Episode 34: Special Guest - Rhonda Hansome

Episode 34: Special Guest - Rhonda Hansome

On today's episode of Comedy Centric, Julia and Cathy are thrilled to have the multi-talented Rhonda Hansome as their guest. Rhonda's extensive experience in the entertainment industry includes working with renowned figures like Jim Henson and Anita Baker. In this captivating podcast, Rhonda shares her remarkable journey through the world of show business, offering valuable insights and perspectives. This is an episode not to be missed, as Rhonda's anecdotes and experiences are sure to entertain and enlighten. Subscribe to our channel and tap the bell for notifications Find The Comedy Centric Podcast on the following Platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/comedycentricpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CentricComedy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comedycentricpodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@comedycentricpodcast ____________________________________________________________________ Rhonda Hansome is Bermuda in the movie Pretty Woman and appeared on Saturday Night Live. Her stand-up comedy has opened for Anita Baker (Radio City Music Hall) Diana Ross (Constitution Hall) Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson and The Pointer Sisters in Atlantic City. She was Host & Artist Coordinator of Indictment Excitement, Laughing Liberally’s Off-Broadway run of NY’s top political humorist. On Sirius XM Ch 127 Rhonda is John Fugelsang’s regular Monday guest (#HansomeMonday) on Tell Me Everything. She writes Politoonitics, a political cartoon on Facebook. Rhonda writes and is Real Newz anchor of Politipod podcast on Sound Cloud. She co- starred in the Facebook mini-series Lo & Behold and with her City Artists Corps Grant, she presented true tales of sex, murder & gentrification in Lie Baby, Lie! her one-woman show. This multiple award honored theater director is a Best Director nominee for Dust of Egypt (nominated Best Production and won Best Actress) in the New York Theater Festival Winter Fest. During quarantine she directed a number of online projects for theaters including New Federal Theater and Theater for The New City. Her play, C.P.R. A Love Tragedy? based on the police assault of Abner Louima, was presented by New Perspectives Theater and the Frank Silvera Writers Workshop. She directed the short film, Let’s Keep This Professional, starring Comedy in Harlem club owners (comedians) Jamie Roberts & Nicky Sunshine. Rhonda’s hobby is rollerblading. Website: www.RhondaHansome.com / www.DirectedByPassion.com FB: Rhonda Hansome Comedy, Politipod, Politoonitics, Twitter: @RhondaHansome / IG: rhondafull / Tik Tok: Lobehold100 Blog: www.SheSoFunny.org #NinaSimoneOfComedy #RadioRhonda #NotYourGrandmasComic #JudgingOnThe6Train

