Latest news with #Rockette
New York Post
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Inside Rockette auditions as Radio City's kickline celebrates 100 years
Early Tuesday morning, while most of New York City was rushing to work, more than 1,000 eager dancers — from 45 states and 34 countries — hogged the sidewalk of 50th Street as they lined up outside Radio City Music Hall to audition for a coveted spot on the famous kickline's 100th year. Addison Brill, 18, was one of the many ambitious hopefuls who traveled thousands of miles from Michigan to show off her kicks and bevels — the iconic Rockette pose — to the pros. 'I've been counting down the years until I was able to audition, so it's really incredible to be here, especially that it's the 100th year,' Brill told The Post. 10 Addison Brill and her family drove from Michigan for the open-call auditions. Tamara Beckwith For others like Carol Gois, 20, from Brazil, it was her second attempt. 'I think last year it wasn't as big of a reality for me,' she said. 'It was more of an idea.' 10 The dancers learning the audition choreography. Tamara Beckwith 10 Carol Gois felt a little more prepared this time around compared to her first attempt last year. Tamara Beckwith After getting the Rockette bug, Gois returned this year to re-audition feeling a little stronger and slightly less nervous, knowing what to expect this time around. 'I've been told by so many people that they could see me as a Rockette,' she added. 'So it [last year] was just a tryout to see if that's something that I wanted to pursue.' The Post attended Day 1 of the Rockettes open-call auditions, where hundreds of red-lipped, leotard-wearing dancers swarmed the lobby, doing crunches and some downward dog poses before being divided into groups to learn the audition choreography. 10 The dancers performed their choreography in both large and small groups in front of the pros. Tamara Beckwith All learned a short dance combination, and then groups of women excitedly shuffled from the basement of Radio City to the small rehearsal room to finally the large hall to show off their skill set to Rockettes' judges, assistants and captains. While everyone was hoping to stand out, director and choreographer Julie Branam is actually looking for standouts who can blend in. In fact, she's looking for dancers who know how to perform exactly like the person next to them — after all, synchronization and precision are what have made the Radio City gals so iconic for the past century. 'They [the auditionees] might think they look better doing it a certain way. But being a Rockette, you have to do it the way we asked. So that's part of the gig, and I usually put telling pieces of choreography in the first cut,' Branam explained. 10 The dancers tried not to let their nerves get the best of them while warming up in Radio City's lobby. Tamara Beckwith While of course dancers need to have a 'strong, solid ballet technical base,' Branam and her team are looking for a studious performer who pays attention. 'I'm looking for somebody who has some style and listens to correction,' Branam admitted. 'I like a smart dancer who is focused on what we're saying at the front of the room.' 10 Branam and her team of pros watched each group of dancers meticulously. Tamara Beckwith 10 Branam giving a pep talk to the hopeful dancers before they broke up into groups to perform. Tamara Beckwith Although there are 42 Rockettes for each of the two Christmas Spectacular casts, the number of open kickline spots varies every season. Whether dancers were sent home or made it past the final round of auditions on Thursday — most will luckily get a chance to partake in the invite-only conservatory and preparatory summer programs. But the reality is, most end up getting cut. Approximately 4%-7% of dancers make it through all three days. Both Brill and Gois got the boot in the first round — but despite their disappointment, they kept their composure and were in good spirits as they exited Radio City. 10 Over 1,000 dancers showed up to audition for a coveted spot on the legendary kickline. Tamara Beckwith 10 The lucky dancers who made it through the first round of cuts on Day 1. Tamara Beckwith 'This was a newer dance style, I learned it 72 hours ago, so I was hoping I could figure it out and put my best foot forward,' Brill, 18, said. 'Over the next year, I will really hone in on the technique and style to re-audition.' Making it past the first round, surprisingly, didn't put many of the dancers at ease because they knew they still had to prove to the pros they're worthy of joining the leggy dance troupe. First-timer Nina Nuñez, 21, was in shock when she heard her number called to continue the audition process. She made it to the second day, but was then cut on Day 2. 10 Nina Nuñez was shocked but excited that she made it past the first round of cuts. Tamara Beckwith 'I'm nervous. This is all completely new for me. I have no idea what just happened — I blacked out, but overall I'm feeling good,' she said. 'This is all completely new for me, but I'm grateful and appreciative to be here.'
