Alexander back in Tahoe after extended gig in Nigeria

As Christmastime approaches, the well-traveled comedian, Max Alexander, is happy to be back in Lake Tahoe. If Max looks familiar, that's probably because you've seen him in the movies "Man on the Moon" with Jim Carrey, "Punchline" with Tom Hanks and "Roxanne" with Steve Martin.

Among his television credits are roles in the Emmy Award winning ABC drama "The Practice," "My Wife and Kids" and his long association with "The Tonight Show" with both Jay Leno and Johnny Carson. Alexander has even worked with legendary comic Jerry Lewis in an adaptation of his "Nutty Professor" movie for the stage on Broadway. But it's Max's travels that seem to be getting him the most recognition lately.

Last year Max performed in Newfoundland, Uganda and Maroomba, and most recently the city of Saskatoon in Saskatchewan, Canada. He was supposed to be in Tahoe last summer but was offered a rare gig performing in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in the capital, Abuja. I asked Max if it was difficult performing in an environment where the government could be overthrown any minute, and he just laughed; probably for fear that he may have been bugged. Just kidding. I think any opportunity to perform in a country whose Muslim population is 50 percent would be a challenge, but Max apparently pulled off the two-night engagement without a hitch.

For those receiving spam e-mail from the country of Nigeria, don't blame Max; he hardly ever will offer to send you millions of dollars in return for your ID info and credit history.

Max has performed with some of the best in the business, among them Frank Sinatra, Julio Iglesias and Tom Jones. From his early days with Jerry Seinfeld and Paul Reiser at The Improv to his first film role, when legendary director Sidney Lumet plucked him from the comedy stage to act opposite Ann Bancroft in "Garbo Talks," Max has been working hard and has never looked back. Just keep that passport up to date Max!



Sean Kent beats Hodgkin's disease

Appearing with Max Alexander at The Improv every night this week through Sunday is Sean Kent, who has been here before, but it's been a while. He's a television writer originally from Austin, Texas, now living in Los Angeles.

Kent is best known for his appearances as a series regular on NBC's "Last Comic Standing" (Seasons 1 and 3). His comedy can be classified as dark, satirical, self-mocking and more often than not political. His debut CD, "Sex, Drugs and Politics" was hailed as "An instant classic!" by XM Radio.

Before the writers' strike, Kent was working on several projects at once, authoring the CBS special "Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials," doing punch-up on the CBS show "Yes, Dear" and working on staff for the "Best Damn Sports Show Period" on Fox Sports Net.

While Kent was in Hollywood writing for "Best Damn" in 2002, he was diagnosed with cancer (Stage III Hodgkin's disease). He did not leave his job, but underwent chemotherapy one day a week and worked for four, sometimes putting in 50 or 60 hours a week writing despite his weakened condition. After undergoing three months of chemotherapy and a month of radiation therapy he was pronounced in remission.

Shortly after finishing treatment, Kent auditioned and was subsequently chosen as a series regular for "Last Comic Standing" (Season 1). He wore a beat-up cowboy hat on stage to cover his head, which was covered with the fuzzy, uneven hair re-growth common to people just out of cancer treatment. In typical network fashion, NBC played him up as the "cowboy comic," which Kent loathed. The network also edited his stand-up act to the point of non-recognition, cutting the punchline completely off of one joke and running his bits out of order so that the segues made no sense. They also made it appear as if he still lived in Austin even though at that point he'd resided in Los Angeles for more than eight years.

Almost immediately after "Last Comic Standing" wrapped, Kent received news that his cancer had returned. He calls this the low point in his life, saying, "You know you're at your nadir when you're lying in a hospital bed getting chemo and watching episodes of a reality show you've already been kicked off of."

Working has always given Sean his inspiration, and performing has helped to rejuvenate his health and reason for living. In August 2004 Kent was asked by NBC to appear on Season 3 of "Last Comic Standing," which he agreed to only after receiving assurances that his performances would not be edited in any way.

In 2005 Kent was asked to give the keynote address at the 29th Annual City of Hope Bone Marrow Transplant Reunion, which was attended by over 5,000 people. It was the first time he'd spoken in public about his experiences battling cancer. His speech was so well received that day that he was asked back to the stage for a second ovation. He now regularly speaks at cancer fundraisers, most recently sharing a bill with comedian and actor Will Ferrell.