Stand-up performances to benefit Rotary Club of Solvang and Solvang Theaterfest
Comedian Orny Adams will be performing at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at the Solvang Festival Theater. Also, on stage that night opening for Adams will be stand-up comedian Frazer Smith. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Rotary Club of Solvang and Solvang Theaterfest.
“Orny Adams showed up on YouTube when I was watching comedians such as Brian Regan and Kevin Nealon, who have performed at the Solvang Festival Theater in the past,” said Allen Jones, volunteer chair of the Rotary Club of Solvang. “I thought to myself, ‘Orny is really funny. I wonder if he would be willing to come to Solvang?’ I asked my brother-in-law, Brad Mann, who knows all the great comedians, and he knew Orny and thought he would be great – if you could even get him. So Orny’s assistant emailed me back. We spoke. It seems Orny has ties to the Santa Ynez Valley, loves the area, thought we were a good group, and decided to come.”
“He is a very personable and engaging young man, extremely funny, bright, well-versed on life, and our area. Lucky to have him perform,” said Jones.
“I’m excited to be doing a show in Solvang. In these times, we all need to get out of the house, come together, and laugh! I’ve vacationed there a few times, and I can’t imagine this isn’t going to be anything less than an incredible experience. I hope to see you all there,” said Adams.
According to his bio, Adams has appeared on every late-night television show. His “More Than Loud” comedy special on YouTube has 7 million views. Orny has had one-hour stand-up specials on Netflix, Comedy Central, and Showtime. He has toured all over the world and gives a full-throttle, high-energy show. You may also recognize him from the hit TV show “Teen Wolf” and the movie “Teen Wolf.” Additionally, he has well over a million followers on social media. Adams delivers a powerful, incisive stand-up routine that vacillates between the relevant and the absurd. He attacks what’s wrong with the world and sometimes even what’s wrong with himself. He’s brutally honest, satirical, and his performance is ceaselessly energetic.
One of Adam’s many reviews stated, this one by bestselling author Gavin de Becker, “There’s a growing group of people who have known that Orny is a great comic thinker and performer. We search out his stuff on the internet, we go to his shows, and we send emails around with things he’s said. It’s like we discovered Bob Dylan early and everyone else is just about to.”
Opening for Adams that night will be Frazer Smith, also known as Frazier Smith. According to Wikipedia, he is an American radio personality, disc jockey, actor, writer, and stand-up comedian. Smith worked in Los Angeles at KROQ-FM from 1976 through 1979, KLOS from 1979 through 1984, KMET 1984 through 1986, KLSX 1986 through 1997, KLOS in 1997, and KRTH in 2002 and back to KLOS a third time until 2020. He has played small roles in films and television shows and was one of the announcers on the TBS music video show Night Tracks from 1986 to 1988 and 1989 to 1991.
The debut of his manic show on KROQ-FM coincided with that station’s rise playing what was then-new new wave music. Smith is noted for his KROQ-FM simulcasts of the 1978 World Series. He coined the phrase “Too hip, gotta go!” while at KLOS. Smith also hosted the late-night television show called “Rock ‘N’ America,” in 1984.
Presently, Smith is busy doing podcasts and stand-up comedy, which he’s said is his first love. He’s appeared at the Improv, the Laugh Factory, the Ice House, and the Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, among others.
Tickets are $59 for reserved seating. Gates and concessions open at 6 p.m. Bring a jacket or blanket for the chilly evenings, as this is an outdoor theater. Refreshments and light snacks are available for purchase.
Tickets are on sale now at https://solvangtheaterfest.com.
For more information on Orny Adams, visit www.ornyadams.com/, and for Smith, visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frazer_Smith.
Solvang Festival Theater is at 420 2nd St., Solvang.
For more information, call (805) 686-1789 or visit www.solvangfestivaltheater.org
