{"id":28455,"date":"2020-11-05T09:09:56","date_gmt":"2020-11-05T14:09:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=28455"},"modified":"2020-11-05T09:10:03","modified_gmt":"2020-11-05T14:10:03","slug":"on-stage-finding-live-comedy-is-no-laughing-matter-in-the-era-of-covid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=28455","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Finding live comedy is no laughing matter in the era of COVID"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Godfrey<\/p><\/div>\n

Efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have created many unpleasant side effects.<\/p>\n

One of these side effects is that finding a live music show in the area by a national act is an unachievable task.<\/p>\n

A resulting side effect from this is that many people who are accustomed to attending several concerts and stage shows each month have been going stir crazy. They have been jonesing big time for a night out in front of a stage.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, there is a route to escape cabin fever.<\/p>\n

Finding a live comedy show by a national act performed locally is relatively easy thanks to the different series presented each weekend by Punch Line Philly (33 East Laurel Street, Philadelphia,www.punchlinephilly.com<\/a>). <\/p>\n

Following the venue\u2019s successful Patio Series, Punch Line Philly, the comedy club in the Fishtown section of Philadelphia, is bringing comedians\u00a0Godfrey,\u00a0Chris Distefano,\u00a0Corey Holcomb, a\u00a0Philly All-Pro Comedy Series, and others to the club for a series of socially distanced performances.<\/p>\n

The first show to take place inside Punch Line Philly since March was the Philly All-Pro Comedy Showcase on November 4.<\/p>\n

The new series continues with\u00a0Godfrey\u00a0from November 5-7,\u00a0The Corey Holcomb 5150 Show\u00a0from November 12-15, and Chris Distefano\u00a0from November 19-21. More artists will be added, and the\u00a0Philly All-Pro Comedy Showcase\u00a0will become a reoccurring show on the first Wednesday of each month.<\/p>\n

Godfrey has established himself as one of the hottest comedians on the circuit. Like many comedians, Godfrey\u2019s entry into the world of comedy started when he was a class clown in grade school \u2013 but that\u2019s not the complete picture.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t \u2018the\u2019 class clown,\u201d said Godfrey, during a phone interview Wednesday evening from his home in New York City. \u201cAll my friends were clowns. We were always funny — and always getting in trouble. Teachers always scolded the funny kid.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt shouldn\u2019t be that way. You shouldn\u2019t get punished for making people laugh. Comedy is a form of intelligence and it doesn\u2019t get the respect it deserves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of Godfrey\u2019s ability to be funny could have a lot to do with genetics.<\/p>\n

His full name is Godfrey C. Danchimah, Jr. and his parents are both from Nigeria.<\/p>\n

The ability to laugh at others, themselves and their situations comes naturally to Jamaicans and West Africans \u2013 especially Nigerians.<\/p>\n

\u201cNigerians love to laugh,\u201d said Godfrey.<\/p>\n

Godfrey incorporates impressions of Africans speaking in realistic-sounding dialects with routines about growing up in America with Nigerian parents. His depictions of his father \u2013 complete with Ibo accent \u2013 are highly requested parts of his performances.<\/p>\n

Ibo (or Igbo) is one of the two main languages in Nigeria. The other is Yoruba.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t speak Ibo at home and I never learned it when I was a child,\u201d said Godfrey. \u201cMy sister was born in Nigeria so she spoke Ibo but my brother doesn\u2019t. My parents left Nigeria to escape the Biafra war and they didn\u2019t teach the language to my brother and me when we were growing up in Chicago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Godfrey\u2019s parents unknowingly encouraged his bad\/comedic behavior by showing him classic comedy films from an early age.<\/p>\n

Despite his disruptive tendencies, Godfrey was a good student.<\/p>\n

He attended\u00a0Lane Technical College Preparatory High School\u00a0and received an academic scholarship to the\u00a0University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he majored in psychology.<\/p>\n

At the University of Illinois, he made the varsity football team and performed at a traditional talent show for new team members. He stole the show, performing impressions of his coaches and teammates and discovered his comedic talent. While performing impressions of his college football teammates,\u00a0Godfrey\u00a0realized his irreverent style of comedy might be more than just a hobby.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn college \u2013 in my last year \u2013 I thought I\u2019d try standup,\u201d said Godfrey.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn college, you\u2019re a free thinker and can rebel against things. With comedy, you can be rebellious and funny at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Godfrey honed his stand-up skills at the\u00a0All Jokes Aside\u00a0comedy club in Chicago in the early 1990s.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was nervous the first time I went onstage,\u201d said Godfrey. \u201cIt takes a lot of stage time until you really get comfortable. You have to do it 100 times.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really takes about 10 years. Your outlook changes. You get comfortable with yourself. My early influences were Cosby, Pryor, Carlin. Eventually, you find your own style.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 1995, Godfrey made his New York debut at\u00a0Carolines on Broadway\u00a0and the\u00a0Comic Strip Live\u00a0and was soon signed by the William Morris Talent Agency.<\/p>\n

He began working regularly in television, first behind the cameras as a warm-up comedian for\u00a0The Cosby Show\u00a0and\u00a0Soul Man. His first on-camera appearance featured him performing stand-up comedy for NBC’s\u00a0Friday Night Videos, followed by more small television and film roles.<\/p>\n

In 2000, Godfrey appeared in the\u00a0Aspen Comedy Festival\u00a0and on\u00a0Comedy Central\u2019s\u00a0Premium Blend. He also played a comical role in the movie\u00a0Soul Plane, acting as an African pilot. He has also been in numerous episodes of BET’s\u00a0Comic View.<\/p>\n

