Comedy powerhouse and G.L.O.C. ANDREA ROSEN will be debuting a new solo show, DING DONG MEOW, at the UCB Theatre on Thursday. Let’s hear from her about her comedy inspirations and what her solo show will bring to our faces.
Andrea Rosen
Where did you grow up?
Roosevelt Island. Weird right? Grandpa from the Munsters lived there for a while when he was super old. And Buddy Hackett had an apartment in my building – he would do one liners for anyone who would listen. It was annoying.
Was comedy in your blood at a young age?
Yes. I was a little sister, so I was constantly trying to stir things up, ie: I wouldn’t flush the toilet in the hopes of getting a laugh. And I didn’t brush my teeth very often, so I could exhale bad breathe into my brother face. Plus I loved the Steve Martin album, Wild and Crazy Guy. I listened to that a lot!
Who inspired you to go into comedy?
Steve Martin, Gilda Radner – loved her on SNL. I remember watching Soap very early, and thinking it was so funny. I also loved the Muppet Show.
What was your first experience with making someone laugh?
I don’t remember, but it was probably my older brother. My goal in life was to make him laugh. I also did a bunch of comedy shows at the foot of my mom’s bed – that started pretty young.
Where was your first performance?
I did school plays, monologue contests, and then took a stand up class in the late 90’s, and did my first stand up routine at the end of that class.
How about your first NY/LA performance in a semi-/professional setting?
I did a few one woman shows years ago – at the HBO Workspace in LA, and in NY – my memory is fuzzy. But I remember feeling terrified. It took me years to not feel terrified. And I still feel terrified sometimes – eeeeeeeeee.
You tried LA out for a while, but it seems you’ve settled on NY. What is it about NY that you love?
Well I’m from here so I feel comfortable here. But I also really like that people do all sorts of things here, it’s not all entertainment biz stuff. Whereas, LA is all entertainment – and it makes me anxious. Plus, I hate the sun. And the food there is mediocre. And I walk a lot here, so if I lived out there, I fear I would get fat from sitting in a car all day.
How did you and the Variety Shac ladies hook up? How long have you been working together now?
We all knew each other from shows and were were all fans of each others work. So we decided to do a show together and committed to making a short once a month and showing it at our show. It’s been a great collaboration. I have no idea when we started – maybe 6 years ago? I’m bad with dates/years.
Your stand up is very story-based, did you try writing “jokes” at any point?
I mean if something strikes me as funny, I’ll try it out. But it is usually personal in nature. That’s just how my brain’s been working.
Can you talk about what your show is about? Where did the idea come from?
My show is in 2 days!!!!! It’s called DING DONG MEOW. I have been wanting to do a solo show, but had a hard time figuring out how to put it together. So I wrote a bunch of drafts, and I think I came up with a cohesive structure, TBD. And it’s basically a poopoo platter of material that I don’t get to do very much, because it’s not stand up. So it’s true stories, characters, and a reading from a “novel” that I wrote, about a Pirate who is also a whore. It is not my first solo show – but it is my first in a very loooong time. So it sort of feels like a first, even though it’s not.
What can people expect?
Hopefully – it’s silly and doesn’t make people cringe.
What do you hope they take away from the show?
Cookies. (I’ll be giving out some cookies).
What past projects of yours are you most proud of?
I am very proud of all the Variety Shac shorts – we worked so hard on those for so long, and I think they’re great. I also loved working on Flight of the Conchords – I did one episode – and I had a great time working with those guys……..
[Here’s a hilarious short story about her audition experience with the Conchords. Animated by the fabulous Scott Bateman.]
If you could star in a remake of a movie from your childhood which would it be?
Tootsie – and I would play ANYONE in it, even an extra.
Anything else you’d like to say?
Thanks for interviewing me.
Now watch Andrea in her latest commercial for Cinnamon Toast Crunch:
Then catch ANDREA’s new show DING DONG MEOW (directed by the amazing JOHN FLYNN) on Thursday, December 16th at 6:30pm at the UCB Theatre (307 West 26th). I’ll be there, will you?
You can check out more of Andrea’s work on her site.
G.L.O.C. 