Catching Up With Comedians

Rich Stein
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Comedy Interviews

Rich Stein, a long time standup comic, took a few years off the road to teach high school, get married, and have a kid. Now, retired from teaching, he is back on stages and reconnecting with old friends and trying to Catch up with Comedians. Plenty of funny stories, anecdotes and tributes to the greats both famous and infamous!

  1. Jun 19

    Comedian Tom Ryan joins host Rich Stein

    Tom Ryan has been a full-time standup comedian for over thirty years.  He made two appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman and recently performed at  Carnegie Hall. Since  he was about 10 years old, Tom wanted to be a standup comedian. The  first standup comedy he ever heard was from David Brenner and George Carlin.  At  26, he left an insurance job in his hometown of Philadelphia to move to  Florida where he landed a job at a local golf course. The job lasted  only 3 weeks. Ryan  says, “Losing that job was the best thing that ever happened to me  because it forced me to confront exactly what I wanted to do with my life.” He took a job as a doorman at the newly opened Comedy Corner in West Palm Beach. It was the lowest paying but most  valuable job he ever had. It provided him with a complete comedy  education watching acts such as Jerry Seinfeld, Dennis Miller and Bill  Hicks. It  was not long before Tom made his stage debut. Within two years he was  working full time as a comedian. Since then, Tom Ryan has worked  steadily at comedy clubs,  concert venues and corporate functions across the U.S. In addition to  his Letterman appearances, he has also been featured on Showtime,  A&E, Comedy Central and NBC. He has performed as the opening act in  concert for B.B. King, Natalie Cole, Jeff Beck, Earth,  Wind and Fire, Aretha Franklin, Tim Allen, Steven Wright, Brian Regan,  Gary Gulman,  Jerry Seinfeld, and Dennis Miller just to name a few. Tom’s comedy can be heard regularly on Sirius XM radio.   His original style makes it easy for him to write for special events. He regularly headlines corporate events including Citigroup,  HP,  Morgan Stanley and Church and Dwight. Tom  believes that the best comedy comes from the most unlikely sources.  Here is an example from his act: “I was driving around the other day and  my oil light came  on. But that little symbol looks nothing like an oil can. When it first  came on, I  thought well, apparently my car is low on gravy.” BOOK NOW (https://tomryan.com/contact) Please welcome: Tom Ryan...

    1h 3m

  2. Jun 8

    Filmmaker and Animator Gene Hamm joins host Rich Stein

    This is Gene Hamm‘s third visit to my show. He brings a lifetime of art and animation to  his third feature film Entitled:  "Don’t Call Us, We’ll Kill You!"     It will be on the Roku channel. In addition to his work for Disney, Hanna Barbera, and many others, he has also taught animation for over 25 years at the Art Institute in Marin County. He is also promoting his new online  course where he will teach animation from conception to completion.    In this class, Gene will take you through all the components of animation, voices, special effects, storyboards and you will be able to learn by the end of this course everything that it takes to complete your animated film. The course will be available very soon on Animation A2Z.com  Please welcome the always busy and very animated Gene Hamm.

    28 min

  3. May 21

    Comedian Andy Huggins joins host Rich Stein

    Andy Huggins: Andy Huggins always loved Comedy and has a vivid memory of the sound  the audience made laughing hysterically in a huge movie theater, when he first watched the Marx Brothers in Duck Soup. After graduating from high school in Virginia, he started doing Open Mic nights and telling jokes between the musical acts. He moved to Los Angeles after Johnny Carson kept mentioning that all the wave of new comedians came from The Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard. After working in LA for a couple of years, some comics he made friends with told him he should move to Houston,Texas to get way more stage time than in Los Angeles. He took their advice. Andy's story is different than most, even Rodney Dangerfield, who broke into Comedy in his 40s! Andy literally made it at age 68 when he brought over 40 years of doing one- liners in front of an international stage. His look and voice along with his integrity, work ethic and love for the craft of Comedy, ensures his third act to be a real barn burner! Ladies and Gents, Andy Huggins

    41 min

  4. May 10

    Comedian, Prop Master and Show Runner Joe Dalo joins host Rich Stein

    My guest Joe Dalo was born in Philly and raised in South Jersey. He started out like  most comics working open mics and progressed to the real comedy clubs like The Comedy works  and The Comedy Factory Outlet. He also wanted to be an actor and he was in the road company of Toni and Tina‘s wedding. Joe had a building and construction background which gave him another side hustle; He started getting hired on prank and hidden video shows as a builder and prop-master.  Due to his positive demeanor and leadership he worked his way quickly up the crew ladder because he was a guy who had the ability to hire the right people and get things done. He worked for years on Ashton Kutscher‘s show Punk’d and went from  PA to Show Runner and appeared on many episodes. He has also worked on all of the Jackass films in every capacity and personally built the “BIG HAND”  Which  famously slapped everyone big and small. He can also be seen in the upcoming Jackass Five! He is also on a show currently running on Netflix called FOUL PLAY, with Anthony Davis; I saw it on my queue as I was scrolling last night. After all that, his love and desire to do standup comedy still prevails and he is still out there hitting the stages; ladies and gentlemen, please Welcome Comedian, Joe Dalo.

