Double Headliners Jeff "Big Daddy" Wayne and Brenda Pontiff
Jeff Wayne, known as Big Daddy, is an American standup comedian who has performed in clubs, theaters and on national television shows.
Wayne was born and raised in Northern Kentucky. At age 14, he decided he wanted to become a stand-up comedian. As a young man, he moved to Los Angeles to become part of The Comedy Store. Developing an act and writing his own material, Wayne was soon traveling to comedy clubs around the United States. He became aheadline act on the circuit, working the Improv clubs, Funny Bones clubs, and other comedy clubs. Wayne also did five tours for Carlsberg Beer in Europe.
In 1993, Wayne wrote and performed his one-man show, Big Daddy's Barbeque.[1] Directed by Ted Lange, the show was a popular and critical success. Big Daddy's Barbeque ran for 16 weeks in Dallas and 10 weeks in Tempe and Seattle. Variety called the show a "one man riot" and declared Wayne "a new Will Rogers". The show was a pilot for television first for NBC, then UPN. Wayne has performed Big Daddy's Barbeque over 1,000 times.
Wayne has performed on TV shows on HBO, Showtime, A&E, Fuse TV, CNN, and FOX. He has also appeared on radio shows including Dennis Prager, Bob and Tom, NPR, Mancow, Larry Elder, Gary Burbank, Ken and John, and Bob Grant. Wayne has four nationally released CDs on the Uproar comedy label. Such publications as The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Washington Post, and Sondags B.A. (Oslo, Norway) have written about Wayne.[citation needed]
Wayne lives in Los Angeles and is the divorced father of three. His hobby is collecting vintage show business memorabilia.
Brenda Pontiff
Born and raised in Texas, Brenda left for graduate school in Kansas and wound up touring the country with the Complex Improv Theater. She returned home and began working on her stand-up comedy skills at The Houston Comedy Workshop's Comix Annex, the infamous club that spawned the likes of Bill Hicks and Sam Kinison. A few years later, she moved to Los Angeles and became a New Face at the famed Hollywood Improv. She was also a regular at Igby's and toured as a feature act for franchise clubs including Punchlines, FunnyBones, and Laff Stops. She took a 14-year break in the early 2000s to focus on her global business development career but has happily returned to bring her Texas meets California perspective to the stage. Brenda believes comedy is like the Mafia, you can never leave.
Please note, there is a 2 item per person minimum in the showroom.
If you are planning to have dinner, please note that you should arrive between 5:30 and 6:00. You will sit on the restaurant side to eat, and move into the showroom at 7:00. Your purchases in the restaurant will count toward your two item minimum. There is no food service in the showroom.
Jeff Wayne, known as Big Daddy, is an American standup comedian who has performed in clubs, theaters and on national television shows.
Wayne was born and raised in Northern Kentucky. At age 14, he decided he wanted to become a stand-up comedian. As a young man, he moved to Los Angeles to become part of The Comedy Store. Developing an act and writing his own material, Wayne was soon traveling to comedy clubs around the United States. He became aheadline act on the circuit, working the Improv clubs, Funny Bones clubs, and other comedy clubs. Wayne also did five tours for Carlsberg Beer in Europe.
In 1993, Wayne wrote and performed his one-man show, Big Daddy's Barbeque.[1] Directed by Ted Lange, the show was a popular and critical success. Big Daddy's Barbeque ran for 16 weeks in Dallas and 10 weeks in Tempe and Seattle. Variety called the show a "one man riot" and declared Wayne "a new Will Rogers". The show was a pilot for television first for NBC, then UPN. Wayne has performed Big Daddy's Barbeque over 1,000 times.
Wayne has performed on TV shows on HBO, Showtime, A&E, Fuse TV, CNN, and FOX. He has also appeared on radio shows including Dennis Prager, Bob and Tom, NPR, Mancow, Larry Elder, Gary Burbank, Ken and John, and Bob Grant. Wayne has four nationally released CDs on the Uproar comedy label. Such publications as The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Washington Post, and Sondags B.A. (Oslo, Norway) have written about Wayne.[citation needed]
Wayne lives in Los Angeles and is the divorced father of three. His hobby is collecting vintage show business memorabilia.