Rotating Talk Show mixes comedians’ roles to produce unique standup act

By Scott Schultz
DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF
[email protected]

  JANA SUMMERS/DAILY BRUIN Rachel Arieff
serenades comedian Greg Lobb during his turn as host of the
Rotating Talk Show at the Comedy Underground in Santa Monica.

At many standup comedy shows, the performers “pass the
mic” to one another, but the Rotating Talk Show may be the
only show where the performers “pass the desk.”

For fans of standup comedy who prefer a little desk action with
their oration, the Rotating Talk Show is a must see. A Saturday
night staple at the Comedy Underground in Santa Monica since March
2001, the Rotating Talk Show is exactly what its name implies
““ complete with six talk show hosts, one musical sidekick and
seven comedians.

The comedians, who cover all genres of standup, range from under
the radar to established television performers, and they are all
funny. Each comedian takes his or her turn at the desk, with the
musical accompaniment of sidekick Rachel Arieff. Each host
converses with Arieff before bringing on the next comedian, who
performs five minutes of material, panels with the host ““ and
then becomes the host, and so on.

The constant shifting of hosts, provides an edge which most live
comedy shows lack. Aside from Arieff, the show’s other three
constants are comedians Paul Hopkins, Greg Lobb and Tom Sharpe, who
often perform in character or work in some traditional monologue
big-card style comedy, along with their standup and their turns
behind the desk.

Since the audience has a lot of regulars, including many local
comedians, there is interaction between the crowd, the comics on
the side, and the performers on stage that you would not see at a
traditional comedy club. The room, which is literally underground,
has a seating capacity of 50 and it puts the audience within ten
feet of the stage. Most of the comedians are accessible after the
show.

The topics of humor change with each comic. Some performers use
their club material while others apply a more casual approach,
talking about their week. At the July 13 show, “Queer as
Folk’s” Hal Sparks talked about how his first roommate
in Los Angeles moved out in the middle of the night, leaving him
with a massive phone bill. Bob Oschack discussed his struggling
actor friends, who take their personal information so seriously
that they refuse to get a Ralph’s card.

The show regularly fills to capacity, so late arrivals may not
get in.

The Rotating Talk Show is held Saturdays at 9:30 p.m. at The
Comedy Underground, 320 Wilshire Blvd. in the alley between Third
and Fourth streets. Admission is $5 for all ages. Free refreshments
served.