His first one-hour special, \u201cGodfrey: Black by Accident\u201d was shot for Comedy Central in 2011 at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City to a standing room only audience. In 2013, he had his own solo show called \u201cThe Godfrey Complex\u201d in the same festival for a whole week. His second one-hour special, \u201cGodfrey: Regular Black\u201d was shot in Chicago in 2016.<\/p>\n

Ben Stiller cast him to play himself in \u201cZoolander,\u201d a performance that has since achieved cult status. Godfrey has also appeared in \u201cJohnson Family Vacation,\u201d \u201cThe Cook Out\u201d with Queen Latifah, \u201cPhat Girlz\u201d starring Monique, and \u201cSoul Plane\u201d alongside Snoop Dogg.<\/p>\n

IMDb lists 55 credits in Godfrey\u2019s filmography \u2013 most recently \u201cAmericanish,\u201d \u201cThe Truth about Santa Claus,\u201d \u201cThe Binge,\u201d \u201cTournament of Laughs,\u201d and \u201cRapid Eye Movement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Godfrey has also made many television appearances, including stand-up specials on Showtime and Comedy Central.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy style is conversational \u2013 conversational edgy,\u201d said Godfrey. \u201cI was always able to do impressions. It\u2019s easy for me to change voices. Then, I wanted to get away from doing impressions. I didn\u2019t want to be Rich Little. I like languages in general and I love accents \u2013 Spanish, African, British, Arabic, Indian.<\/p>\n

\u201cI keep it fresh by taking chances. You have to watch stuff. You\u2019ve got to watch the world \u2013 including social media. You\u2019ve got to look at the garbage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Godfrey hosted his own show on SiriusXM satellite radio, and he currently hosts the \u201cIn Godfrey We Trust\u201d podcast.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy podcast is on GaS Digital Network every Tuesday and Friday at 9 p.m. eastern,\u201d said Godfrey. \u201cI recently shot a pilot and just did Tiffany Hadish\u2019s show \u2018They Ready.\u2019 I also do a lot of social media on Instagram and Twitter.\u201d<\/p>\n

While most bands are unable to take a chance of mounting a tour and having it sabotaged by mid-tour COVID-caused cancellations, it\u2019s much easier for a comedian to take chances and deal with similar situations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just one person and one microphone,\u201d said Godfrey. \u201cI\u2019ve been working steadily for the last two-and-a-half months. I\u2019ve been doing shows, but the capacity is cut down by the number of people inside. For a while, it was reduced to almost nothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m looking forward to coming back to Punch Line. I played there for the first time last year. It\u2019s a great room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adhering to guidelines issued by the City of Philadelphia and the State of Pennsylvania, Punch Line Philly is now offering indoor seating with a reduced venue capacity to adhere to social distancing measures. Masks are mandatory inside the venue and must be worn at all times except while eating and drinking.<\/p>\n

Punch Line Philly will also offer an expanded menu of food and beverage options with contactless payment during the performance. Tickets for all Punch Line Philly shows \u2013 both outdoor on the Patio Series or inside the club – are on sale now at PunchLinePhilly.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Video link for Godfrey — https:\/\/youtu.be\/TY7jU0MBaTk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Show times for Godfrey are 7:15 and 9:30 p.m. each night from November 5-7. Ticket prices start at $32.<\/p>\n

There are several local venues presenting live music shows throughout November.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Sam Seider<\/p><\/div>\n

Cedar Hollow Inn Restaurant and Bar (2455 Yellow Springs Road, Malvern, www.cedarhollowinn.com<\/a>) will present Sam Seider on November 5, Chris Lebresco on November 12, Sunshine Jones on November 14, Kendal Conrad on November 19, Nicki Sbaffoni on November 20 and Matt Sevier on November 21.<\/p>\n

Brickside Grille (540 Wellington Square, Exton, bricksidegrille.com<\/a>) is hosting Madeline Rumpf on November 7, Mike McVey on November 8, Paul & Dave on November 14, Bob Starner on November 15, Madeline Knight on November 21, Michael Kropp on November 22, Nicole Zell on November 28 and Steve Rhodes on November 29.<\/p>\n

The Bordley House (1520 Tattersal Way, West Chester, www.bordleyhousegrille.com<\/a>) will host Bryan McDermott on November 7 and Chris Lebresco on November 14.<\/p>\n

Tuned Up Brewing Co. (135 North Main Street, Spring City, www.tunedupbrew.com<\/a>) will present Mike Kropp on November 7, Bill Ferreri on November 13, John Costello on November 20 and Mr. Mody on November 27.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Creekside Sports Bar & Grille (765 N Lewis Road, Royersford, http:\/\/www.creeksidesportsbar.com\/<\/a>) will host Beg Borrow & Steel Duo on November 7, Wildflower on November 13, Brass Pocket on November 14, Shot of Southern on November 20, \u00a0Musician Impossible on November 21, Coast to Coast on November 25, \u00a0Uptown Band on November 27, and Buzzer Band on November 28.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times\u00a0 Efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have created many unpleasant side effects. One of these side effects is that finding a live music show in the area by a national act is an unachievable task. A resulting side effect from this is that many people who are accustomed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5166],"tags":[10203,3912,10201,10202],"class_list":["post-28455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-creekside-sports-bar-grill","tag-featured","tag-godfrey","tag-sam-seider"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28455"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28455\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28456,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28455\/revisions\/28456"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}