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Yahoo
Rockford police arrest armed man fleeing officers at Airbnb party
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford Police, while breaking up a party at an Airbnb rental, arrested 'repeat felony offender' Jerry Rockette, 25, who reportedly ran from officers while armed. According to the Rockford Police Department, officers were called to the 4500 block of Dogwood Circle around 10:40 p.m. on Saturday, April 19th. As the party was being cleared, officers with the department's Specialized Community Oriented Policing Enforcement (SCOPE) team attempted to speak with Rockette when he fled the scene. He was apprehended and a loaded gun was found on his person, according to authorities. Rockette has been charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Repeat Felony Offender, Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon, No Valid FOID, and Resisting Arrest. He was booked into the Winnebago County Jail pending the outcome of a pretrial detention hearing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
For the Radio City Rockettes' 100th anniversary, auditions stakes are higher than ever
If you see a swarm of statuesque women high-kicking in front of Radio City this week, no, it's not Christmas just yet. The holiday season may be months away, but springtime is when Rockette history is made. Each April, hundreds of hopeful leotard-clad dancers travel from all over to the Big Apple to audition for a coveted spot on the famous kickline — founded in 1925, halfway across the country in St. Louis, Missouri. For 11 years, it's been director and choreographer Julie Branam's difficult task to find the next generation of Rockettes for this now-100-year-old legacy. 23 The Rockettes began in 1925, but were called the 'Missouri Rockets' in St. Louis by choreographer Russell Markert. Courtesy of The Rockettes 23 Every spring, the Big Apple buzzes with leotard-clad dancers lining up outside the Midtown theater for Rockette auditions, which are set for Tuesday, April 22, this year, followed by callbacks on Wednesday and Thursday. REUTERS All dancers who meet the 18-year-old age requirement are welcome at the legendary organization's open-call audition, because Branam wants to give everyone an equal opportunity to showcase their talent. 'I'm always looking to do things better and to make sure that I'm giving every dancer the best chance they have to get that job,' Branam told The Post. While it's an extremely nerve-wracking experience, Branam and the dance captains find small ways to humanize the process — like calling every dancer by name instead of a number. 23 Julie Branam, director and choreographer for the Rockettes, told The Post she gives dancer wannabes the 'best chance they have' to join the group. MSG 23 Branam joined the Rockettes in 1988. She is shown performing (center) in an undated photo. MSG It's a long, high-pressure day for the hopefuls, but considering the legendary troupe has been held to an exceptionally high standard for the past century — only the best of the best make it. Try, try again The stakes have always been high at these auditions — even back in 1971 for veteran Cynthia Hughes Miller. At 17, Miller didn't get the job the first time around but was invited to audition again. 'I got a letter saying the positions were filled, and when I graduated from high school, to get in contact with them,' she told The Post. 'So I auditioned again — I did the kicks, some tap, ballet, jazz and [finally] got the job.' 23 At first, veteran performer Cynthia Hughes Miller didn't get the job when she auditioned in 1971 but eventually succeeded in fulfilling her dream. MSG 23 Miller, pictured recently onstage at Radio City Music Hall, said she keeps the word 'Rockette' in her email address to tell fun stories when people ask. MSG The Rockettes' assistant choreographer and dance captain Danelle Morgan, now celebrating 20 years of eye-high kicks, also experienced rejection at first. 'My first audition, I didn't get hired. My second audition — the same thing. It wasn't until I auditioned for the third time that I got hired,' she recalled to The Post. 'But every time I went back, I stayed a little longer and I learned a little bit more about this style that was not familiar to me.' Expectedly, audition cuts will always be made because the team of pros is only looking to fill a specific number of spots on the kickline — which varies every year. 23 Danelle Morgan (pictured in foreground) is the assistant choreographer and dance captain. MSG 23 Morgan is celebrating her 20th year as a Rockette. MSG 'Some people are starting their families, some people have gotten jobs on Broadway or are touring. Some people are going back to school,' Branam explained. 'You just never know what will be. And some people have just said, 'This is my last year, and I'm going to retire from this,' So there are all different reasons why the line opens up.' Some dancers who don't move past the first day of auditions are luckily asked to join invite-only conservatory and preparatory programs, designed to help dancers learn, understand and perfect the group's unique dance style to ultimately re-audition. A 100-year journey: 'It takes a lot of grit' 23 Russell Markert and the Missouri Rockets, seen here in 1925. Courtesy of The Rockettes 23 The Rockettes, seen here in 1937. The troupe moved to the Big Apple in 1932. Courtesy of MSG Entertainment And the specific technique the Rockettes are known for remains true to its 1920s roots — it's just slightly updated now to keep up with the times. 