3pm Saturdays Live from Times Square NYC
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Open mics are shows performed by and for performers. The audience is often other comics.
Go to an open mic within the next 48 to 72 hours and get on stage for five minutes and just talk.
Find a good open mic, and go back. Avoid the bad ones.
These are ways to create stage time with an audience.
Bringer shows are where comics bring their friends, creating a small audience.
Barker shows involve handing out flyers on the street to attract an audience.
Barking is a way to develop audience, and get stage time.
Barking also allows you to interact with people before the show, and create a relationship with your audiance.
This gives you control over everything.
It’s a way to create consistent stage time.
Finding talent is easy, building an audience is the hard part.
Eventually, you may get paid to perform at clubs, colleges, or corporate events.
Even when getting paid, you need to keep working on new material, and getting stage time at open mics.
Don’t complain about paying five bucks for stage time or spending an hour on the street. Think of it as your comedy university. You’re learning what works and what doesn’t. Remember, as my friend Milinth Fowler says, “There’s no wrong, no bad, no good. Is it working, or is it not working?”
Every time you get on stage:
Repeat this process throughout your career. You’re never fully “ready,” but you’ll figure it out.
As Oran Sandel said, “If you can’t find work, create it.” If you’re not getting stage time, create opportunities. Find other people who need stage time and organize shows. This could be at school, a bar, or anywhere.
Get on stage within the next week. If you need guidance, wait for my next episode. But if you’re ready, just get on stage and talk. If it works, do it again. If not, try something different.
The next four or five episodes will cover how to create your first five-minute stand-up routine.
“I think the book works really well – very nice job. What I like most is how practical it is. You cut right to the chase of how to build and deliver a stand-up routine. And you speak directly to the fears that I am sure many people have when they find themselves in front of an audience.” Dr. Don Sexton, retired professor with 5 decades teaching at Columbia University and 1 year with Walt Frasier as a comedy student.
Getting on stage is a cathartic experience. I live on the edge of a cliff, and at any point I could fall flat on my face. I rip the band aid of fear off every time I jump in front of a microphone. Right before stepping into the spotlight, I replace the thoughts of THIS COULD GO TERRIBLY BAD with THIS IS GOING TO BE FUN. Take a few HUGE breaths and GO FOR IT!
RULE #1: HAVE FUN but NEVER at another’s expense.
This may sound counter intuitive for a comic. Many famous comics made their names roasting the crowd and others.
Comedy always highlights the imperfections of life. We interpret what we observe and experience in story form and/or one-liner jokes. But there is a fine line between being funny and becoming a bully. I prefer stories that highlight my imperfections, like the time I sank a kayak in alligator infested Florida canals.
With this workbook you create an original comedy routine in four easy steps.
At each step in this process, you will engage in three major actions.
This book is designed to pair with Walt Frasier’s comedy classes but also for any comic attending open mics or for teachers around the world to incorporate comedy as part of their language arts curriculum.
Walt Frasier is the Artistic Director of the New York Improv Theater, overseeing acclaimed shows like “Eight Is Never Enough” and “Improv 4 Teens.” With over three decades of experience, Walt is a seasoned veteran of improv, sketch, and stand-up comedy, captivating audiences across the nation. His extensive career includes appearances on Letterman, HBO, and MTV, alongside performances at iconic venues such as Caroline’s on Broadway, The World Famous Improv, and countless others in NYC and beyond. From comedy clubs to corporate events and school tours, Walt Frasier brings laughter and spontaneity wherever he goes.
It’s been a fun month playing Santa but time to look my age, a mere 35 years old…. CASTING DIRECTORS, contact Baker Management for TV / FILM / COMMERCIAL bookings (212) 262-4234. EMAIL me directly Corporate and private events. 30 years a professional actor. 22+ years in edutainment!
Now that Santa is napping for a few months, I’m available for TV & Film again.
In the mean time I’ll be busy performing Improv Comedy, live from Times Square NYC and touring schools and events with Improv shows and workshops, murder mystery and more.
