2011 FLICKED MY HAPPY BEAN

I had a lot of wonderful opportunities that I'm incredibly grateful for and that I so enjoyed in 2011. I'd love to share them with you Crazytowners, along with embarrassing stories (some from behind the scenes and some from inside my head) and to say thank YOU for the all support and laughter. May we all have happy beans a flickin' in 2012!
-By Leah Bonnema (Stand Up Comic) 

I never write a newsletter so I thought I'd do Leah Bonnema: A Year In Comedy. Please click on the links to see sets from said events if you are so inclined.

2011 started out with a bang: in March Huffington Post listed me as one of their "Favorite 53 Female Comedians"  and College Candy featured one of my clips in the "Top Ten Funniest Female Comics!" I might have shit myself on both occasions. Big shout out to HuffPo and College Candy, Thank You!

Performing in a boxing ring - so much of comedy is getting used to being punched in the face!            

In the early spring my agent called with a hair modeling gig. I was excited. I have hair. However I'm not a model and being around people who know how to do makeup and contain their emotional eating habits terrifies me but I thought I should keep that myself as I was SO happy to get work. Everyone on set was completely lovely and wonderful but inside my head it was a war zone.

                    Can you tell I had to pee?! Thank goodness they do amazing hair! 

I thought I was going to wear some kind of blouse. Oh, no no! I got fitted in a Ferragamo gown. I spill coffee on myself on the regular and I think they could tell so I was not allowed to touch anything. Also, did you know that people change your clothes?! I didn't. Had I known, I would have shaved. Everyone worked so hard to try and turn me into a lady in one day, a feet that I have not yet conquered in my entire lifetime. One person was VERY upset that I had chapped lips. 

The photographer, who obviously is incredibly talented (and found all the right angles to make me look like a superstar-Thank YOU) kept giving me directions like: "Show me the sexy!" I got into college for math, sexy to me is pointy ears and a Vulcan gang sign, Live Long and Prosper, Yo! The voices in my head kept yelling: What are you doing here, it took you 10 years to have sex sober, you think you can just all of a sudden be sexy in front of a group?! 

 I had no idea how hard it was to "smile with your eyes" especially when you're only showing one

In April, Holly Pinafore named me their "It" girl and Bridget Flynn wrote an incredibly lovely article "To Be Funny, You 'Gotta Be Serious. Seriously: comedian Leah Bonnema!" We even went to a dark and sultry bar in the East Village to discuss. I thought, I can get used to this!  Muchas Thankyas Holly P and Bridget!

I was booked on the America Stands Up Showcase in April at the Magner's Glasow Internation Comedy Festival and got to take one of the best trips of my career. Getting to travel to new places to perform ones jokes is such an amazing feeling. Also amazing is how much people say "Cunt" in Glasgow. It's a part of the daily dialogue: What's up ya cunt?! At first I was taken back. Wow, Cunt, we never get to say that word. Cunts hate it! But I quickly acclimated and worked it into my repertoire. 

  At The Stand with W Kamau Bell & Jena Friedman who are both amazingly talented and so lovey!

I loved Glasgow, the people there and the main club The Stand was just FANTASTIC. They do it right! People really appreciate comedy, even the set up is different then in the States and more focused on the comic. Instead of being served during the show there is an intermission during which the audience gets drinks, leaving people focused and paying attention during your set. It was such a treat! The people who worked at the festival and at The Stand were absolutely terrific. I even got to perform at their sister club in Edinburgh. On a non-comedy related note, my hotel room had an electric kettle in it which for some reason just flicked my happy bean. I am now completely addicted to instant coffee. Yeah, The Stand, I love you!

I will try to move it along as we are only at April. In June I was on the 360 Comedy Festival at Broadway Comedy Club. ComedyTimeTV taped our sets and posted them to their site. I was a bit apprehensive as youtube clips tend to get bombed with nasty comments, especially when you are a female comic. I was pleasantly surprised when the ComedyTime clip went up (the audience is not mic-ed so it sounds like I'm tanking but I actually wasn't-I have-but I wasn't then:) and most of the comments are related to my comedy, not whether or not I looked fuckable. I just want the opportunity all comics want: to be disliked solely for the content of my character (Happy almost MLK Day)! One lady posted that anyone who laughs at my jokes about suicide should be killed, hilarious. 

                            My dream flyer come true, thank you Mike Cannon!

In July I had the amazing opportunity to headline the BreakOut Artist Series at the renowned Carolines on Broadway and we got a "Top Pick" by Am NY! It was an incredible night and a great crowd. Thank you Caroline's for all your support and the great gigs in 2011!

Ok, quick run through fall highlights! One of my favorite opportunities came when I was cast in a broccoli viral commercial where I got to heckle vegetables. I felt like I'd found my true calling! I was really happy how it came out and that finally I had an excuse to wear denim on denim. 

                                        On the set heckling brocolli 

In the fall I was so honored to be Knighted, or Queened as it were, by Comediva as their Giggle Goddess. I really enjoyed their interview questions and was excited to have a reason to look at baby pictures. I found it odd that in most of them I have no pants on or my mom has dressed me up as some feminist icon. No wonder I'm confused. Comediva, you rock my socks off! 

During the New York Comedy Festival the New York Times featured one of my jokes on the Comedy Challenge. I was extremely grateful to be included and so excited when I realized that I actually had a thirty second clean joke. Wonders never cease. 

If your whistled has been wetted please feel free to check my schedule on www.LeahBonnema.com, come to Rosie the Irreverent, a monthly show I co-produce with Sun Drop's 'Drop it Like it's Hot'  Miss Maggie Champagne every third Tuesday of the month at 7pm at Luca Lounge and/or follow me on Twitter. 

Coming Up: I'm very excited about Paws for a Cause which is an annual comedy benefit I host and produce for an AMAZING program that I volunteer with called Pets for Life, who help keep New York City animals out of shelters and in loving homes. We would absolutely love it if you could come out on the 26th of January to Stand Up NY and laugh in support of the animals. We have an amazing line-up; it's going to be a great show for an even greater cause. Please make reservations today: 212-595-0850. 

There were a lot more wonderful events and people that I am so grateful for in 2011 that I did not get to mention, these are just a few of my panties wetters. I really appreciate all the support, opportunities and laughs that I received in 2011 and am looking forward to 2012! Wishing you all dreams come true and political dick jokes abound. 

Leah Bonnema is a Stand Up Comic. www.LeahBonnema.com
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Comments

[RSO]

This is amazing, Leah. I had no idea! Congratulations on all this success! (We're so lucky to have you!)

[LB]

Thanks so much RSO! I really appreciate that. I feel so lucky to be had!

[Selena]

What an awesome year! You're doing such great things and moving on up :) xoxo

[LB]

Thank you Selena!!! 2012 we're comin' at ya! xo

[Kimberly Lew (Playwright/Blogger)]

Congrats on such a great year! I made a list of things I have to do in the new year that I didn't get around to in 2011 and seeing Rosie the Irreverent is definitely on there. Also, loving these hair model pictures!

[Leah B]

Thanks so much Kimberly!!! We'd so love to have you come by Rosie! This Tuesday's show is going to be awsome if you can make it - we have Kristine Levine from Portlandia stopping by to do a spot.

Happy 2012!!!!! Rock it's socks off! Such a pleasure Thursday-ing with you!