Rob Paravonian knew that if he could make it in New York, he could make it anywhere. So far, he’s making it pretty good.
Paravonian, who was born in Waukegan, started performing standup in California nine years ago, honed his skills in Chicago and then went to the Big Apple last year. One of his reasons for going was for a better chance to work the New York-based television talk show circuit. “They never scouted in Chicago too much,” he says, “so I figured I’d go to them.”
He hasn’t appeared on Conan O’Brien or David Letterman’s shows yet, but Paravonian is making his television performing debut Dec. 27 on Comedy Central’s new “Premium Blend” standup showcase, representing alternative comedy, the renegade art form where mostly anything goes in the quest for a laugh.
Paravonian, 28, who is a regular at Catch a Rising Star in New York on Friday nights, has also found his niche in New York’s alternative scene, which accepts his performing style of comedy music and jokes in between songs. “I’m not the quintessential comedian of, like, the boom area of the one guy making observations kind of comedy,” he explains.
“Since I do music and I’m sort of a songwriter-comedian, I would consider that a little bit out of ordinary. So you can lump me into the generic alternative category.”
Paravonian also says the scene there “is pretty cool,” especially in areas like the Lower East Side, an “up-and-coming arty neighborhood” where he performs extensively, including a new restaurant-theater-bar venue that puts on poets, performance artists, character performers, musicians and standups.
“It’s a good mix of everything,” Paravonian says. “It’s usually pretty funny, but you never know exactly what’s gonna come next.”
So why not Los Angeles for Paravonian, where most comics flock for more exposure? The comic says it was a matter of priorities.
“I didn’t want to go out to L.A. because it seems to be like a television-film town, and I still wanted (to work live),” he says. “For live performance, I figured New York would be the better option. And there’s lots of places to play. . . .
“I still want to do television, but I really like what I’m doing live right now. And I think anything I do in television or film is going to grow out of my live performances.”
Although Paravonian has a New York state of mind, he still does plenty of road work in the Midwest, where he got his professional standup start after hitting the Los Angeles open-mic circuit while attending the University of Southern California.
One of those Midwest trips for Paravonian includes a stop Wednesday at the Cue Club, 2833 N. Sheffield Ave. Call 773-477-3661 for more information.
Laughs 101
Part lesson, part standup, “The Professor of Comedy” is set up as a mock primer on laughter.
Running through Dec. 27 at Donny’s Skybox Studio Theater, the stage show is performed by David Spark, with standup comedy material acted by local comedian Dion Stanley. The university-like setting offers a slide show and lecture, with a “professor” (Spark) giving audience members “theories” towards an education into comedy. Stanley, a one-time house emcee at the old Funny Firm, then serves up bits to prove the professor’s theories.
An intriguing alternative to both standup and sketch comedy shows, “The Professor of Comedy” is staged Fridays and Saturdays at the Skybox Studio in Piper’s Alley, 1608 N. Wells St. For tickets and other details, call the Second City box office at 312-337-3992.
The standup lineup
Here’s who’s working at the comedy clubs. Current sets are scheduled to run through Sunday, and new acts begin on Thursday, unless otherwise noted. Lineups are subject to change.
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– Speaking of professors, the professor of prop comedy, Carrot Top, brings all of his funny little gadgets to the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, Ind., on Saturday. For tickets and other details, call 219-769-6600 or Ticketmaster at 312-559-1212.
– “Funday Night at the Map Room” is the joyous Christmas extravaganza starring Chicago Comedy Works, the monthly local comedy-variety show. Tabbed for this Sunday, the set will feature several comics, including host and CCW compadre Cordell “The Joker” Pace, comic folk-singing duo the Caterpillars, bizarre comedy poet Shappy, tap dancer John Kloss and more. Bucktown bar the Map Room is the place, at 1949 N. Hoyne Ave., and 773-252-7636 is the number for more information.
– After Corey Holcomb finishes tearing them up at All Jokes Aside (1000 S. Wabash Ave.; 312-922-0577) on Sunday, in comes co-headliners Tommy Chunn and Snow Cone beginning on Thursday.