Last Comic Standing

By Brendán Cummings, Contributor
August / September 2004

Irish-American comic Kathleen Madigan has slowly but surely been climbing to the top of the comic heap since she got her start at an open mike night in 1990. She has appeared on The Tonight Show a dozen times, a high point for any comic. But if her latest stint is any indication, her quest for success does not stop there. She is currently starring in a reality show called Last Comic Standing. In its second season, the series has provided a new spin on the reality television genre, featuring a nationwide talent search for professional and non-professional comedians (both male and female). The second half of the show’s run focused on the final 10 contestants, of which Madigan was one. They lived together sequestered in a house and competed for the ultimate prize — an exclusive talent contract with NBC.

Madigan’s achievements include being recently voted best female stand-up at the American Comedy Awards and producing her own specials for the Comedy Central network, both here and in Australia. She also pokes fun at her Irish-born parents’ lack of technical prowess. “I also like to spend a lot of time responding to my parents’ emails that read, `Are you getting these? We’re not sure if this is working,'” she says.

Madigan’s status in the contest was unknown, because as Irish America went to press the show’s finale had not yet aired. Last Comic Standing airs Tuesdays at 9pm (8pm Central & Mountain) on NBC. ♦

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