‘Last Comic Standing’ survivors land at the Bing
Esparza heads handful of comedians set for Sunday’s live performance
If you were following NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” reality series over the summer, you already know the names: Myq Kaplan, Roy Wood Jr., Mike DeStefano, Tommy Johnagin and Felipe Esparza.
All were finalists on this year’s contest and all will be live, onstage at the Bing Crosby Theater on Sunday.
They’re professional comics who were chosen from hundreds of contestants in auditions. They survived weeks of competition during the 10-week series; all five made it into the season’s last show on Aug. 9.
Esparza, from East L.A., walked away with the crown on the strength of jokes like these, delivered during the finale:
• “I am broke. You know you’re broke when you pass by an aluminum can, and you say, ‘Man, I should have picked that up.’ ”
• “I can’t even afford cologne. I just rip it off the magazine and rub it on my T-shirt. They say, ‘Man, you smell good. What is that?’ I say, ‘Page five.’ ”
Johnagin, the runner-up, put up a strong fight. He’s a Midwestern comic who has had his own Comedy Central special.
On the finale, he did a funny, deadpan routine about going out with a girl who was a little bit … aggressive:
“She texted me for months after that, but I didn’t respond. Finally, she said, ‘What did I do wrong?’ ‘Assault and battery, ma’am, assault and battery.’ ”
When Esparza was declared the winner, he said, “I was out of breath. I haven’t made that face since I got into trouble as a kid.”
Here are the other comics who will appear at the Bing on Sunday:
Myq Kaplan: He’s a New York comedian who has appeared on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” and who also had his own Comedy Central special.
Roy Wood Jr.: The Alabama comic has opened for comedians ranging from D.L. Hughley to Bill Engvall. He has appeared on “Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam” and on the “Late Show with David Letterman.”
Mike DeStefano: A former heroin addict who has been clean for 11 years, he performs at prisons and rehab centers, as well as on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and on Comedy Central.