My two most popular services inn recent months are Corporate Team Building Workshops and MADCAPPED MYSTERIES, the one man murder mysterybshow where YOU become the suspects, witnesses and detectives imagine a clue party completely improvised). These are the perfect solutions for teams looking for high impact at small events/venues and tight budgets. We also have the full team for Improv Comedy and Murder Mystery events touring DC to Boston and beyond. Also booking Stand Up comedy, family game nights, promotional services/live industrials and more.
Improv 4 Kids/Teens is the busiest we have been since 2020, host k12 field trips at our Times Square NYC Theater and touring schools, camps, community centers and family events.
Walt Frasier has 25+ years of professional credits in comedy, Theater and music. He got his big break in TV performing comedy sketches on MTV’s Stankervision, Late Nite with David Letterman, TruTV’s Friends of the People, and most recently on HBO’s Pause with Sam Jay. As an actor, Frasier has appeared on NBC’s Blacklist, CBS’s Blue Bloods, USA’s Royal Pains (Filmed in Puerto Rico), Netflix’s Lilyhammer (filmed in Norway) and NICK’s Naked Brothers Band. In addition to 1000s of live performances around the world, Frasier has also appeared in numerous commercials, industrials, webisodes and reality TV shows. Arthur Avenue regulars may also recognize Walter, if you add a white beard and red suit, as he has been official Little Italy Santa for the past 15 years.
Improv Theater LLC is a one stop edutainment center for corporate team building, office / holiday parties and more. Our comedy shows and workshops deliver high impact results. Clients include Google, Mercedes Benz, META /Facebook, TikTok, JP Morgan Chase, Accenture, Morgan Stanley, Twitter, Roblox, Rimowa, EI Digital, Accenture, Datadog HQ, Milbank, BING/Microsoft, Band of America – Merrill Lynch, Home Depot, Ernst & Young, Johnson & Johnson, Louis Vuitton, Coach, UBS, BDO, AMEX, Master Card, Macy’s, 360i, IBM, GM, Kraft, UNILEAVER, HBO, Prudential, Convene, Conference Board and many more…
Providing College / University campus activities at Harvard, Syracuse, Seton Hall, Princeton, Georgetown, Vaughn, Molloy, Montclair State, Bloomberg College, High Point, Williams College, Lynchburg College, Southern New Hampshire University, Ferris State, Mount Isa, Misericordia, Sacred Heart, Hastings, Pace, Vaughn, College Misericordia, University of Vermont, Stone Hill, Yeshiva, Columbia, NYU, Hofstra, Cooper Union, John Jay, Fordham, Sacred Heart, Seton Hall, and more.
Additionally, 1000s of public and private events at The Smithsonian Portrait Gallery, Wolf Trap, The Argyle Theater, Emelin Theater, Gerold Opera House, 72nd Street Pier, Cherry Point Marine Base, Disney Resorts, Ohio National Guard, Connecticut DCF, First Nights Winchester VA, Binghamton First Night, Haddonfield First Night, Chateau Briand, Babylon Carriage House, retirement homes, numerous libraries, YMCA, JCC, Parks and Recreation, 1000s of k12 schools and summer camps in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska.
TODAY I’m dressed in red for 14 hours. Tomorrow I shave. Wednesday, the Improv fool returns, hosting a week of hilarious interactive musical comedy shows improvised based on audience suggestions and participation. Our , cast and students are our family and I have been away too long!
Come be a part of the show as the cast of EIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH delivers hilarious interactive musical comedy, original skits & songs, improvised on the spot based on audience suggestions and participation. No two shows are ever the same. Current schedule includes most Saturdays and Sundays at the Broadway Comedy Club (318 West 53rd Street, 1 block from the Colbert Show stage door). 2:30 doors, 3pm show runs about 75 minutes. General Admission Tickets are just $30 plus a one drink minimum.https://ci.ovationtix.com/29075/production/914366
Ready for a killer night? Murder2nite.com brings the intrigue of a murder mystery to YOU! Interactive shows for any size, budget, or location. Dinner theater, team-building, or just a wicked good time – we bring the drama, you bring the suspects! 🔪
Walt Frasier 