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Whoever Said Comedy Isn't Pretty? Couldn't Have Been Talking About Leighann Comedy
isn't Pretty … at least that's what comic Steve Martin once said
back in the '70s. But two decades later successful stand-up comedienne
Leighann Lord's feminine good looks and intelligent thought-provoking
sense of humor are proving that sentiment wrong. In an industry that has
been largely dominated by men this lovely lady of the laugh circuit is
making everyone really take notice. And after almost a decade performing
stand-up Leighann Lord has certainly learned how to swim with the comedy
sharks, so to speak.
Her choice, to keep her material clean, has also
made Leighann Lord stand out from the rest of the crowd. The NY Daily
News described her comedy as ‘humor not based on the base.’
“To have subjects that are just base and vulgar, there's no challenge
in that, everyone does that,” says Lord, of her approach to comedy.
“To curse is to take the lazy way out. It takes a little bit more
effort to say, ‘how do I tell this joke without profanity. How do
I do this without going to the lowest common denominator.’ I think
that's more the type of comedy that sticks to your ribs, so to speak.
It's more fulfilling.” Popular on both the comedy club circuit and
the college campus circuit I wondered if Lord varies her material much
for the different audiences. “Not really, it's me. I mean when you
show up you're going to get me. What I will do,” says Lord, “is
I'll assess the crowd and see what I can open with that will appeal to
them more. Bring them together, bring them into my world, bring them around
to what I'm saying and that's going to be different from a club to a college.
But, I don't change from show to show, in terms of… Oh, let me shift
up and do something completely different for this group, no. That's way
too much energy, that's like having a multiple personality. I'd feel schizophrenic
at that point.”
“I think I have a very funny family,”
says Lord. “When people meet my family they go ‘Ohhhh’,
and they just understand why I went into comedy. When you come from that
kind of environment I guess it makes sense what I'm doing.” Armed
with the support of her family and a gift for making her audiences laugh
and think at the same time, Leighann Lord is proving that although some
may say comedy isn't pretty her career's future appears to be, as Freddie
Prinze would say, ‘Looking Good!’
Leighann Lord's stand-up act can be seen at
colleges across the country. When not on the road she can be found performing
at several of New York City's clubs including Caroline's, the Comic Strip,
and Stand Up New York.
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“Unfortunately,
most parents aren't thrilled when their kid says, ‘Oh, I want to
go into entertainment’,” confides Lord referring to another
area where she differs from many comics on the circuit … she has
always enjoyed her parents support. “Yeah, they feel good about what
I do. I'm not going to lie, they're very happy I already have a college
degree. And that's understandable they're parents they're going to be
concerned. But… Oh yeah. My mom, she follows from the sidelines.
She'll kind of stay home and call me and say ‘Have a great set, Baby.’
My dad will actually go out to the comedy clubs. My dad has a lot of love,
not just for me, but a lot of love and support for other comics as well.
He has his favorite comics, he has people he loves to see. And it's so
great, I not only get to have that but my friends do, too. ‘Cause
unfortunately they don't get the kind of support that I'm lucky to have.
It's odd but I know my dad makes a difference to a lot of people, not
just me. So I give the comedy, my dad lends the support, we're a team.”