Funny People

ARTS&LIFE

COMEDY

Cory Kahaney

Surrounded by people who complain standup is very familiar to everyone. It’s about their family annoyances, Cory about being a wife, a mother, an ex-wife, a Kahaney jokes about hers in come- daughter-in-law — all that is part of being a dy clubs, on TV and for special events. Jewish woman.

Funny family fiascos have built Kahaney’s “I love sharing anything that makes career through the pandemic, and she will people feel less alone, and I make a special livestream her approach to raise funds for effort to bring in Jewish content when I’m community service projects sponsored by performing for a Jewish group. It’s a luxury the National Council of Jewish when it’s all mishpuchah,” she continued. Women, Michigan. “I came to comedy because it was intro“Raising Laughter,” zooming duced to me through Jewish channels, and into homes at 7 p.m. Sunday, I’ve done an ‘Erev Christmas’ show for a June 6, also will provide fun large audience. I tell my family if they don’t material by local humorist want it in the act, don’t do it.” Alan Alan (Big Al) Muskovitz, who Kahaney’s interest in being a comedy perMuskovitz alternates between topical sub- former started when traveling with parents jects and what can be self-dep- to Jewish resorts in the Catskills, where she recating. Muskovitz quipped that he avoids could glimpse star humorists. Lucille Ball the equal opportunity political humor he and Joan Rivers, so often on TV through once shared with audiences because “I just reruns, became additional inspiration. want people to like me.” “I was always being thrown out of class

“I don’t do family relationship stuff,” said for making jokes,” she recalled. “The teachthe former longtime radio personality, who ers who liked jokes loved me. The teachers often emcees events, takes on voice-over who wanted a serious classroom couldn’t assignments and writes for the Detroit stand me.” Jewish News. “I wish I could, but then I’d Kahaney studied acting at New York have to move out of my house.” University and wanted comedic roles before

Kahaney, based in New York, stays thinking of standup, which she tried when close to family at home and nearby as she she was 21 and in her first marriage. To adapts those relationships into her material. her dismay, stage fright took hold, and she Muskovitz draws more on his own idiosyn- established a career as a catering manager in crasies and the news of the day, convinced a New York hotel. it is much funnier than anything he could Eight years later, she gave standup a secmake up. ond chance.

“I’ll make everybody feel a little bit of normalcy,” said Kahaney, whose TV performances have reached from Comedy Central Presents to Stephen Colbert’s talk show. “My

Funny People

Cory Kahaney to headline NCJW fundraiser.

SUZANNE CHESSLER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

STANDUP COMIC AS SINGLE MOM

“I was a divorced single mom so I pretty much chose doing standup comedy at the worst time anyone could possibly do it,” she said. “I would not recommend it to anybody, but it probably kept me sane. It was probably the right move because the doors started opening.

“When I was a catering manager, the head bartender worked at Catch a Rising Star, and I was dating a comedian casually,” she recalled about incentives for the career turnaround. “Also, one of the waiters worked at Dangerfield’s, and another worked at Carolines on Broadway.

“I was surrounded by it, and I really got tired of people introducing me as ‘their boss but she’s really a comedian.’ I tried it as a hobby but found myself where I was supposed to be.”

Kahaney, the wife of attorney Ken Misrok and mother of two, has had to make style changes for digital appearances although in-person club engagements are opening.

“Digital is not harder, but there’s a big adjustment,” said Kahaney, who has entertained pre-pandemic live audiences in Ann Arbor. “I think it’s like the difference between playing an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar.

“Obviously, you’re far from people, but because you’re so close through the camera, you can’t be as dramatic and larger than life the way you would be onstage.

“Because you’re in somebody’s living room, you have to do more conversational comedy. There’s nothing that gives me more pleasure than hearing an audience laugh, and I go to great lengths to do that.”

“MY STANDUP IS ABOUT BEING A WIFE, A MOTHER, AN EX-WIFE, A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW.”

— CORY KAHANEY

Details

“Raising Laughter” will livestream at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 6. $36 household; $75 patron. Tickets: ncjwmi.org/product/raisinglaughter or call (248) 355-3300.