Comedian prefers live shows for instant gratification

Kathleen Madigan has spent her career chasing instant gratification.

The stage has been her most immediate source for that over the past 25 years as a stand-up. But, more recently, the 50-year-old comic has taken to Twitter and its live video streaming service Periscope for a high-tech take on the same phenomenon.

The idea to do it started when she was at a bar watching one of the presidential primary debates with fellow comic Lewis Black and tweeting about what she saw.

“I love Twitter, the interacting. But people said they wished they could be at that bar with Lew and me. And I said they could. All they have to do is turn on Periscope,” she said from the road in Las Vegas. “What I love about it is it’s not like a TV show where you have to go through hair and makeup. We don’t have to write anything; we can just hang out. People can come and go. I think it’s a very relaxed, awesome way to talk to the people, an interesting way to have a conversation.”

Last week, Madigan Periscoped the most recent GOP debate with her friends and colleagues Black and Ron White from a hotel room in Vegas. She also has Periscoped a Democratic debate, a trip to the Biltmore Estate and a dachshund race, among other things. And all of them fall into what Madigan calls her “five.”

“My subjects stay the same; it’s the same stuff I’m interested in. My act is really me; I’m not writing jokes per se,” she said. “It’s usually traveling, current events, politics, sports and my family. Those are my five; those subjects have never changed. Like I’m never going to have a chunk in my act about celebrities. I swear … if the Kardashians brought room service here, I wouldn’t know them and I don’t know why I should.”

Still, those humble five have been more than enough to make Madigan a respected, in-demand and award-winning comic on the circuit. She is a frequent guest on “The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore” on Comedy Central and on USO tours; she’s been a guest on everything from “The Tonight Show” to “Conan” and others. She appeared in her third hourlong comedy special, “Madigan Again,” in 2013 and is a past winner of the American Comedy Award for best female comedian, among other honors.

The comedian returns to the Gallo Center for the Arts stage Friday, Nov. 13. She last appeared at the venue two seasons ago. She said this time around, the audience should expect her set to have more political humor, as dictated by the presidential election cycle.

“I only do it when we’re all focused on it at the same time. This election year for comedy has been a gift from above, because, wow, they are extreme,” she said.

While politics may be a perennial comic gold mine, Madigan said it has gotten tougher for comics to break into the business. When she started going to open mikes around the St. Louis area, success meant making it to “The Tonight Show.” Now, there is no definite milestone.

“I think it’s harder for the people behind me because there’s no focus anymore. I don’t know how you get people to focus. I know people who are so funny, but even if they get on Jimmy Fallon, what does it do? It’s fun, but not going to have an effect,” she said. “Before, you got on Johnny Carson and two-thirds of the people watched Johnny Carson. Now only two-thirds of all people watch maybe the Super Bowl. So unless you can get a comedian on the Super Bowl, they have to do something fantastic to get noticed. For stand-up, you really better love it. If you have a really good day job already, you should think long and hard about it.”

Yet there’s no other job, day or otherwise, Madigan could envision doing. While she has had offers for TV shows and film, she prefers to stay focused on the stage. The time investment, she said, simply isn’t worth it for her.

“I do not have the patience for it. I went up to ‘The Big Bang Theory’ set with Lew. We were there from 4 to 11 p.m. He was on television for a total of three minutes,” she said. “So you have to love acting. It’s like, do you want to be in a play? For me, I absolutely do not.”

Madigan said she was recently asked to audition for the role of Kevin James’ wife in a new sitcom. She considered it, but ultimately passed. And movies, she said, are even worse.

“You have to think, ‘Forget the money, forget the fame,’ and ask yourself, ‘Do I want to do this every day?’ I said, ‘I don’t know, guys. It’s just not my thing.’ People might get upset when I say that, but it’s true,” she said. “And movies, it’s the most tedious. Moviemaking is even more brutal than a sitcom because at least there’s a live audience.”

Indeed, it’s that live audience, that instant gratification, Madigan says helps fuel her.

“There’s nothing more instant than stand-up, a live performance and live reaction,” she said.

This story was originally published November 4, 2015 at 9:45 AM with the headline "Comedian prefers live shows for instant gratification."