Booking Inquiry
Print Page
Video
Agriculture Comedians
Asian Comedians
Black Comedians
Celebrity Comedians
Comedy Magicians
Construction Comedians
Culinary Comedians
Emcees
Female Comedians
Financial Comedians
Game Shows
Healthcare Humorists
Hispanic Latino
Humorists
Hypnotists
Imposters
Impressionists
Improv Comedians
Irish Comedians
Jewish Comedians
Jugglers
Mentalists
Musical Comedians
Native American Comedians
Novelty Acts
Political Humorists
Religious Comedians
Silent Comedians
Southern Country Redneck
Stand Up Comedians
Tech Comedians
Ventriloquists
|
|
ROBERT KLEIN
High-Energy Comedy & Comment
A career in entertainment was not a “legitimate” pursuit for a middle class kid born in the Bronx, even though his father, Ben, was a good living room comedian, and his mother, Frieda, was a show business fan. So, Robert Klein graduated from Dewitt Clinton High School and entered Alfred University as a pre-med student.
At Alfred Robert Klein joined the college’s acting company and graduated in 1962 with a B.A. in Political Science and History. But the acting bug hit hard, and Robert’s drama professor convinced Ben Klein that his son should pursue an acting career. Yale Drama School beckoned, and Klein was on his way.
Robert Klein finished a year at Yale, followed by summer stock.
In March of 1965, Robert Klein auditioned for the famous Chicago “Second City,” became a member of the troupe, and there he spent the single most important year of his career.
Robert Klein returned to New York as a seasoned member of “Second City” and was seen by producer Mike Nichols and chosen for a role in his Broadway musical, “Apple Tree.” He began working on stand-up comedy material at the original “Improvisation” club.
Soon after that, Robert Klein was cast in two more Broadway shows, “Morning, Noon and Night,” and “New Faces of 1968.” In 1970, he starred in “Comedy Tonight,” the CBS summer replacement for Glen Campbell’s show. Klein and the show were highly acclaimed, and it was becoming very clear that Robert Klein was here to stay.
In 1973, Robert Klein released his first album, “Child of the Fifties,” and ingenious collection of material which brought Klein to a vast audience and won him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Comedy Album of the Year. Two more albums followed, including “Mind Over Matter,” also nominated for a Grammy, and “New Teeth.” “Let’s Not Make Love” was released in 1990 on Rhino Records. Because of popular demand, Rhino re-released “Child of the Fifties” and “Mind Over Matter” in 1990. In 1992 CBS re-released “New Teeth.”
In conjunction with the release of “Let’s Not Make Love,” Robert Klein filmed a music video of the title track, hilariously depicting his quest for love in the safe-sex ‘90’s’ as only Klein can. For the video, Klein tapped Geraldo Rivera, Joan Rivers, Maury Povich, Capt. Lou Albano, Joe Franklin, Lisa Sliwa, Vitas Gerulaitus, Bob Costas and Marv Albert for cameo appearances.
Probably no single event is more indicative of Robert Klein’s success than his first sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall in 1973, “The First Annual Robert Klein Reunion.” For nearly two hours, Klein knocked out his audience with his high-energy comedy and comment. The critics raved, and Klein affirmed his place as a major personality in contemporary entertainment and as an influence on a whole generation of comedians.
|
