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Friday, March 19, 2010
Arts / News Arts Flash: Q&A with Grandma Lee
Posted By Anita Overcash on Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 4:48 PM
Too old to be a comedian? Apparently never, but still. Most of us probably can't imagine our own grandmothers onstage doing stand-up comedy. But, then again, not many grandmothers are like Grandma Lee. This 75-year-old foul-mouthed lady has appeared on NBC's America's Got Talent and Last Comic Standing for her talents. She’ll visit Lake Norman Comedy Zone for a performance on March 23. CL spoke to Grandma Lee about her late blooming career in comedy.
Creative Loafing: You began taking a comedy workshop in 1995 and that's what launched your career in comedy. What pushed you to do it?
Grandma Lee: I always wanted to do it. I had been to one show at The Comedy Zone. I wanted to see if I could go up and try it out some time and they said you have to do a workshop, so I joined the workshop.
You worked as a newspaper reporter and as an operator for directory assistance before that, right?
Yes ma’am.
Were you surprised at how everything took off and you ended up starring on America's Got Talent and Last Comic Standing?
Yeah, America's Got Talent was the best show ever. When I auditioned for that they didn't really have comics on there too much. I can honestly say I had nothing but praise all the way through it. It was awesome. It was the greatest experience of my life. And it's not over. After the show was over last year, we went to Las Vegas to Planet Hollywood for 3 months. They pick certain people from the show to go and they call it America's Got Talent All-Stars. Then they picked another group, which I was in too, and we went to Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut for a month. They are going to continue it somewhere else this summer too, I believe.
As a 75-year-old comedian, what advice would you give to someone wanting to take up a new endeavor, but thinking they waited to late in life to do it?
I always tell people, 'don’t give up on your dreams. And don't be scared to try new things. Just go for it.'
Tickets to the show are $20. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Lake Norman Comedy Zone in Galway Hooker Irish Pub is located at 17044 Kenton Drive, Cornelius. For more information, click here.
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