Here we examine some of the links between comedy and music: the use of humor in song writing and especially in live performances, the development of web-based musical comedy, the continuing role of the artist as "Court Jester," and the blending of comedy and music to raise awareness and/or funds for not-so-funny causes. For many years, the term "musical comedy" evoked 50s-era showtunes; now Green Day's "American Idiot" is a big hit on Broadway, and the song "D*ck In a Box" won an Emmy. We'll look at how the worlds of music and comedy work together in the digital age, and we'll consider what lies ahead. We'll be here all week; try the veal.
JUDY TINT is a New York-based entertainment attorney/consultant with twenty-five years of experience, and a wide range of clients, from newcomers to legends. She is a longtime member of the Board of Directors of The Rhythm & Blues Foundation, teaches in the NYU Music Business Program, and serves on the Board of WHY Hunger. A graduate of Columbia Law School, Judy is also a musician and songwriter, and performs regularly as the percussionist for her clients, The Four Tops.
Joe DeRosa performs constantly, making appearances of all kinds. Recently he had guest roles on HBO's Bored To Death and IFC's Z-Rock and became a regular on The Opie and Anthony radio show and Fox New's Redeye. Joe also taped a half-hour Comedy Central Presents special which aired in the winter of 2009 and his first-ever stand-up album "The Depression Auction" was released on Comedy Central Records in June of 2010. This year, he made his directorial debut with the film Shooting Angles, which starred himself, Bill Burr, Robert Kelly, and Colin Quinn. Joe is currently writing, directing and producing a series of web shorts for Atom.com, co-hosting the podcast "Uninformed" with comedian and friend Bill Burr, and touring clubs around the country.
J.P. Buck is a segment producer for the TBS late night program, Conan. His previous credits include Executive Producer of Team Coco Presents: The Conan Writers Live, Talent Executive for The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, Supervising Producer of Ellen's Even Bigger Really Big Show, Director of Talent & Development for the HBO Comedy Festivals, Coordinating Producer for Fox's 30 Seconds to Fame, and Talent Producer for CBS's Star Search.