'With this big 100 number, I think back to how far the company has come. How the choreography and even the [Christmas Spectacular] show has grown, evolved and changed,' said Morgan. 'We [now] have a presence on social media, the versatility that we have to have now as dancers versus back when I even started has changed.' 23 The Rockettes' famous Wooden Soldier dance, seen here in 1960. Courtesy of MSG Entertainment 'The evolution that I've witnessed firsthand and continue to see is that there is now a lot more diversity and inclusion in the cast,' Jacey Lambros-Carrino, a former Rockette of 10 years, told The Post. Known for their leggy statures, a height prerequisite remains — but Branam said it's changed throughout the years because ultimately she is looking for 'great dancers to join the cast.' However, being a great dancer will only get someone so far because the life of a Rockette is not for the weary. These women are athletes in their own right — training six hours a day, six days a week, for six weeks leading up to the November opening night of the Christmas Spectacular. 'It takes a lot of grit to be a Rockette and to be in the Christmas show in general. It is a 90-minute show. And you could do two, three, four shows a day with only one day off a week,' Branam told The Post. 'The consistency is a huge factor. And for some people, that's really hard.' Lambros-Carrino agreed. 'There aren't a lot of 18-year-olds who can endure the magnitude [of the job] both in terms of physicality and emotional demand,' she said. 23 Dancers travel from all over to pursue their dream of becoming a Radio City Rockette. NY Post 23 'It takes a lot of grit to be a Rockette,' said Branam (center), who first tried out — unsuccessfully — at age 17. MSG 'But it's also really beautiful to watch somebody come in at 18 and watch the evolution of that person.' That includes errors — Rockettes are humans who make mistakes after all, although their kicks make it look otherwise. 'We try to avoid [mistakes] and really rehearse so well that it's muscle memory,' Branam added. 23 The Rockettes, shown in 1939, performed in the first Christmas Spectacular just six years earlier, in 1933. Courtesy of MSG Entertainment 23 Dancers warm up and stretch in the lobby of Radio City Music Hall during auditions in 2024. AP 23 The Christmas Spectacular has been seen by more than 72 million people over the years. Carl Scheffel/MSG Photos They put the 'kick' in kickline Rockettes must always bring their A-game because every kickline dancer is constantly being evaluated. Regardless of one's tenure, each dancer has to reaudition every season. 'Show business is a really hard business, and I want everybody to do their best. Everyone has to stay in shape, keep working hard, keep listening and keep a good frame of mind,' Branam said. 23 Director Julie Branam, seen next to team captain Danelle Morgan (center), keeps an eye on tryouts at the 2024 auditions. Jeenah Moon for NY Post 23 The Rockettes train six hours a day, six days a week, for six weeks leading up to the November opening night of the Christmas Spectacular. Courtesy of MSG Entertainment A strong work ethic is what every dancer must have — especially when spectators travel from all over to witness their eye-high kicks in the Christmas Spectacular. Since premiering at Radio City in 1933, more than 72 million people have seen the seasonal show. The famous kickline started with only 16 dancers 100 years ago, and today, even with two New York casts, 42 Rockettes in each — these women form a close-knit bond. 23 The very first Christmas Spectacular show was performed on Dec. 21, 1933. The 2025 show season will kick off on Thursday, Nov. 6. Courtesy of MSG Entertainment 'You become intimately close with the women because you're with them every second of your day,' Lambros-Carrino said. 'I spent my birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, sometimes New Year, with these people.' Morgan agreed. 'It's one of those things that literally nobody gets unless you've done this experience.' Despite the high-pressure demands of the job, when asked what it means to be a part of the Rockette legacy, all four women couldn't help but smile ear-to-ear. 23 Dance captain Morgan (center) said it took her three auditions to be selected. MSG 23 'Being a Rockette becomes synonymous with who you are,' Morgan said. MSG 'Being a Rockette becomes synonymous with who you are. It's something that you wear with a sense of pride,' said Morgan. Working as a former Rockette and now leading the next generation of dancers, Branam feels blessed to call this work. 'I can't believe I spent 38 years of my life here. I mean, how lucky am I?' And while Miller may no longer be on the front line, it's an experience she will never forget. 23 Dancers were ready to learn new steps as they auditioned for the Rockettes in 2024. Jeenah Moon for NY Post 23 The Rockettes are shown during a performance in 1960. Courtesy of MSG Entertainment 'My email has the word 'Rockette' in it, and when I get on the phone to argue about a bill or something, and I need to give my email, they ask if I was a Rockette and their whole attitude changes,' she laughed. 'Nothing lasts for 100 years — but I think it's going to keep on going. They're beautiful, talented. They're athletes. They're everything.'
