Brian Regan — everyday funnyman coming to Fort Myers My eye doctor told me this, Im not making this up. He goes, You know you have one eye set a little bit higher than your other eye? No, I didnt know that. He goes, Its no big deal; it doesnt affect your vision or anything. I just thought you might want to be self-conscious for the rest of your life, said comedian Brian Regan. Brian Regan, the renowned comedian who will be performing at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers on Sunday, June 22, is a master of observational humor. Whether hes talking about going to the eye doctor or being baffled about the abundance of cranberries these days, he says what the rest of us are thinking — except its funnier. He said that growing up in a family of eight children, he had a happy childhood, because pretty much everyone in the family was funny. But it was when Regan made a remark as a boy that sent his father into fits of laughter, that he realized he had found his true calling. I remember saying something that I didnt even intend as a joke, he said. We were riding in the station wagon and we passed a funeral procession, and I said, Dad, have you ever seen a real live dead man? My dad laughed a lot, and he kept laughing. Regan decided right then and there that he really liked that feeling of making people laugh. And later, he made a career out of it. From the very beginning, he knew what type of comedian he wanted to be — and what he didnt want to be. When I first started, my family was mostly what I talked about, Regan said. I was about 95 percent (foul language-free material) from the beginning. Then I figured it was kind of silly to be at 95 percent, when I could go to 100 percent. Regan manages to be hysterically funny without resorting to cheap laughs with bad language and racy themes. Instead, he points out the humor in everyday situations, like air travel, grocery shopping and spelling bees. He said that when it comes to getting ideas for a stand-up act like his, he really doesnt have to look very far. I dont search anything out, I just let stuff come to me, he said. If you have a comedic mind, you cant help but notice things. For me, that initial spark always comes from the outside, not from within. Regan compared his view of the world to looking at it through a prism, instead of a glass. Almost like observing a common situation in a funhouse mirror and relaying the mirrors skewed view to the audience. Today, Regan has two children of his own, but you wont usually hear him telling jokes about them. He said he never wants them to feel that hes following them around with a notebook, trying to mine them for jokes. But one person who is not off limits to make fun of is himself. Though he loves his job, and performing, touring can get to be a grind, especially for someone who has done it as long as he has. He lamented about the travails of constant traveling. We travel on a tour bus, and I was in Chicago one night and then the next night, I was in a small town, Regan said. The bus pulled up to the small motel and I went to the front desk to pick up the key to my room. The clerk told me I was in room 2714, and I asked, Is that on the 27th floor?. She just said, We only have two floors, sir. Regan will perform at 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 22, at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, 13350 Edison Pkwy., Fort Myers. Tickets cost $41.95 per person. To purchase tickets, go to BBMannPAH, or call the box office at 239-481-4849, or toll free at 800-440-7469. Tickets can also be purchases in person at the box office window, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Posted on: Fri, 13 Jun 2014 00:48:02 +0000
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