Variety is the spice of his comic life
Stand-up comedian Paul F. Tompkins wears many hats. In addition to his day job, he hosts a podcast, performs sketch and improv, and does voice-over acting. As a lover of old-fashioned style, he also wears many actual hats — and cravats, three-piece suits, boutonnières, and the occasional cape. This love of classic showbiz trappings makes him a perfect fit for his other gig: variety show host.
“Varietopia” is a recurring stage variety show that Tompkins curates, stages, and hosts in Los Angeles. He just embarked on his first-ever “Varietopia” tour, which will stop at City Winery for two shows on May 2. (The full lineup is, by design, a secret.)
“Varietopia” began in 2002, when Tompkins was a mainstay at the Largo nightclub in Los Angeles. Owner Mark Flanagan booked guests whose specialties included spokenword poetry, music, and stand-up comedy (its scene fostered musicians Aimee Mann and Fiona Apple, stand-up Patton Oswalt, and comedy band Tenacious D, among many others). This format inspired Tompkins to bring that same kind of grab-bag energy to a show of his own, which he periodically staged over the ensuing years.
“I wanted to host a show, and I didn’t want it to be just a parade of stand-ups, because there’s plenty of that already,” said Tompkins over the phone from LA. “There’s nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to do something where I could do all the different things that I like to do. I like to do stand-up, I like to do sketch, I like to host, I like to participate in music. So that was the impetus. It really reawakened in me the love of variety shows I had when I was a kid, when they used to be a much more common thing. The format itself isn’t dated, just to have different things in one show.”
After several years at Largo, Tompkins moved the show to the Lodge Room, a concert venue whose bigger space allowed him to expand from singer-songwriters to a house band with a full horn section. There is no “typical” “Varietopia” show, but past acts have included magicians, book readings, and character monologues. Last year’s St.
‘I wanted to do something where I could do all the different things that I like to do. I like to do stand-up, I like to do sketch, I like to host, I like to participate in music.’
PAUL F. TOMPKINS
Patrick’s Day show included Tompkins, in character as Monsignor Damien Fearnley, singing “Jesus’ Day Out,” an Irish-tinged song about how Jesus sometimes gets bored and pops back on to Earth.
Given the show’s longevity, it may seem surprising that Tompkins has never toured with the show. He said that this was largely because of its many logistical challenges, and credited musical director Jordan Katz with ironing those out.
“Music requires so much more all around, in terms of travel and lodging, tech, that it was very daunting for me,” said Tompkins. “I had [touring] in the back of my mind but I didn’t know how to do it. [Katz] has been the person putting all of the logistics together. That stuff is beyond me. He’s been terrific at putting that stuff together.”
Katz, reached via email, said the feeling is mutual.
“Paul is a comedy legend! And a great human!” he wrote. “I’m thrilled everyday to collaborate with him on this show. He’s so gifted in so many mediums. This show feels like a musical convergence of all that talent. It’s an extremely unique live experience, and such a fun time. I’m extremely lucky to help bring this show to life.”
That “comedy legend” business is no exaggeration — Tompkins has had a multi-faceted career that has spanned four decades. He still regularly performs his blustery, faux-exasperated brand of stand-up — his take on peanut brittle is a regular crowd request — and you’ve likely heard his voice on one animated show or another. (His recurring role as Mr. Peanutbutter on Netflix’s “Bojack Horseman” earned him a mention in a “Jeopardy!” clue this month.) He frequently appears as a variety of characters on the cult-classic podcast “Comedy Bang! Bang!,” and he hosts his own informally chatty podcast, “Stay F. Homekins,” with his wife, the actor Janie Haddad Tompkins.
Tompkins said that this seemingly disparate work is all part of the same skill set. “I think that every creative thing that I engage with informs the other, because it’s all extensions of me and my creativity,” he said.