Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Grin & bare it
Naked comedy tour doesn’t hold back.
For the Totally Naked Comedy Tour, standup comedians will buffoon in the buff during a twoweek run at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.
Ronnie Larsen, the show’s producer, explains why he created the tour: “I just wanted to see people do comedy naked. I literally never go to comedy clubs. I thought it would be fun to see. I wanted to see it, so I’m doing it.”
Larsen says he is waiting to see how opening night goes before he books the show in other cities. The lineup includes: Gabriel Marshall — A freelance contributor to “Weekend Update” on “Saturday Night Live” and a U.S. Army veteran.
Juannell Riley — Attends Columbia Law School and regularly appears at Dangerfield’s Comedy Club and Broadway Comedy Club in Manhattan.
Adam Chisnall — Seen in “Old Jews Telling Jokes” (at Margate’s Stage Door Theatre), off-Broadway’s “The Jackie Mason Musical” and #OUTtalk on OutliciousTV.com.
Robert Puncher — A model for fashion brands such as Ralph Lauren and Gucci. He has also appeared on MTV, FX and Hulu.
For Puncher, this is the first time he’s gone full monty, although he’s done something close to standup in the nude.
“I did a show in New York, at the Comedy Strip, interestingly enough, where I was not totally naked, but the performers were all wearing underwear,” Puncher says. “Other than modeling work, this will be a firsttime experience. But I think it will be fun.”
Puncher was last in South Florida working the catwalk for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz Miami Fashion Week Swim runway shows.
“I did go up to Fort Lauderdale to do [a set] at a heavy-metal club, which does not fit the pretty Disney prince thing as much as the naked show,” he recalls. “I think standup, in general, is already a vulnerable performance, because it’s just you. And the whole room is focused on you. Then, you add that [naked] layer. But doing standup is where I feel most natural and relaxed, and I have fun doing it.”
Larsen — a playwright whose credits include “All-Male Peep Show,” “Making Porn” and “Happy Ending,” which is also playing Empire Stage through May 28 — adds, “I don’t know what is going to happen actually. People are very interested. A lot of women are wanting to see it. Listen, who doesn’t like nudity and who doesn’t like standup comedy? So why not?”
“Totally Naked Comedy Tour” runs through May 21 at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale. Showtimes are 8:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9:30 p.m. Fridays and 7 p.m. Sundays. Tickets cost $35-$50. To order, call 954-826-8790 or go to RonnieLarsen.com.