Episode 33: Special Guest - Ray Anderson

RAY ANDERSEN GREW UP IN WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY IN THE HOUSE THAT LEGENDARY SONGWRITERS, CAROLE KING AND GERRY GOFFIN LIVED. RAY WAS INSPIRED AT A VERY EARLY AGE TO START SINGING, PLAYING PIANO, GUITAR AND DRUMS, AND START CRAFTING HIS OWN SONGS-WITHOUT A SINGLE LESSON. FOR MUCH OF THE 80S, RAY WAS A MEMBER OF THE NOTABLE ASBURY PARK NJ, STONE PONY HOUSE-BAND, CATS ON A SMOOTH SURFACE. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN PLAYED WITH RAY AND THE BAND SO MUCH, HE OFTEN RAVED TO THE PRESS WORLDWIDE, THAT THEY WERE HIS FAVORITE GROUP OF MUSICIANS TO JAM WITH WHEN HE WAS OFF TOUR. IN 1994, HIS WIFE AT THE TIME, WHO WAS PART-TIMING AT A PRE-SCHOOL, ASKED RAY TO COME IN AND PERFORM SOME SONGS FOR THE KIDS. IN NO TIME, HE BECAME KNOWN AS “MR. RAY,” HOLDING AN EYE-CATCHING, COLORFULLY-STICKERED GUITAR. THE KIDS (AND RAY) WERE QUICKLY HOOKED. IN 1998, RAY GOT A CALL TO PLAY GUITAR, KEYBOARDS & SING BACKUP FOR INTERNATIONAL ROCK STAR, MEAT LOAF. BESIDES GIVING HIM THE THRILL OF PERFORMING IN SOME OF AMERICA & EUROPE’S GREATEST VENUES, RAY, AS PART OF MEAT LOAF’S BAND, DID A LOT OF TV SUCH AS DAVID LETTERMAN, JAY LENO, TOP OF THE POPS, TGIF, VH1’S STORYTELLERS, HARD ROCK LIVE AND MANY MORE. ON DECEMBER 6TH, 2006 THE FIRST-EVER RAY COMMERCIAL AIRED ON NICKELODEON & CARTOON NETWORK IN THE US. IN SEPTEMBER 2008, RAY PARTNERED WITH A VERY HIP INDOOR PLAYGROUND IN CHELSEA NYC CALLED APPLESEED’S, BY WRITING & LICENSING ORIGINAL SONGS FOR THEIR MUSIC FOR KIDS PROGRAM CALLED SONGS FOR SEEDS. CLASSES LAUNCHED IN JANUARY 2009. ON MARCH 19TH 2009, RAY WAS INVITED TO SING AT THE UNITED NATIONS IN NYC FOR AN EVENT CALLED A SEASON FOR NON-VIOLENCE. HE WAS BACKED UP BY 15 CHILDREN SINGERS, PERFORMING JOHN LENNON’S ‘IMAGINE’ ‘GIVE PEACE A CHANCE’ AND TWO ORIGINALS, ‘MUSIC’S A LANGUAGE’ AND ‘MAKE THE WORLD SAFE.” HE PERFORMS EVERYWHERE FROM FESTIVALS TO PARKS AND LIBRARIES, AS WELL AS MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL FANFEST, CHILDREN AFFECT BY AIDS FOUNDATION AND MANY OTHER NOTABLE LOCATIONS. AS A PART-TIME MEMBER OF BOB BANDIERA’S JERSEY ROCK N’ SOUL REVUE, RAY PERFORMS FROM TIME TO TIME WITH FELLOW NEW JERSEYANS, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & JON BON JOVI. SONOMA ENTERTAINMENT COMMISSIONED RAY TO RECORD 150 PUBLIC DOMAIN KIDS’ CLASSIC SONGS, WHICH ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN BEST BUY, WALMART, K-MART & 9,000 DOLLAR GENERAL STORES NATIONWIDE. RAY HAS RECORDED, SANG & PRODUCED FIVE (5) COVER VERSIONS OF HIT SONGS FOR PUBLISHERS CLEARING HOUSE NATIONAL TV COMMERCIALS. INCLUDING, THIS MAGIC MOMENT, HOW SWEET IT IS, YOU MAKE MY DREAMS COME TRUE, THE ROCKY THEME AND JACKSON 5’S “I WANT YOU BACK”. ALONG WITH ALL OF THESE VENTURES, RAY RECORDS, PRODUCES AND SINGS ON NUMEROUS CLIENT PROJECTS FOR STARTING FIVE MEDIA. ONE OF THESE PROJECTS WAS A BLACKBERRY COMMERCIAL WHERE RAY PLAYED ALL THE INSTRUMENTS AND SANG THE ETTA JAMES’ CLASSIC, “AT LAST”. TO SEE BLACKBERRY EXECUTIVES LIP-SYNCING THE COMMERCIAL: HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/2P8NK5KWLT0 RAY ANDERSEN WEBSITE: HTTP://MRRAY.COM/RAYANDERSEN_BIO RAY ANDERSEN YOUTUBE CHANNEL: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/CHANNEL/UCG8GJVYSX0CT1WSC0GEHITW ANTI-BULLYING PROJECT: HTTP://HARDROCKHAVEN.NET/ONLINE/2015/08/INTERVIEW-WITH-RAY-ANDERSEN/

Episode 32: Special Guest - Donna Cooper

You can purchase Donna's novel "Killer Actress" right here. This is a great read. https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07PR7VFF8?ingress=0&visitId=7d1b3855-b4dc-4ad4-8beb-03f1829954c2 Subscribe to our channel and tap the bell for notifications Find The Comedy Centric Podcast on the following Platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/comedycentricpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CentricComedy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comedycentricpodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@comedycentricpodcast ____________________________________________________________________ A graduate of Tufts University, Donna graduated with a BA in Drama. She worked as a stand up comic for 10 plus years culminating in entertaining the troops in the Persian Gulf. In Los Angeles for over 20 years she appeared in numerous films, television shows and commercials. Back in New York she continues to act and write and now resides with her husband on Long Island. The sequel to KILLER ACTRESS is in the works.

