Mochrie to appear on The Boom Show this week
While many comedians wait for their turn on stage, sketch comic and producer Dan Galea makes his own opportunities. A graduate of the Humber College Comedy Program, and now a seasoned sketch performer on the Toronto comedy scene since 2001, Galea co-produces, co-writes and directs the popular Toronto institution, The Boom Show. The latest installment of The Boom Show is taking place this Thursday at The Supermarket in Kensington and features such big-name acts as Last Comic Standing finalist and Gemini award winner Debra DiGiovanni, and veteran Canadian heavyweight comedians and improvisors Deb McGrath and Colin Mochrie.
I recently had a chat with Galea and asked him how he got where he is today, where he hopes to go and how he began.
DD: Tell me about your first time performing on stage.
DG: The first show I ever performed at was at Yuk Yuks and I believe I was racist by mistake. Something I said sounded horribly racist and things went down hill from there. I am not a racist.
DD: Sometimes when you’re onstage, and especially if you’re nervous, things just come out wrong. All comedians can attest to many onstage blunders that they would normally never utter otherwise. Do you still perform stand-up or did that experience scare you off for good?
DG: I mainly do sketch comedy but I do stand-up semi-regularly and improv when I get the chance. It’s a personal goal to get better at stand-up.
DD: For those who may not be familiar with your work from The Boom Show, Much Music’s Video on Trial, or your years with famed Toronto sketch troupe The Sketchersons, describe your style as a comedian.
DG: It's like if Chris Rock had sex with the creators of South Park, and somehow artificially inseminated Larry David and the child Larry David birthed had sex with all the writers of The Office (British and American) and they Larry's baby and the writers of the office British and American had a baby, that baby would be me. Awkward, my style is awkward.
DD: Sounds like you’re an awkward guy who isn’t afraid to push the envelope?
DG: The Boom Show involves pushing everything to the edge and sometimes knocking it over. It involves random acts of nudity. It involves unique takes on real situations. All in all, it’s like what sketch would be like if no one was really censoring it.
DD: The Boom Show sounds like an exciting venture, tell me about it, how did you conceive it?
DG: The Boom Show is monthly sketch show, on the first Thursday of every month at The Supermarket in Kensington. It features tons of my favorite comedy acts from the city. As for why I developed it, I didn't. I saw this sketch troupe called Boom-shaka-laka, I thought they were funny, I was ready to move on from the Sketcherson's after 3 or 4 years with them and I decided to see if I could head-write for Boom-Shaka-Laka and direct a little. They said yes. I ended up producing as well, I asked if we could change the name to The Boom and that’s it in a nut shell.
DD: The Boom Show has been running for quite some time now, and is really successful, that must really vindicate your decision to branch out.
DG: We are doing our 21st show on Nov 5th. So as The Boom, we're coming up on 2 years of monthly shows. We have been lucky, blessed whatever you want to call it, but we get to play to a full house every show. Our smallest audience so far has been 50 people our biggest 250 people so no matter what we've always felt like we have a crowd to perform to.
DD: That’s amazing! Many comedy venues in Toronto could not boast such consistent audience numbers, what do you think is setting The Boom Show apart?
DG: I honestly think that there is someone for everyone in the cast. It is such a eclectic group of people and each of them has their own thing they do really well. I really think they are funny and they always make me laugh and I know what's going to happen already so you can imagine what it would be like for people who don't!
DD: You have an amazing line up this month, including Colin Mochrie, Deb McGrath, and Debra DiGiovanni, how did you swing such big name acts to your show?
DG: Thank you for the compliment, on behalf of all of them and me. I worked with Colin and Debra McGrath on The Sketchersons show, bumped into them once in a while and kept their contact info. And Debra DiGiovanni I just know from around the comedy scene. It’s a small world in the Toronto comedy scene and the longer you are in it, no matter what, you end up bumping into people. Asking is the key though.
DD: So true, sometimes people never take a chance because they’re afraid to ask or set themselves up for possible rejection. Who are some of your sources of inspiration, comedians with great careers that keep you going in this tough business?
DG: There is no steady path to take in this business, you either succeed or you don't and if you don't, then what? The two people I admire that come to mind are Larry David and Jerry Stiller. Larry because he got to create something twice and watch those shows (Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm) bloom into amazing things. That is something I would like to do someday. Jerry because he has done everything, from live comedy, to radio to TV, to film. He's just incredible and he can adapt in every possible situation because he's just funny and funny is funny. I hope to have anything close to either of their careers.
DD: You seem to be well on your way considering the success of The Boom Show. Have you ever thought of touring the show across Canada or beyond?
DG: Yes, we talked about doing a jail tour but that was quickly squashed by rules and regulations for jail entertainment, then we were supposed to a show for some military people but that fell through, but I'm always looking for festivals and things that would be good for us to do.
Whether Galea is performing in bar or prison near you, be sure to catch him and his comedy cohorts in The Boom Show, Thursday, November 5 at 9:30pm (ET) at The Supermarket , 268 Agusta Ave., in Toronto's Kensington Market.
Dan with film director, writer and producer Kevin Smith.
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