standup,âÄù Colonna said.
Joining Colonna will be Jen Kirkman, whose humor centers around anecdotes from her personal life.
âÄúI’ll probably tell a story or two about trying to lose my virginity when I went to college, because I hadn’t yet. Usually crowds are either horrified by that or they relate and they like it,âÄù Kirkman said
Kirkman rejoined the tour after a brief foray into writing for the show âÄúPerfect Couples,âÄù which was canceled after two episodes.
âÄúWorking on a sitcom, it seemed like it’d be more fun than it was,âÄù Kirkman said.
Kirkman is probably best known for her work with the viral YouTube series âÄúDrunk History,âÄù in which inebriated comedians retell classic historical tales that are then performed by actors like Will Ferrell, Michael Cera and Don Cheadle.
âÄúMy good friend Derek made it up and he honestly was just a friend of mine who would come over and we’d get drunk sometimes,âÄù Kirkman said.
As for her Saturday performance, the experienced Kirkman isn’t sure what to expect. At one show, the audience members heckled by simply yelling, âÄúChelsea!âÄù when Kirkman was on stage.
âÄúOne college campus I did, everyone’s face was just lit up by their cellphones. People were just texting during all the comedians, but they were listening and laughing âĦ I guess this is just what it’s like now,âÄù Kirkman said.
Colonna is optimistic about letting loose on her younger audience. âÄúI’m going to go as far as I can,âÄù she said, âÄúfor the most part, college students are pretty smart and they’re out there and they’re living their lives and they get it.âÄù
For those who may attend the event with an eye on their own potential comedy careers, Colonna has some words of advice.
âÄúBe a lawyer,âÄù Colonna said. âÄúI mean, who knows, you could do [standup] for a day and be one of those overnight successes. I know that happens. I don’t know to who but I’ve read about it.âÄù
But even if they can’t hit the big time, the opportunity for an aspiring comedian to be involved in one way or another is always available, and certainly easier.
âÄúIt’s not hard to sleep with a male comedian,âÄù Kirkman said, âÄútechnically âĦ [you’ll] probably have a good chance.âÄù