Episode 31: Special Guest - Mary Kennedy

Subscribe to our channel and tap the bell for notifications Find The Comedy Centric Podcast on the following Platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/comedycentricpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CentricComedy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comedycentricpodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@comedycentricpodcast ____________________________________________________________________ Mary Kennedy was the recurring character “New Fiona” on Shameless, Season 7 and garnered the prestigious honor of being added to the Shameless Hall of Shame for the final season on Showtime. The movie Tales of a Fifth Grade Robin Hood, where she plays the role of “Berniece, The Lunch Lady”, is streaming on TUBI TV. Tales stars Jon Lovitz and Stephen Glickman. Just recently, the short, Free Chair, made it’s debut at Sherman Oaks Film Festival, with rave reviews! Mary also booked her second thriller Your Lucky Day, directed by Dan Brown which is due out in 2023. One of the most fun, she had on set recently, was playing a crazed Chippendales fan, on HULU’s Welcome to Chippendales. Films include, Tiffany Johnson’s film Girl Callin with production company REFINERY 29. Kennedy was cast, as the “Waitress” and it premiered at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. She also was in “Shattered” as Mrs. Searcy, Starring Ray Wise, Molly Burnett and Arianna Zucker. In Los Angeles, she appeared in the theatre production of AfterGlow the ‘80s Musical Experience with the #originalgorgeousladiesofwrestling (GLOW) as legendary wrestling manager, Jackie Stallone. Kennedy received two Broadway World Award Nominations: Best Supporting Actor and subsequently won a Best Ensemble Award. Her one woman show, Mid Life Mood Swing, made it’s debut in LA at Oh My Ribs back in 2018, did a tour to sold out audiences on the east coast, including Mary’s hometown and just had a successful showing at SOLOFEST 2023 through The Whitefire Theatre in Los Angeles. This show is a rollercoaster ride about being her mom’s roadie for the wedding band The Mood Swings in the 80’s, being cousins with the Kennedys, yeah those Kennedys and going through motherhood, midlife and menopause. Mary Kennedy, is a headlining comic, all over the country and appears regularly at Flappers Comedy Club, The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles/Long Beach. She has also worked at the Comedy Store LA/La Jolla, Comedy Chateau, The Ice House and The Improv (Ontario, Irvine). When in NYC, she is a regular at Broadway Comedy Club and Greenwich Comedy Club. This past summer she headlined, Laugh Boston’s Off Cabot on the north shore of Boston. She toured nationally with Mom’s Night Out which subsequently was in development with NickMom/Viacom. Her hilarious comedy was also on the LIVE version of Showtime’s Comedy Special, Funny Women of a Certain Age at the Hollywood Improv and at Flappers.

Episode 30: Special Guest - Ted Bohus

Subscribe to our channel and tap the bell for notifications Find The Comedy Centric Podcast on the following Platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/comedycentricpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CentricComedy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comedycentricpodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@comedycentricpodcast ____________________________________________________________________ In the 70’s Ted produced several fantasy short subjects and wrote forvarious film magazines. In 1977 he published and edited his own magazine called SPFX-Special Effects Magazine. After a few issues he quit to produce and write several low-budget science fiction/horror films including FIEND and NIGHTBEAST. In 1993 Ted resumed publication of SPFX and does to this day. In 1980 Ted started his own production company FILMLINE COMMUNICATIONS. He produced, co-designed the creature and wrote the story for his first theatrical feature, THE DEADLY SPAWN. Throughout the 80’s Ted worked on various films as producer, director,story consultant, writer, special effects designer/supervisor, 2nd unit director, and stunt actor. These films include MIND KILLER, LONE WOLF, GAMBLIN and THE AMITYVILLE CURSE.In 1988, Ted produced the 35mm monsterfest, METAMORPHOSIS: THE ALIEN FACTOR. Beside producing the film Ted also served as story writer, creature designer, stuntman, and second unit director.Ted has also produced the anthology films FANTASTIC FILMSHOW I & II and directed various episodes.(1994) THE REGENERATED MAN, which Ted wrote, produced, and directed was shot in 35mm. The film contains a computer animated creature created with the same software used for the dinosaur effects in Jurassic Park.(1995) Ted produced, directed and wrote the sci-fi/comedy VAMPIRE VIXENS FROM VENUS. The film had a successful run on USA TV network “Up All Night.” In 1994, Ted was the host, producer and director of HOLLYWOOD EAST RADIO. WVNJ 1160. The radio show consisted of interviews with movie personalities and call-ins. Also, with co-host Joanne Santiglia (Ch. 10 Time Warner News) he produced, wrote, directed and edited a 1/2 hour news magazine program for cable television. HOLLYWOOD EAST contained interviews and film clips. It was nominated for the Cable Ace Award. It was shot at New York's PLANET HOLLYWOOD.