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The iconic Rockettes turn 100
NEW YORK, N.Y. (WSAV) — When you turn 100, you celebrate all year long. That is the plan for the iconic Rockettes. Julie Branam, Resident Director Choreographer, Radio City Music Hall, says, 'There's no place else where, really, the Rockettes fit better than at Radio City Music Hall, where we have a 70-foot-wide proscenium that fits all the Rockettes.' New Jersey native Danelle Mogan is celebrating her own Rockette milestone with her 20th season. 'Whether it's your first year or your 28th year, there's something so special about being a Radio City Rockette, and I think that's why we sort of stick around so long.' For the Sullivan twins, also from New Jersey, who have childhood memories of seeing the high kickers perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 'As identical twins, we're like, wow, that's something that we could do as it's been in, like our DNA and our genes, to dance together. We have always been in sync.' Their years of training in jazz, tap and ballet paid off. 'Being from New Jersey, New York has always been in our backyard, so our parents come to a lot of shows.' The saying goes, 'Once a Rockette, always a Rockette.' So to celebrate the 100th anniversary, the dance company is inviting all former Rockettes to share their story. Julie Branam says it's a way to keep the legacy going. 'We'll keep archiving all of that information. It's like a living, breathing tribute to everyone who has been a Rockette.' A century of high kicks and timeless charm. Courtney Sullivan says, ''It's just such an honor to be a part of this line of women and to celebrate those who came before us.' Fun fact: The Rockettes may be synonymous with New York City, but did you know they actually originated in St. Louis?Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Los Angeles Times
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘I'm not the only woman who does stand up': Iliza Shlesinger on ‘digestible feminism' and mom brain
Comedian Iliza Shlesinger takes the word 'special' very seriously, and not just because she's done a lot of them (seven, to be exact). It's because when she hits the stage, the goal is to leave a mark. From the first roar of applause from the audience, to the punch lines that claw into the flesh of gender stereotypes, to the pop-star outfits that remind us she's a comedy queen of the jungle, the veteran headliner holds nothing back. She brings those showbiz instincts to everything she does — including in-person interviews. On a recent afternoon, the L.A.-based comic arrived dressed to the nines (maybe even the 10s), in a full Rockette wardrobe including a black tuxedo top, sparkling sheer leggings and high heels to match. In her latest comedy special, 'A Different Animal,' which premiered on Tuesday on Prime Video, Shlesinger dives into her evolution as a mother of two dealing with 'mom brain' while proudly upholding her role as an elder millennial who can school Gen Z and Alpha newbies on what's up with a mixture of wisdom, wit and wild animal noises. This interview was edited for length and clarity. The title of your special, 'A Different Animal,' is an aggressive title, but it also seems like it's got a bunch of layers to it. How do you think the title relates to your comedy? I wanted to do something that was very me, but also my comedy has a little bit of force and aggression built into it. But I did want to sort of announce that I'm on this new platform [Prime Video], and I think what I bring as a performer is different. Every comic should feel that they are bringing something unique, otherwise, why are you an artist? In a literal way, [my comedy] is a different animal because I do these animal sounds [during my show] and I'm very theatrical in what I do. This is different comedy than what you might get somewhere else. I think that I create a very special product. When it comes to making a special new and different, every special you have has some element of theatrics, whether it's the set design, your outfit, etc. How far ahead do you visualize what a special is gonna look like? I believe in creating a product. I believe that if people are spending their time and money to come and see you, which is the greatest sacrifice we can make in this economy, they deserve a polished product. You don't deserve to see me come out there and stop to drink and have a beer and not have any production value, especially for a special. This is show business, and I think sometimes we get away from that. I mean, look, I'm the first one to perform in leggings and sneakers when I'm on tour, but for a special, and it should be special, you want to give them a show. And so we worked really hard on the design and the layout and we went through a lot of different options, but we just wanted something that was big and shiny and an announcement of my presence on the platform [Prime Video]. And somebody came up with having 'Iliza' [in big letters behind me] because the idea is you're watching this and just in case you forget who you're watching, we wanted it to always be onscreen. And I want it to be fun and polished and visually appealing. I thought about doing everything in white and Amazon was like, 'That's going to be a little hard to watch the whole time.' They're like, 'You should be the whitest thing about