ALONZO BODDEN Headlining at Gotham! December 16, 2010

Even before appearing on Last Comic Standing, Alonzo Bodden knew there was nothing, absolutely nothing, that would ever make him give up comedy. “That’s the drug,” he says “when they laugh, it’s like I’m a jazz musician and they hear it and they get it. It’s power to take the crowd wherever I want them to go. I love it when they laugh, especially when they relate through laughter. It’s a beautiful thing. It also means I’m going to get paid, which is nice.”

Alonzo didn’t always make his living as a stand-up comic. A graduate of Aviation High School, for nine years he earned a paycheck as a jet mechanic for Lockheed and McDonnell Douglas. While comics around the country were making audiences laugh at airline jokes, he was working on the top secret Stealth Bomber. It was during a stint as a trainer that Alonzo discovered his ability to entertain a group of people. “I was teaching airplane mechanics when I realized it was more fun to make them laugh,” he explains, “I was laid off one more time and I never looked back, although it was nice to have a steady paycheck and benefits.” Alonzo enrolled in a comedy class and the rest as they say, is comedy history.

After placing as runner-up on Season 2 of NBC’s Last Comic Standing, he came back strong in Season 3 to take the grand prize. In 2007, he went on to become a series regular judge on Season 5 of the show. His movie roles include parts in Scary Movie 4, Bringing Down the House, and The Girl Next Door. On television, he has played a bouncer/crook/security guard/cop on Angel, Grounded for Life, and Profiler. He is currently a regular field correspondent on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and back on Last Comic Standing as a celebrity judge.

Alonzo describes his material as “cynically good natured in an angry suburban Negro kind of way.” While he strongly believes that all young comics should study Bill Cosby, he freely admits that his mom is the funniest person he knows. When his family and friends attend his shows he loves and appreciates it.

One of the great things about Alonzo’s career is that he can make you laugh and fix your Learjet. One day, he hopes to have his own Learjet.

Thurs, Dec 16th @ 8:30pm - $20 Cover
Fri, Dec 17th @ 8:30 & 10:30pm - $25 Cover
Sat, Dec 18th @ 8:00, 10:00 & 11:45pm - $25 Cover
2 beverage minimum per person applies to all shows

Call 212-367-9000 for reservations or purchase tickets online at www.gothamcomedyclub.com