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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | MARCH 13, 2022
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Downtown Chandler comedy series a laugh riot BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer
Bryant Thompson moved to Chandler with his family in 2019 and so far, they love it. “I’m the only one who misses Chicago,” he said. He said his wife and daughter, a senior at Chandler High, are enjoying the warmer days. But, there was one thing missing. “When I got out here, I realized there weren’t a lot of opportunities for things to do,” Thompson said. He’s helping address that by starting a monthly comedy series called “The Downtown Chandler Comedy Experience.” Thompson is using his connections with national comedians to put on four comedy shows each month. “I didn’t know many local comedians, but I had experience working with national comedians,” Thompson said. “You have to get out and go to different open mic nights to make sure you have the right one.” Thompson said he likes to give local comedians a chance to open for a national headliner, which he books through Red Level Entertainment. “It’s a platform for new comedians,” he said. So far, he says they found a home in Chandler. “The crowds are great,” he said. “We only did one show that first month. We increased it to two the second month, and they were packed and sold out.
Bryant Thompson thinks Chandler could use some more laughs so he started the Downtown Chandler Comedy Experience. (David Minton/GetOut Staff)
That surprised me because we were up against the Suns in the [NBA] Finals, Game 5.” Thompson said he had hoped to start the club in March 2020, just about the time the entire world shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the shows started in June. By August, Thompson was doing four shows a month at West Alley BBQ in downtown Chandler. He has moved the shows to ImprovMANIA because they outgrew the space at West Alley. Thompson said this will give him the flexibility to add more shows if needed. One comedian who grew up in South Phoenix said it offers a great oppor-
tunity for up-and-coming comics to connect with national stars. “I think that’s super huge,” Terrence DeLane said. “That’s how I got to work with Kevin Hart. He picked four comedians and took them to different states, and that’s where you really learn comedy, by going on the road.” Some of the national comedians to come to Chandler include Talent Harris, George Willborn, Nick Lewis, Damon Williams and Steve Brown. DeLane acted as host of the January shows at West Alley. He said it’s a great venue for comedy. “It allows the comedian to be intimate with the audience,” DeLane said.
“I feel like everyone gets a one-on-one experience.” Thompson said he stumbled on the venue because he’s a member of a cigar bar upstairs and noticed they had a stage when he walked through. Comedy has changed a bit in the #MeToo era. Some of the jokes from years ago don’t hold up as well today. Some comedians have been criticized for some of their past jokes. “Before, nothing was off limits,” Thompson said. “The climate has changed in what you can say and can’t say. However, if you’re a seasoned comedian, you know how to make fun where it’s not offensive.” DeLane said his goal when he’s on stage is to try and heal everybody. “Everybody wants to laugh,” he said. “My goal is to get you to forget about everything that you’re going through in that hour we’re on stage.” Thompson said based on the crowds he’s seeing each month, it’s working. “Word is getting out, and people are coming out and enjoying themselves.”
If you go
Where: Downtown Chandler Comedy Experience When: Fridays and Saturdays, third weekend of month, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Where: ImprovMANIA, 250 S. Arizona Ave. Tickets: Start at $20
Puppets put a new spin on TV show ‘Golden Girls’ BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Staff Writer
Betty White was beloved by many, but Samantha Lee Mason gets to share that adoration nightly. She plays White’s character, Rose, in “That Golden Girls Show!” a new “theater experience” that parodies classic “Golden Girls” moments – with puppets. Mason lists the reasons to see the show: cheesecake, laughter, Jazzercise, shoulder pads, sex and schemes. “It’s super fun,” Mason said. “The character of Rose is known for being very sweet and, playfully, somewhat dim. She’s very earnest and naïve. “I love getting to bring her to life every day on the stage. Playing Betty White’s character – especially since her death – does bring a lot of weight to the world. It wasn’t there to begin with since I started. I now have the great pleasure to carry on Betty’s legacy the best way I can.” The 75-minute “That Golden Girls Show!” hits the Chandler Center for the Arts stage on Thursday, March 17, to Sunday, March 20. “Our story is told through three episodes of the ‘Golden Girls,’” she said.
Samantha Lee Mason gives a hilarious yet reverent spin to the one-time hit TV show "Golden Girls" with her puppet extravaganza coming to Chandler Center for the Arts. (Special to GetOut)
“They’re not episodes that were directly pulled from the actual show. It’s an amalgamation of different lines in the series with a new storyline within the world of the show. It’s very short, very sweet and you’ll laugh the whole time.”
She confesses that even she has a hard time keeping cool during the performance. “I tend to be pretty good in terms of staying with it in the show,” she said. “But there have been a few moments
when something crazy happens and you have to really focus. That’s the beauty of live theater.” A Chicago native, Mason is a trained musical theater performer who attended Indiana University. Now residing in New York City, she had puppeting experience, thanks to a run with “Reusable the Musical,” written and directed by John Tartaglia. “Most of my other performances are in musical theater,” she said. “I lived in Japan and worked for Tokyo Disney Resort for a year and a half. I wanted to travel the world, and that was the best way to do it.” Mason admits she wasn’t an “avid watcher” prior to her auditions for “That Golden Girls Show!” She saw it on Hulu, fell in love with it and binged the entire series. Now, she gets it. “That Golden Girls Show!” kicked off its jaunt in 2016 and was forced to close down – just like the rest of the world – due to the pandemic. “The audience response has just been amazing, too,” she adds. “We look out in the audience and they’re wearing ‘Golden Girls’ face masks. It’s just overwhelming. “This is the farewell tour now. Fans should see it before it’s gone.”
