. . . “better be funny or we’re not paying her.”

The person was trying to be funny and do some ad libbing on my introduction, but that’s just awful on many levels. I recovered fine, and rocked the room. I was definitely funny enough to get paid, and I even made a joke about it. . . but still not a good way to start.

Read the introduction you’ve been given,

and don’t deviate or try to memorize it. READ it. I do a lot of work humor and so I sometimes go by The Work Lady. But I’ve had people introduce me as the “working girl” because they tried to remember it. That is a whole other profession, and it makes the audience wonder just what kind of entertainment they hired. Another time a guy tried to wing it. He remembered that I have written for some prestigious media outlets, but he didn’t remember that it was the Tonight Show. He ended up introducing me as a “writer for Reader’s Digest.” Can’t anyone do that? It was ridiculous

Get the group settled

and focused – that is your number one job as the introducer. Stop the chatter and get people to focus on the stage so that the comedian doesn’t have to. You’re paying for a 60 minute comedy show. . . not 45 minutes of comedy and 15 minutes of “hey, can you hear me?” And by settling them down, I don’t mean yelling at them to shut up. Yes, I’ve had that before. . .and NOBODY wants to listen to a comedian after they’ve been chastised and forced to.

Hold the microphone up – your voice comes out of your mouth, not your hip (or other body parts), but many times I’ve been tempted to run up and push the mic up to someone’s mouth so the audience can actually hear

So there you have it. . . some easy, but IMPORTANT, tips for introducing a comedian at your next event. Pay attention to these tips, and you’ll get the comedy show off on the right foot, and everyone will be laughing.

 

Jan McInnis