*We realize it is hotter than Hades right now in the Midwest. When we recorded the episode, it was a rare cool summer day. We are not crazy. ;-) * Six years after his first visit to Cliterally Speaking, award-winning comedian, actor, writer and master storyteller Don Reed is back—and somehow there’s even more to talk about. Don catches us up on the remarkable chain of events that grew out of one of the biggest disappointments of his career: being personally selected by Johnny Carson to appear on The Tonight Show, only to discover that his own manager had kept the opportunity from happening. Decades later, that unfinished story led Don to the National Comedy Center, where he finally performed the set Carson had approved and received a standing ovation. What once felt like a devastating missed opportunity ultimately became the inspiration for Don’s one-man show The Never Too Late Show and his forthcoming memoir, Here’s Donny: A Memoir of Hard Knocks from Pimp Town to Tinsel Town, scheduled for release in summer 2027 through Simon & Schuster. But this conversation is about much more than show business. Don takes us inside Redwood Nights: Storytelling Under the Stars, the extraordinary gathering he created beneath the redwoods in Marin County, where phones are put away, wine and food are shared, and people reconnect through what Don calls not artificial intelligence, but “authentic interaction.” We talk about why storytelling demands a different kind of vulnerability than stand-up comedy, and why sometimes the funniest people become even more compelling when they stop chasing the next laugh and simply tell the truth. And then there’s the love story. Don shares how a friendship of 35 years unexpectedly became something more, and why falling in love later in life felt less frightening and more certain than anything that had come before it. Emily shares a little of her own love story, and the conversation becomes a beautiful reminder that our capacity to dream, create, change, connect, and fall wildly in love doesn't come with an expiration date. Naturally, there is wine. Don introduces us to the remarkable story behind the McBride Sisters Collection, while Emily and Michelle open one of the last bottles in Emily’s cellar from a beloved Rhône winemaker. Along the way, we talk fathers, family, missed chances, homelessness, perseverance, storytelling, food, friendship, second acts, and the strange way the road you never intended to travel can sometimes take you exactly where you needed to go. Because maybe “too late” isn't really a thing. In this episode: The Tonight Show opportunity Don almost had—and the betrayal that kept it from happeningPerforming his Johnny Carson-approved set 30 years laterWhy Don now believes missing that original opportunity may have changed his career for the betterHis forthcoming memoir, Here’s Donny: A Memoir of Hard Knocks from Pimp Town to Tinsel TownThe creation and magic of Redwood Nights: Storytelling Under the StarsWhy vulnerability changes comedy and storytellingDon’s father, his childhood and the stories that shaped East 14thFinding love after 35 years of friendshipWhy dreams—and love—don't have expiration datesAnd, of course, the wine Follow Don Reed on Instagram: @donreedwow Thank you for listening and subscribing to Cliterally Speaking the Podcast. Visit our website: www.cliterallyspeakingpodcast.com Facebook: @cspeakpodcast Instagram: @cliterallyspeakingthepodcast Please call our comment line: 812-727-0794 Watch our youtube channel (Cliterally Speaking the Podcast) for all the behind the scenes discussions during our recording sessions. Our Patreon site is up - visit it here - http://bit.ly/32uOnVT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
