Jimmy Brogan
Reviews
Time Magazine
“People who go to the improvisational comedy clubs in New York City and Los Angeles know that Jimmy Brogan is probably the best comic to hit that circuit since Robin Williams.”
Los Angeles Times
“...Brogan is an absolute master at interacting with the crowd.”
San Francisco Examiner
“Brogan is bright, funny and absolutely clean in his humor.”
LA Style Magazine
“Folksy and family oriented, like Jay Leno’s,
it’s faster and maybe even funnier...”
Los Angeles Magazine
“...Genuinely witty without being abrasive...
little bit of Steve Allen, little bit of Newhart,
but still his own unique approach.”
Laff Track Magazine
“...A unique combination of self-deprecating charm
and a razor sharp wit.”
Pasadena Weekly
“He plays the audience like an orchestra and he creates a symphony.”
Muskegon Chronicle
"...Brogan artfully enticed the audience, even the balcony, into an hysterical dialogue that turned into a laughfest..."
Vallejo Times Herald
“…Brogan’s act is cleaner than Adrian Monk’s kitchen table.”
Los Angeles Magazine
"In an age where those seven dirty words are everywhere, this Tonight Show writer promotes the warm, fuzzy and clean side of comedy."
Ventura County Reporter
“…a sharp but clean act…”
The Cheers – Online Magazine
“…Jimmy Brogan is still King of ‘playing the crowd.’ ”
Morristown Citizen Tribune
“…had the audience roaring…hysterical.”
Los Angeles City Beat
“The funniest audience-interactive comic in the business"
Bio
Jim Brogan is the son of John and Anne Brogan. He was born in Boston, but at the age of six moved to Chicago and then to Cleveland. In a short period, he saved enough money with a paper route and a pyramid scheme to pay for his parents to join him.
Jim grew up in a Catholic family and went to Catholic schools all the way through. His parents sent him to an all boys high school (St. Ignatius) and an all boys college (Notre Dame).
It was a good life for the young lad, his Mom stayed home and made his school lunches and his Dad sold landing gear for a living. But Jim had other ideas of what to do with his life.
Armed with his degree in Sociology, he moved to New York City to pursue his dream of scaling skyscrapers with suction cups on his hands and becoming a Human Fly. His fear of heights quickly put an end to that dream.
While working day jobs as a tutor, a bartender and in advertising, Jim turned his attention to standup comedy. His first appearance on stage was with his Chinese-American friend, Larry Lee. They billed themselves as The Brogan Brothers. After one disastrous appearance, Jim struck out on his own.
His first act was an impression of a priest from Notre Dame. That lasted two performances. His second act was about going to an intellectual high school. That lasted six months and even longer for the audience.
After four years of doing standup comedy, Jim was taken under the wing of legendary comedy manager Jack Rollins (Woody Allen, Dick Cavett, Robert Klein, Nichols and May). Soon Jim was moving to LA to star as an Angel in an ABC sitcom called Out of the Blue. They made thirteen episodes and aired nine. They are evidently still saving four for the next sweeps period.
Jim continued to do his standup comedy and did guest appearances on the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman.
He also got other TV jobs. He hosted Laffathon (Showtime), Comic Strip Live (Fox) and You Asked For It, Again (Family Channel). The perfectionist that he is, he won't be satisfied until he has been cancelled by all the networks.
Deciding that he could save a few dollars by not hiring a lawyer, he worked for nine years as an indentured servant on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. His areas of responsibility included being a writer and talent coordinator (booking comedians for the show).
Since leaving the Tonight Show, Jim has been busier than ever. Besides doing his standup, he has written two movies and seen three others.
He also was a creative consultant on Yakov Smirnoff’s one-man Broadway show, As Long As We Both Shall Laugh. He found out exactly how long we both shall laugh. It was 24 performances.
Resume
TELEVISION:
STAND- UP
The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Late Night with David Letterman
Evening at the Improv
Merv Griffin Show
Wil Shriner Show
Comics Only with Paul Provenza
Hot Country Nights
Comedians Unleashed
The Joke’s on Thee
HOST
You Asked For It Again
Laffathon
The Late Show
The Big Laugh-Off
Comic Strip Live
ACTOR
Pros & Cons
Jerry Seinfeld HBO Special
Out of the Blue
Billy Crystal HBO Special
Just the Ten of Us
WRITER
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Class Clowns
Shaping up
Tonight Show with Jay Leno
TV AUDIENCE WARM-UP:
Seinfeld
Coach
Cheers
The Golden Girls
Taxi
Martin Short HBO Special
Newhart
Late Night with David Letterman
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
FILM:
The Informant!
