By Peter Lindblad
Everyone, remain Calm, as in Reena Calm.
This is only an alert, a warning to inform unsuspecting citizens that a hurricane of hilarious puns is coming to northeast Wisconsin, scheduled to make landfall on Friday, Jan. 20, at the Tarlton Theatre in Green Bay with fellow comics Kristin Lytie and Ameerah Sanders.
It is a Fox Valley Comedy presentation. Then, on Saturday, Jan. 21, she’s headlining again at the Bare Bones Menasha Taproom, appearing with Darrell Cochran and Jared Porter.
Just call her “The Pun-isher,” as puns are Calm’s stock in trade. She is touted as “the only full-time touring female comic in the country,” with a goal to “make people laugh in all 50 states.” Get her book “Once A Pun A Time: Legend of a Sighs Queen” on Amazon. Calm got her start in Chicago and has a debut album out called Calmedy.
Having appeared on “Doug Loves Movies,” Calm has also opened for Arsenio Hall. Here’s Calm in her natural environment
So, this column is arriving late, but there’s still time to get a bellyful of laughter this month at stand-up shows all around Wisconsin, and because we’re being tardy, we’ve added a little something to get you in the mood for February. Check out these recommendations:
Skyline Comedy Club – Appleton
Craig Gass (Jan. 19-22) – Gas might be expensive these days, but Gass’ spot-on impressions of celebrities like Sam Kinison, Al Pacino, Gilbert Gottfried, Christopher Walken, Adam Sandler and rockers Gene Simmons and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich are a bargain at $15-$25 per show. The son of deaf parents, who imitated voices on TV to learn about language, Gass got noticed on Howard Stern’s radio show, and he’s parlayed that into roles on TV shows like “King of Queens,” “Sex in the City” and “Family Guy.” The class clown is here to give a lesson in side-splitting comedy.
The Meyer Theatre – Green Bay
Greg Hahn (Jan. 21) – Let’s get physical with Greg Hahn, shall we? Let’s marvel at his offbeat, wildly unpredictable genius, seemingly pulling killer one-liners out of thin air and moving about the stage like a grinning mad man. As part of “The Friends of The Bob & Tom Comedy Tour,” this chaos agent of frenzied, full-throttle stand-up is coming to Green Bay with Josh Arnold and David Dyer. All three are favorites of the popular “Bob & Tom” radio show. It’s a tripleheader of laughs. Hahn was recently featured in Out & About Wisconsin, and here’s the story (page 12).
Comedy on State – Madison
Duncan Trussell (Jan. 19-21) – History will be made when Duncan Trussell plays Comedy on State. “Drunk History,” that is. Trussell appeared five times on the Emmy-nominated Comedy Central show, having also shown his face on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Showtime’s “La La Land” and “Nick Swardson’s Pretend Time.” Trussell, who got a break by giving a CD of prank calls to the Comedy Store, promises a psychedelic journey of metaphysical laughs, with an irreverent style and infectious giggle that keeps the laughs coming all night. Listen to his podcast “The Duncan Trussell Family Hour.” His classic story of a wild acid trip can be heard here
Milwaukee Improv – Milwaukee
Brent Morin (Jan. 26-28) – Dating was a challenge for Morin and his character Justin Kearney on the NBC sitcom “Undateable.” He’s better at rollicking comedy, as the likeable actor, comic and writer shares his funny insights on drinking, socializing, sex, relationships and pop culture with audiences thirsty for that kind of thing. Get a load of Morin on his one-hour stand-up special “I’m Brent Morin,” which is streaming on Netflix. Most recently, he acted alongside Dennis Quaid in the Netflix holiday series “Merry Happy Whatever.” Here, he laments how hot guys have it good.
The Laughing Tap – Milwaukee
Dulce Sloan (Feb. 3-4) – Wickedly funny, with a mix of fierce, natural confidence and charming vulnerability, the uniquely funny Sloan is best known as one of the correspondents on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.” Variety Magazine knows what’s up, picking Sloan as one of its “Top 10 Comedians to Watch.” Want to catch a rising star? This is a can’t-miss opportunity to see her before she blows up. See what all the buzz is about here.