your set.' Having seen you around town in LA, you do multiple sets a night and you're very focused, dressed down and very inconspicuous when you're drilling your new material. It is a drill — I am drilling it. What's your mentality when you're in that mode? I believe in loving the work, and so when I go out at night I am there to get something out of it. Always do the set, even when you don't feel well, when you're tired. If there's no real reason to stay home, like if you have flu, maybe, OK stay home, don't spread it around–or do! I think maybe COVID was started by a bunch of male comics just like breathing on a microphone, but I'm there to do work and I'm there to find all the little weak points. I'm there to find new things, I'm there to find tags, So I get up, if I'm not on the road, I'll get up like two or three times a night. I don't do three sets as often as I used to because by the third set, even if it's only a 20-minute set, I'm still like, 'Did I already say this to you? or was that the other club?' But I try to get up a few times a night because I don't write anything down, so it's all in my head and so for me it's about retaining, remembering the muscle memory of what got a laugh last time. That's crazy you don't write anything down. I write down like a word, like it'll say 'Jell-O' and then that's my mental cue to remember that entire bit. Even though my memory feels shot since becoming a mom, I'm a big believer in the repetition that is the workout and so I'll do a lot of shows where I riff. If you come to see me in Hollywood, chances are I'm making up like a third of what I'm saying there, and then it just all I feel like whatever's good sticks and that's how we arrive at the hour. You talk about 'mom brain' a lot in your special. Is it true that parts of your brain shrink when you become a mom? Thank you for asking that. Yeah, a part of your brain shrinks when you become a mom, and I know people watching this are like, 'We better ask Joe Rogan. There's no way she knows that' — but it's true. Your brain actually chemically biologically shrinks to make way for a part of your brain that in fact enlarges when you become a mom, and that is the part that knows how to reflexively care for a child because it isn't as easy as babysitting, like that's your mother's intuition. Those are the eyes in the back of your head. All of those are senses that are in fact overdeveloped because you are inflamed when you become a mom. So it's the reason why I can anticipate what my child might need or why a mom can do that. So while you are looking for your phone as you're on it, you are still making sure your child doesn't fall or grab a knife. So there's a give and a take. I often forget to use a turn signal now, but at least I know my daughter's favorite foods. How do you balance that mom brain with hustling the way you do in comedy? I don't know if it's a balance. A balance just suggests that you haven't fallen so off-kilter that you're in some sort of mental facility. And I know that women often get asked about that. There is no balance, there is just doing it. I just get up and I put one foot in front of the other and I just do the best I can and I know from watching other moms, I've decided to never come down too hard on myself. Like you are really doing the best that you can, and the good news is your kid doesn't know any better and you just do it to the best of your ability, knowing that you will be faulted for much in the way you faulted your parents, everything you did and didn't do anyway, so we may as well let them have that cookie. Now that you've had both a daughter and a son, are you noticing a difference in the way you parent boys versus girls? [My son is] only 1, so there's not a lot to do other than like, 'Please don't grab my hair.' But I will say it is heartbreaking to leave them, and I don't remember a ton of it from my daughter because your brain is like this foggy mess and stand-up is one of the things that does keep me grounded. The consistency of getting up in those clubs year after year and knowing everyone — that is the one consistent thing in my life over the last 20 years and it's always been something that's brought me such joy and I love my fans so much. But your heart is broken when you're not with your kids and then when you're with them, you're like, oh, I need a break. But it is a weird thing, like you become two different people. When I leave [home to do shows], I have to just know that my heart is in pieces, but I've got to go do this amazing job, but I can't say that I get the joy from being on the road in the way that I did before, like I've been to Pittsburgh, I've been to Austin, I've been to the gift shops, I've been to the bars, I've eaten the steak, and all I want to do when I get offstage is just go to sleep so I can get home the next day. So as we millennials are reaching a certain age and having children, I think it's great that comedians who are also experiencing parenthood are able to talk about it because it feels like a different era than what our parents went through. What is it like crafting jokes around that topic? When you're a woman, you're always gonna get asked more about your children than men do, and for me there was a bit of a stutter step because to even begin to talk about something as life-changing, life-affirming and life-shattering as having