For the average comedian it would be intimidating to go from the cozy confines of a small comedy club to selling out a NBA basketball arena and even for those few comedians who could manage such a feat perhaps an even greater challenge would be to make the audience feel as though they were at an intimate comedy club. This past Saturday night at Vivint Smart Home Arena comedian Brian Regan managed to do just that in front of a thoroughly entertained audience.
Regan strolled out on stage to the appreciative roar of the crowd and immediately had them laughing when he admitted he wasn’t quite sure what day it was and that he probably should’ve consulted a calendar before coming out. The easy going affable personality of Regan is part of what makes him so popular and adored by his fans and it was on full display from the very get go.
While many comedians sometimes seem stiff and confined in their movements on stage Regan has the unique ability to make it look like he is strolling around his living room having a conversation with a few of his close friends. He manages to make the stage his home and it helps to put the audience at ease and therefore more receptive to his brand of clean observant social humor.
Part of what makes Regan so identifiable to his fans is that he is able to take everyday situations that we all endure and see the funny in it. For example one of his bits was about being at a hotel and putting out the do not disturb sign only to be disturbed by a member of the hotel staff who blames the intrusion on the fact he thought the room was empty. Then as if to compound the point he comes back again and intrudes on Regan once more to show him a list that states the room was supposed to be empty.
While that doesn’t seem funny on paper the comedic skill Regan possess is an ability to see the humor in a situation like that and then reenact it on stage utilizing near perfect timing and effectively changing his voice to play different roles. The other comedic tool he has at his disposal is his signature brand of physical humor that was on full display most notably when he was imitating the confident stroll of an airline pilot through the airport juxtaposed against an impersonation of a pilot running wildly through the airport yelling “Where is my gate!”
Part of Regan’s charm is that while he is scripted he isn’t afraid to go off script and speak naturally to the audience and laugh at himself when he makes a mistake. For example he admitted that he isn’t very good at making comedic transitions and then used that as his excuse to launch into a bit about sports. In that very same bit he perhaps had his best moment of the night when he joked about how stupid sportscaster’s are when they ask athletes after losing the first game of seven game series if the next game is a must win and how he would love to hear a athlete say “Well actually we could technically lose the next two games before it would be a must win scenario.”
This is an example of how Regan is able to see the humor and absurdity in the otherwise mundane existence we all endure and recreate it for an audience. Perhaps this is why thousands of fans were more than willing to shell out top dollar to hear Regan talk about how funny he thinks it is to see the reaction of people when they walk into spider webs. Considering the enthusiastic reaction of the audience to Regan’s performance it’s quite possible he may need a much bigger venue the next time he visits Salt Lake City.