New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Brian Regan brings three nights of laughs to Ridgefield
Comedian Brian Regan is known for his observational and self-deprecating humor drawn from his everyday life experiences, joking about everything from eye doctor visits, to the popularity of cranberries, to why there are directions on Pop-Tarts.
From Jan. 13-15, the Ridgefield Playhouse will present its first three-night standup comedy residency with the comedian.
Over his career, Regan has been a staple on late-night TV and has delivered some of the most well-received comedy specials on Comedy Central, Showtime and Netflix. His latest Netflix special, “On the Rocks,” is currently streaming, and he also stars on “Loudermilk,” a show on Amazon Prime, which is currently in its third season.
“I’m probably going to make people laugh if they come out, and if I don’t, I can just say, ‘well, I just said probably,’” he joked about his upcoming Ridgefield shows. “If people have seen my specials and stuff, I try to work away from that. I’ve always been proud that I come up with new stuff. It’s not just a greatest hits of things they’ve already seen on TV.”
Regan came to his “eureka” moment that he wanted to be a comedian while at college. Describing himself as a “horrible student,” he often took to the mic at school events and tried to be funny.
“I started watching comedians on TV and it didn’t seem so far-fetched that I could do that, so I just decided to go after it,” he said. “When I first came out with my first CD, it was always interesting to me when someone would bring it to a show and they already knew about me, which is very flattering.”
The “On the Rocks” Netflix special was written and ready to be filmed right about the time the pandemic began, and it was punted to a taping in October of 2020, and filmed outside in an amphitheater.
“I had wanted to do it outdoors even before COVID just because I wanted to do something different,” Regan said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to do a handful of these things, so I wanted to do something visually different and more interesting.”
During the pandemic, Regan also grew a big beard, drank a lot of red wine and played a lot of backgammon, but he also got back on the road a lot earlier than a lot of other performers did just so he could prepare his material for that special.
“I was playing socially-distanced comedy clubs for a while,” he said. “It was unusual. Of course, I had done comedy clubs years ago, it was my bread and butter, but I was fortunate enough to graduate to theatres 15 years ago, so it was strange to go back. It’s kind of a hit to the ego when you’re on stage trying out a new joke and someone at the front table seems much more interested in their nachos.”
Some of the clubs he played even had plexiglas divisions between the stage and audience, and Regan noted he felt like he was a hockey player at times and it was a challenge to connect at times.
“Things are certainly better now than it was at the depth of the pandemic, and it’s nice to be back on theatre stages,” Regan said.
Currently, Regan is in a state of flux, though he expects something new to be announced sometime in 2022.
“I’m just idling but I expect good things in the year ahead,” he said.
Brian Regan will perform at the Ridgefield Playhouse 8 p.m. Jan. 13, Jan. 14 and Jan. 15. Tickets range from $65-$75. For more information, visit ridgefieldplayhouse.org.