kids, these are waters that you've never navigated before and I've gotten horrific comments like, 'You're not gonna talk about your kids, are you?' Which is disheartening because men get to do that and it's like, 'Oh, that's so charming, give them a sitcom.' But when women do, it's kind of seen as like, 'Oh, well, she's unf—able now, she has kids, that's not gonna be for me.' I also have a lot of hot takes about other things. So for me, the commentary on being a mom is less about the specificity of an interaction with my child and more commentary on society's commentary on a woman having kids, and even within that, I do keep it to a minimum in the special because I'm still so blown away by the experience that I'm having, I haven't processed all of it yet. So in five years I'll complain about the kids. You have some good material when it comes to talking about Gen Z and Alpha. How do you find a way to make these jokes multilayered for everyone in the audience? I'm always developing jokes for me, and I'm mindful of who might be in the audience, but I'm very lucky in that I don't have a homogeneous audience. I think with some comics you know exactly the archetype of [their fans], and because I'm fortunate enough to be able to play audiences across the country, you really don't know who you're gonna get. You can kind of guess, but we have everyone from conservative veterans, to a super queer contingent, to people who look like your parents, to Gen Z. So it's always about the truth and it's always about saying something honest, because comedy comes from vulnerability and from honesty and I don't hate Gen Z or Baby Boomers. My comedy comes from a place of very much wanting to be seen and explain myself. I don't ever write anything to hurt anyone deliberately. And so all my comedy comes from this unending need to understand what the f— is going on. When you make jokes about gender double standards, you say that it's never to bash men, it's to empower women. Why is that an important message to drive home to your male fans? I think we make the mistake of thinking that if it's pro-female, it has to be anti-male. And both things can be true — that you are critiquing something without aiming to harm and also wanting women to feel a little bit better. One of the comments that I sadly still get is women will come up to me and they'll say, 'That was my first stand-up show.' And I'll be like, well, that's right, because your boyfriend probably only showed you his favorite male comics, so you thought comedy wasn't for you. I'm not the only woman who does stand-up. Thankfully, there's so many more now than even when I started, so everybody can find something for them, but I think that there's a way to bring men in — I call it digestible feminism. Bring men in in a way that you just present the facts and you make everyone laugh, but you are saying something that women in the audience can vibrate with and men, if you don't hate women, will be like, 'Hey, that there's a good thought.' Nobody buys [a ticket to a comedy show] to hear why their politics are wrong, why their gender is wrong, why their color is wrong. And so I try to keep it all social and light and just hit you with scathing hot facts that are irrefutable wrapped in comedy so you can digest it and talk about it on your drive home to La Crescenta later. When you started comedy, what was your perception of what stand-up could be? When I started comedy, I don't think I had a perception because I was thrown into it. I became a touring headliner at 25. There was no real time to gather information. I didn't have a mentor. I was headlining at an age where most of the people around me were still gritting it out in clubs and you're alone. [Comedy is] a solo sport. And so, you know, you're playing an Improv in the middle of America and you're just like, 'Wow, it'd be really great to get to a place where I could make $400 a weekend.' It'd be great to get these shows sold out. I never looked beyond that because you're working, I was working so hard to sell the T-shirts that I brought with me to fill that room to get past just a regular guarantee and get to a door deal. Like there's all these little levels. The internet was around, but we didn't have comedy on social media in the way that we do now. I wish that we had. It would have been so much better for me. So it was never about looking at someone like Chris Rock, which was so out of the stratosphere. Like those are just celebrities. It was just about [putting] one foot in front of the other. I had no idea how much money could be made. I got into comedy because I just loved doing it and that begot so much else. There's micro goals, but the [biggest] goal is always to be artistically fulfilled and always leveling up at every stage, which is why I'm in this outfit. And we appreciate it. I think your viewers will too. You have so many layers to this special. Is there something that you would hope that fans walk away with after watching it? My only hope ever is that people walk away feeling great. I say these things for me just as much as the fans. I hope that men come away a little bit softer with women. I hope women come away feeling a little bit better. I hope everybody comes away with their faces in pain from laughing so hard. What I want is for you to have a great time, truly — and to admit that the pants were hot fire.