    59 min

  5. Apr 24

    Comic, Producer, Entrepreneur Rhonda Shear joins host Rich Stein

    Rhonda Shear grew up as the youngest of four kids in New Orleans. Her Mom Supported her dancing and  modeling while Dad instilled in her the Mind of the Business Model. She left Louisiana with a College Degree from Loyola University, and the Title of Miss Louisiana USA/World/International   She headed west to Los Angeles where she studied acting and started paying her dues. She graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena and studied with Harvey Lembeck.     She eventually started getting small roles on television shows such as Chips and Dallas.   Her natural ebullience and funny demeanor opened doors for her on comedies like Married with Children, Cheers, Three’s Company and the Dukes of Hazzard.  She was even cast in SPACEBALLS by the legendary Mel Brooks   Many  agents and producers tried to discourage such a pretty and voluptuous young woman from pursuing the historically alpha- male world of stand up comedy however  she followed her own intuition and before long she was working the Comedy Store/ Improv/ Laugh Factory circuit as well as going on the road and working steadily in the Las Vegas Casinos as a stand up comic.   Her big break came when she was hired as the hostess of a show produced by USA Network titled “UP ALL NIGHT!” The show had been running for two years with the female hostess doing the Friday night ( Campy comedy movies) and Gilbert Gottfried hosting the Saturday night ( scary monster movies)  Rhonda was a big hit and she went on to host alongside the great Gilbert for the next eight years ( 8 years on tv and over 450 episodes )   On my podcast Rhonda talks about the 2025-26  Reboot of the Up All Night show and all things in the RHONDAVERSE ; including her own line of Intimate Apparel which she started out selling on QVC / Home Shopping Network; including her signature “AHH  BRA   Rhonda is one of those rare humans who evokes inspiration just through her voice and spirit and her laugh which even having a slight cold during our interview she laughed and carried on like the true pro that she is.   Ladies and Gentleman I am So proud to introduce Comedian, Writer, Producer, Entrepreneur and all around Neat Lady: Rhonda Shear ✌️💕🎙️🎙️🎬

    57 min

  6. Apr 9

    Comic, Actor, Writer, Director Ted Lange joins host Rich Stein

    My guest today Ted Lange was born and raised in Oakland California. While most people would recognize Ted from his 10 seasons starring as Isaac the Bartender on  THE LOVE BOAT;  before that show he  had already appeared in 4 to 5 films, was a regular in a sitcom that ran for 39 episodes and he had already appeared in the  Broadway  production of the musical HAIR! TED Lange is a  GRADUATE from LONDON’S ROYAL ACADEMY and is  also a MEMBER of the  AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE! Ted went on to write and direct a dozen episodes of  THE LOVE BOAT  and once that hit show wrapped, he has gone on to act in hundreds of different roles in television, film and the stage. While Ted has remained active and very visible on film and television over the years, his real passion is writing and directing for the live stage. He has penned at least a dozen plays for theater and has become a much sought after producer and director as well. Currently he is producing his passion project he wrote entitled:   "Shakespeare Over My Shoulder;"  where he spent years researching, interviewing and lecturing about his theory that Othello was not written by Shakespeare but by someone else.  So keep your eyes out for his new play and other projects Ted is involved in such as The Love Boat podcast and many charitable endeavors in which Ted participates. Ladies and Gents: I am proud to introduce Comic, Actor, Writer, Director: Ted Lange

    1h 11m

  7. Mar 28

    Comedian Vince Harper joins host Rich Stein

    My guest today is Comedian Vince Harper. Vince was dancing a lot as a teenager and inspired by his older brother, he started pursuing it full time. From a young man, he had joined a dance group that performed on the stages at Disneyland and eventually they were good enough  to perform on TV shows, American Bandstand, Dance Fever, The Midnight Special as well as the Merv Griffin Show. His group known as  "Dancin Machine" eventually was performing for the Stardust Casino in Las Vegas and soon after the group got a gig at the Chicago Playboy Club before Vince was legally old enough to drink. VINCE was drafted by some old friends to start a Chippendale style version of male stripping and he was doing that around the time he started seeing more and more stand-up comedy legends like Richard Pryor, Sam Kinison, and Bill Hicks inspire him to start trying to add a little Comedy to his stripping routine. Once he started doing Comedy guest spots at all the new comedy clubs that were exploding in the eighties, he had been bitten by the bug. He happily traded shedding his clothes for slinging his jokes. He quickly took his years of experience as a dancer and started doing stand up all across the country and he has never stopped doing it and that puts him in the 40 plus year Comedy Club.  Please welcome my guest who is still telling jokes for paying crowds:  Vince Harper.

    1h 1m

  8. Mar 13

    Comedian Jay London joins host Rich Stein

    My guest on the podcast this week is Mr. Jay London. Raised in the Bronx, Jay’s two passions in life have both served him well:  stand-up comedy and boxing. In both enterprises you are fighting for your life and in both you can kill or bomb out and die. Jay fought his way through the Bronx neighborhoods and school yards and later through the local comedy clubs and  “Live at the Apollo!” He fought his way into the house on season two of “Last Comic Standing” where he first came to national attention. He became a fan favorite where in an unprecedented move the producers brought him back for a wildcard shot on season three.  To say Last Comic Standing was a big deal in Comedy would be an understatement;  there have always been Star Search type shows, but on L.C.S. stood the best and the brightest of club comedians as well as stars, young and old, who came on the show to be mentors, celebrity talent scouts and judges, as well as hosts of which there were numerous over the nine season run of the series. In addition to appearing on the “King Of Queens” as well as several other films and television series we will talk about what Jay is doing now as he proclaims He is Still in the Fight because it Ain’t Over Yet! Please Welcome: JAY LONDON

    53 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Rich Stein, a long time standup comic, took a few years off the road to teach high school, get married, and have a kid. Now, retired from teaching, he is back on stages and reconnecting with old friends and trying to Catch up with Comedians. Plenty of funny stories, anecdotes and tributes to the greats both famous and infamous!

Information

  • Creator
    Rich Stein
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    63
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Catching Up With Comedians