Punchline
Jerry Seinfeld's Comedian
Damon Wayans' Behind the Smile
King Kong
My Life is My Act
BROADWAY:
CREATIVE CONSULTANT
Yakov Smirnoff’s As Long As We Both Shall Laugh
COMEDY CLUBS:
Improvisation Los Angeles, NYC, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Cleveland, Dallas, Lake Tahoe
Comedy Store Los Angeles, Las Vegas, La Jolla
Laugh Factory Los Angeles, Chicago, Hawaii
Igby’s Los Angeles
Comedy & Magic Club Hermosa Beach
Ice House Pasadena CA
Catch a Rising Star New York, Las Vegas
Zanies Chicago, Vernon Hills
Comedy Castle Detroit
Crackers Indianapolis
Cobb’s Comedy Club San Francisco
Punchline San Francisco
Comedy Underground Seattle
Funnybone St. Louis, Omaha
Comic Strip New York, Ft. Lauderdale
Comedy Caravan Louisville
Bear’s Place Bloomington IN
Jokers Dayton
CASINOS:
Dunes - Las Vegas
Excalibur - Las Vegas
Hacienda - Las Vegas
Harrah’s - Las Vegas
Jackson Rancheria - Jackson CA
Landmark - Las Vegas
MGM Grand - Las Vegas
Morongo Casino - Palm Springs CA
Resorts - Atlantic City
Rolling Hills - Corning CA
COLLEGES:
University of Notre Dame
Saint Mary's College
St. John's\St. Benedict
University of Southern California
University of Kentucky
Loyola Marymount University
Vassar College
University of Illinois - Chicago
New York City College
Staten Island College
University of Southern Connecticut
College of New Rochelle
Truman State University
California State University - Northridge
Missouri State University - West Plains
CORPORATE:
Red Cross
California Highway Patrol
National Auto Parts Dealers
Long Beach Hospital
California Association of Healthcare Workers
Southern California Accountants Association
Colton Piano
Hughes Aircraft
TRW
United States Army – Ft. Leavenworth
United States Air Force – El Segundo
CRUISE SHIPS:
Celebrity Constellation
Celebrity Galaxy
Celebrity Zenith
THEATERS:
ACT Theater - Maple Ridge BC
Barnsdale Theater - Hollywood CA
Carlsbad Theater - Carlsbad CA
Ft. McMurray CC Theater - Ft. McMurray AB
Jefferson Performing Arts Center - Jefferson WI
Lincoln Theater - Belleville IL
Middleton Performing Arts Center - Middleton WI
Monroe Arts Center - Monroe WI
Moore Theater - Seattle WA
Norris Theater - Torrance CA
Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall - Seattle WA
Paramount Theater - Austin TX
Pioneer Playhouse - Danville KY
Imperial Theater - Augusta GA
J.E. Broyhill Civic Center - Lenoir NC
Lied Center for the Performing Arts - Lincoln NE
Schuster Performing Arts Center - Dayton OH
South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center - So. Milwaukee WI
The Tassel - Holdrege NE
Throckmorton Theater - Mill Valley CA
Village Theater - Canton MI
Warner Theater - San Pedro CA
Wausau Performing Arts Center - Wausau WI
Westchester CC Theater - Valhalla NY
BENEFITS:
Ara Parseghian Medical Foundation - Niemann-Pick Disease - Tucson AZ
Los Angeles Commission Against Assaults on Women - Los Angeles CA
Thousand Smiles Foundation - Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery - San Diego CA
Children’s Alliance - Lawyers for Abused Children - Los Angeles CA
Peace4Kids - Los Angeles CA
Reach Out Benicia - Teenage Drug Program - Benicia CA
Hurricane Katrina Benefit - Los Angeles CA
Comedy Relief - Pittsburgh Food Bank - Pittsburgh PA
Frontline Foundation - Feeding the Homeless - Los Angeles CA
Red Cross Blood Drive - Los Angeles CA
United Way Benefit - Muskegon MI
US Vets - Los Angeles CA
Theater West - Los Angeles CA
Bainbridge Performing Arts Center - Bainbridge Island WA
Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church - San Pedro CA
St. Therese Catholic Church - Alhambra CA
Central Catholic High School - Bloomington IL
Comedians’ Aids Fund - Los Angeles CA
Comedian Phil Perrier Recovery Fund - Los Angeles CA
Feral Cats Association -Santa Monica CA
Laugh Factory Thanksgiving for the Homeless - Los Angeles CA
Laugh Factory Christmas for the Homeless - Los Angeles CA
AWARDS:
Association of Comedy Artists – Best Comic Master of Ceremonies
For more information on Jimmy Brogan, please visit his website:
www.TheCatholicComedian.com
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