Catching Up With Comedians

Filmmaker and Animator Gene Hamm joins host Rich Stein

This is Gene Hamm‘s third visit to my show. He brings a lifetime of art and animation to  his third feature film Entitled:  "Don’t Call Us, We’ll Kill You!"     It will be on the Roku channel. In addition to his work for Disney, Hanna Barbera, and many others, he has also taught animation for over 25 years at the Art Institute in Marin County. He is also promoting his new online  course where he will teach animation from conception to completion.    In this class, Gene will take you through all the components of animation, voices, special effects, storyboards and you will be able to learn by the end of this course everything that it takes to complete your animated film. The course will be available very soon on Animation A2Z.com  Please welcome the always busy and very animated Gene Hamm.

Comedian Andy Huggins joins host Rich Stein

Andy Huggins: Andy Huggins always loved Comedy and has a vivid memory of the sound  the audience made laughing hysterically in a huge movie theater, when he first watched the Marx Brothers in Duck Soup. After graduating from high school in Virginia, he started doing Open Mic nights and telling jokes between the musical acts. He moved to Los Angeles after Johnny Carson kept mentioning that all the wave of new comedians came from The Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard. After working in LA for a couple of years, some comics he made friends with told him he should move to Houston,Texas to get way more stage time than in Los Angeles. He took their advice. Andy's story is different than most, even Rodney Dangerfield, who broke into Comedy in his 40s! Andy literally made it at age 68 when he brought over 40 years of doing one- liners in front of an international stage. His look and voice along with his integrity, work ethic and love for the craft of Comedy, ensures his third act to be a real barn burner! Ladies and Gents, Andy Huggins

Comedian, Prop Master and Show Runner Joe Dalo joins host Rich Stein

My guest Joe Dalo was born in Philly and raised in South Jersey. He started out like  most comics working open mics and progressed to the real comedy clubs like The Comedy works  and The Comedy Factory Outlet. He also wanted to be an actor and he was in the road company of Toni and Tina‘s wedding. Joe had a building and construction background which gave him another side hustle; He started getting hired on prank and hidden video shows as a builder and prop-master.  Due to his positive demeanor and leadership he worked his way quickly up the crew ladder because he was a guy who had the ability to hire the right people and get things done. He worked for years on Ashton Kutscher‘s show Punk’d and went from  PA to Show Runner and appeared on many episodes. He has also worked on all of the Jackass films in every capacity and personally built the “BIG HAND”  Which  famously slapped everyone big and small. He can also be seen in the upcoming Jackass Five! He is also on a show currently running on Netflix called FOUL PLAY, with Anthony Davis; I saw it on my queue as I was scrolling last night. After all that, his love and desire to do standup comedy still prevails and he is still out there hitting the stages; ladies and gentlemen, please Welcome Comedian, Joe Dalo.

Comic, Producer, Entrepreneur Rhonda Shear joins host Rich Stein

Rhonda Shear grew up as the youngest of four kids in New Orleans. Her Mom Supported her dancing and  modeling while Dad instilled in her the Mind of the Business Model. She left Louisiana with a College Degree from Loyola University, and the Title of Miss Louisiana USA/World/International   She headed west to Los Angeles where she studied acting and started paying her dues. She graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena and studied with Harvey Lembeck.     She eventually started getting small roles on television shows such as Chips and Dallas.   Her natural ebullience and funny demeanor opened doors for her on comedies like Married with Children, Cheers, Three’s Company and the Dukes of Hazzard.  She was even cast in SPACEBALLS by the legendary Mel Brooks   Many  agents and producers tried to discourage such a pretty and voluptuous young woman from pursuing the historically alpha- male world of stand up comedy however  she followed her own intuition and before long she was working the Comedy Store/ Improv/ Laugh Factory circuit as well as going on the road and working steadily in the Las Vegas Casinos as a stand up comic.   Her big break came when she was hired as the hostess of a show produced by USA Network titled “UP ALL NIGHT!” The show had been running for two years with the female hostess doing the Friday night ( Campy comedy movies) and Gilbert Gottfried hosting the Saturday night ( scary monster movies)  Rhonda was a big hit and she went on to host alongside the great Gilbert for the next eight years ( 8 years on tv and over 450 episodes )   On my podcast Rhonda talks about the 2025-26  Reboot of the Up All Night show and all things in the RHONDAVERSE ; including her own line of Intimate Apparel which she started out selling on QVC / Home Shopping Network; including her signature “AHH  BRA   Rhonda is one of those rare humans who evokes inspiration just through her voice and spirit and her laugh which even having a slight cold during our interview she laughed and carried on like the true pro that she is.   Ladies and Gentleman I am So proud to introduce Comedian, Writer, Producer, Entrepreneur and all around Neat Lady: Rhonda Shear ✌️💕🎙️🎙️🎬

Comic, Actor, Writer, Director Ted Lange joins host Rich Stein

My guest today Ted Lange was born and raised in Oakland California. While most people would recognize Ted from his 10 seasons starring as Isaac the Bartender on  THE LOVE BOAT;  before that show he  had already appeared in 4 to 5 films, was a regular in a sitcom that ran for 39 episodes and he had already appeared in the  Broadway  production of the musical HAIR! TED Lange is a  GRADUATE from LONDON’S ROYAL ACADEMY and is  also a MEMBER of the  AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE! Ted went on to write and direct a dozen episodes of  THE LOVE BOAT  and once that hit show wrapped, he has gone on to act in hundreds of different roles in television, film and the stage. While Ted has remained active and very visible on film and television over the years, his real passion is writing and directing for the live stage. He has penned at least a dozen plays for theater and has become a much sought after producer and director as well. Currently he is producing his passion project he wrote entitled:   "Shakespeare Over My Shoulder;"  where he spent years researching, interviewing and lecturing about his theory that Othello was not written by Shakespeare but by someone else.  So keep your eyes out for his new play and other projects Ted is involved in such as The Love Boat podcast and many charitable endeavors in which Ted participates. Ladies and Gents: I am proud to introduce Comic, Actor, Writer, Director: Ted Lange