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Lake Tahoe comedy scene with Howie Nave: Bobby Collins at The Improv; Brent Pella at Carson Comedy Club

Howie Nave
Special to Lake Tahoe Action
Comedian Brent Pella headlines at the Carson Comedy Club.
Provided

It’s rare having comedian Bobby Collins at Tahoe in the summer as he normally only appears when there’s snow up here.

Maybe there’s something we don’t know or climate change has run amok? We’ll never know.

Bobby loves to ski and some of his experiences here in Tahoe have found their way onto his CDs and into his act (no warmer climate material has eked its way into his act thus far).



Bobby has a sizable following up here, which could be due in part to his engaging and positive rapport with his audience. He touches on everything from his New York life, family, odd and annoying people to his unique bond with his dog (a great dog). His shows tend to create good word-of-mouth exposure so folks who maybe caught his act on a Wednesday usually return with friends by the time the weekend rolls around.

With the way things are these days comedy is a great escape and fortunately Bobby doesn’t divide his audience by going all political.



From starring in his own Showtime specials and being Rosie O’Donnell’s predecessor hosting VH1’s “Stand-Up Spotlight,” to opening for such names as Cher, Dolly Parton, Julio Iglesias and Tony Bennett, Bobby knows how to read the crowd and well, deliver the goods.

Bobby was named after his father’s favorite comedian, Bob Hope.

Bobby told me that, “I’d never seen Bob Hope perform but when I was appearing in Philadelphia for the first time, a newspaper reporter from New York City caught my act and liked it so much he put me on the entire cover of the paper’s weekend section. Lost in the cover’s corner was a tiny picture of Bob Hope. While I was visiting with friends at the club, a black limousine pulled up and the driver handed me a manila envelope. There was a signed photo of Bob Hope inside along with a handwritten note saying ‘How dare you get top billing on a weekend’ with a happy face drawn at the bottom.”

That’s probably one of the best tributes I’ve ever heard from one comic to another, especially when that comic just happens to be a legend.

Bobby was nominated for a CableACE Award as well as for the American Comedy Awards “Stand-up Comic of the Year.”

His first CD, “On The Inside,” showcased his wide-ranging observational material and his second CD, “Out of Bounds,” earned him a Grammy nomination. Subsequent CDs include “I Wanna Go Home,” “I’m On the Boat” and “Mr. New York.”

His DVD, “Bobby Collins: Live from New York City” captures the best of his stand up performance. Bobby has also appeared in five feature films and numerous television shows.

See him this week at The Improv inside Harveys.

The Improv at Harveys takes place Wednesdays through Sundays at 9 p.m. Learn more at http://www.harveystahoe.com.

Pella at The Carson Comedy Club

This week at the Carson Comedy Club inside the Carson Nugget we’ve got Brent Pella.

Not only is he a stand-up comedian but also an impressionist, actor and director based in Los Angeles whose comedy sketches, celebrity impressions and parody music videos have gained more than 50 million views online. Pretty snazzy, huh?

I’ve seen his impression of Eminem, which is spot on. Apparently he does one of The Rock (actor Dwayne Johnson) that is also spot on.

Brent’s high-energy, character-based comedy is inspired by his experiences of growing up with a single mom, becoming a role model for his younger sister and his many failed relationships — all of which have made Brent into one of the most exciting young headliners on the circuit today.

Brent was recently featured on an episode of MTV’s “Greatest Party Stories Ever,” headlines colleges and comedy clubs across the country and continues to develop and produce his own comedy videos for release at YouTube.com/BrentPella.

Shows at the Carson Comedy Club inside the Carson Nugget start at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.


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