The success rate of various fields and industries can be attributed to the appropriate mixture of general practices and innovative movements. This holds true within the realms of stand-up comedy. Day in and day out, performers from all walks of life find various schemes in order to make good with their routines. Most of the time a material cannot be adequately delivered with just one comical technique. Nevertheless, successful performers can boast of having the ability to have mastered their chosen style. With this, let’s take some time off to learn about the impressionist side of comedy.
Basically, the term impressionist describes a certain performer whose act revolves around sending an impression of living someone else's life through mimicking another individual’s behavior, mannerism, and habit. Professional comedians continually work on their routines in order to develop a wide array of repertoire when it comes to impressions. Their works include a constant addition of impressions based on relevant issues and current happenings. Impersonator is a common substitute tag for an impressionist particularly if there is an involvement of the individual imitating another on a lookalike basis.
The most impressive facet in the routine of an impressionist comes in the proximity of the voice quality of the target person, which is commonly a famous celebrity or politician. Props and other identifying marks like hats or glasses can be used to enhance the act but these elements have been considered to be somewhat traditional and obsolete. It is really the voice of the performer that is necessary to get the job done.
Since characters of animations are commonly created to poke fun on famous people, the defining character of the voice for a certain entertainer can be linked as a facility for impressions. The audience should be able to identify with the chosen celebrity even if that person is not clearly identified. In such case, the entertainment value is not entirely dependent on the technical prowess of getting the exact voice replica but more so on making the tone and pattern recognizable. The scheme of referring to the celebrity is the core of the joke and not merely the rendition made.
The UK became quite a seat for impressionists. The 70s British television scene saw a lot impressionist’s acts based on a certain Frank Spencer that stood for about a decade. Frank was a very famous character in the British sitcom called Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em. He was an easy target due to the clear-cut mannerisms and fashion sense which allowed for numerous mechanisms of visual proximity.
Televised talent shows provided an avenue for aspiring impressionists in the 70s. Lenny Henry is a prime success story that went through this career path. Mike Yarwood smoked the competition during the early stages of the 80s wherein his program showcased impressionist scene at its finest thus receiving high ratings and constant support from more than ten million spectators.
The 90s impressionist’s picture was quite blurry. There was a significant presentation decline with the ending of Spitting Image. Famed impressionist Rory Bremner set his sights on political figures like Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, John Major, and even the members of the Royal Family. But in 1999 and 2002 Alistair McGowan and Ronni Ancona came through with Alistair McGowan’s Big Impression and Dead Ringers respectively. Both programs showcased impressions of television and sporting personalities as well as highly regarded politicians and celebrities.
People that make up the stand-up comedy world are quite unique. They are able to let people enjoy and at the same time, learn a few tricks from them on how to combat the stress of daily living.
The United States is known for many things. It is considered to be the leading economy all over the world for quite some time now and its military resources and technology has reached countless feats through the years. It has also wowed the sporting world and has topped most of the spectacles that you see in many countries fighting for supremacy. But one thing that really lets the Americans stand on top of the world is the fine work people in the entertainment scene execute day in and day out. With this, let’s take time to learn and track a very rich heritage of American stand-up comedy.
The roots of US stand-up can be attributed to the development of popular entertainment schemes in the late 19th century, which included the likes of English Music Hall, Minstrel shows, circus clown antics, vaudeville, and humorist monologues. This comedic era featured individuals that generally carried out routines based on ethnicity and famous stereotypes. The jokes used were quite broad and the materials were mostly shared. Vaudeville boasts of producing the fathers of modern American stand-up comedy such as Bob Hope, Milton Berle, Frank Fay, Jack Benny, and Fred Allen. Their gigs saw the guys performing in a style that came to be known as performing in one.
When the 1950s and 60s came into being, comedians made their way into performing at venues called folk clubs. The batch of stand-ups during this era spiced things up by adding elements of social satire while treading into aspects of race relations, sexual humor, and politics. African-American performers like George Kirby, Dick Gregory, Redd Foxx, and Bill Cosby took their chance and began performing in front of white audiences. Phyllis Diller paved the way for women who wanted the funny tag and was later followed by the likes of Lily Tomlin, Elaine Boosler, Roseanne Barr, and Joan Rivers.
The 80s led to the flooding of comedy clubs which were practically present in every major and minor city. Featured acts included an MC, middle act, and a headliner. Sam Kinison, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, Jerry Seinfeld, and Robin Williams walked to the plate as they came up with live stand-up performances.
As the 90s came about the field saw an outburst of comedians with varying levels of talents which consequently led to the decline in the number of comedy clubs. The lesser famous performers has a hard time competing with the ones that were prominent within the circles of stand-up. The 90s can be described as trying times to aspiring comics in the US. It is also associated with the development of alternative comedy specifically in Los Angeles which showcased the talents of Patton Oswalt, David Cross, Paul F. Tompkins, Bob Odenkirk, Beth Lapides, and Janeane Garofalo. These comics deviated from formal comedy and followed the traditional story-telling antics of Lenny Bruce.
The late 90s would saw a rebound of the comic industry. Comedy Central housed shows like Premium Blend and The A-List which featured budding talents and Lounge Lizards as well as Comedy Central Presents aired on half-hour specials. This gave the comedians some sort of mainstream exposure. A number of experts attribute the resurgence of stand-up comedy to Chris Rock’s efforts in his HBO special Bring the Pain.
Appreciation can truly come once people learn about heritage and history. Stand-up comedy thrived through the years because of people who willed their way past adversities in order to constantly provide the audience with mind-blowing spills and laughs.
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