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Darryl Lenox and Tracey MacDonald perform comedy this week in Tahoe

Howie Nave
Special to Lake Tahoe Action
Darryl Lenox, seen with Howie Nave, will perform in Tahoe this week.
Courtesy photo |

DARRYL LENOX

Back for the first time this year, Darryl Lenox returns to the lake this week with Tracey MacDonald. Both will perform at the Improv at Harveys.

Darryl’s humor stems in part from visual impairment in his left eye, which led to a risky eye surgery. He turned the experience into an incredible piece of comedy and a CD called “Blind Ambition,” which was one of the Top 5 Comedy Albums of 2012, joining Louis CK, Reggie Watts, Tig Notaro and the late Patrice O’Neal. Along with his CD release on Stand Up! Records, Lenox also saw the release of his hour-long standup special on the Starz Network.



Darryl was raised in Las Vegas with his mom and four sisters, but unfortunately never had a relationship with his father.

“I’d never met him; I just had a picture of him lying in bed with an Afro and huge sideburns,” he said. “He was a pimp. So I traced him to Beacon Hill when I was 18 and ended up living in Seattle for seven years.”



That’s when Darryl discovered Seattle’s Comedy Underground. He had no shortage of material. In fact, Darryl told me, “I’ve talked about the dynamics of being raised between a strong matriarch and a pimp. So I walked in there, got on stage and did really well. I knew that night that I’d found my career. The Seattle comedy community had the most impact on that career; it’s where I learned the fundamentals.”

When he’s not performing across the country Darryl tours the globe. He has entertained at some pretty world-renowned comedy festivals including HBO’s Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado, and Montreal’s Just For Laughs Comedy Festival. Credits include A&E’s Evening at the Improv, Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, Jamie Foxx’s Laffa Pallooza, BET’s Comic View, Conan O’Brien, WTF with Marc Maron and Montreal’s Just For Laughs Festival. He won first place in Seattle’s Comedy Competition and the Vancouver Fringe Festival’s Best New Play Award.

TRACEY MACDONALD

The last time Nova Scotia’s Tracey MacDonald came to Lake Tahoe she had an unusual offer: “I am willing to trade my Canadian health care for an American husband.”

Oh my, did we get offers when she announced that on my morning radio show! Suffice it to say we had a few takers. Fortunately she’s been able to extend her work visa here in the States, but I could see why Tracey would go this route to shave off a few corners.

Although Tracey is originally from Nova Scotia, the native Canadian makes no bones about calling Tahoe her second, adopted home — even if only for this week. She knew right away, the very first time came up here, when she confessed, “I miss my home, but Tahoe is the next best thing and I’d like to bring you a present from Nova Scotia the next time I’m up there.”

She did, too I think it was some genuine Horton, the coffee of choice in Canada.

When Tracey was in Canada she was already well-known, making numerous television appearances — including an unprecedented win on CBS’s New Star Search with host Arsenio Hall. She not only won the finals, but she beat out the winners from previous seasons. Tracey was awarded a two-year development deal with CBS and the grand prize of $200,000.

Then Variety Magazine wrote a nice piece on her after she performed along with comedians Sarah Silverman, Bob Saget, Dane Cook and Jay Mohr and appeared on The Tom Greene Show.

Howie Nave is the MC at the Improv at Harveys. The comedy club is inside Harveys Lake Tahoe. Shows begin at 9 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and tickets are $25 plus fees, except Saturdays. Tickets are $30 on Saturdays. The Improv is dark on Mondays and Tuesdays. Must be 21 or older to attend. More information is available by calling 775-586-6266.


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