The Comedic Architecture of JIM BREUER

    icon Aug 31, 2012
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With over twenty years of stand-up comedy experience, comedian Jim Breuer remains one of today's top entertainers and continues to win over audiences with his off-the-wall humor and lovable personality. Named one of Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time, Breuer has found success in various facets of the entertainment industry, and is one of the most recognizable comedians in the business.
 
Even as a young student at Valley Stream Central High School in Long Island, NY, Breuer says that he knew he wanted to be a stand-up comedian.  “I kind of knew, even in sixth grade, and when I was little I loved Abbot and Costello, and Laurel and Hardy, and I watched tons of comedy shows when I was little with my parents,” Breuer recently told the Boston Comedy Scene Examiner. “I grew up watching all these comedy shows - my first record was Steve Martin…and it was in me ever since I can remember to be honest. I did the stage by the time I was in high school. My first shows were at rock clubs with my friends that were all musicians.”
 
After spending several years working comedy clubs across the country, Breuer settled in as a regular on the New York comedy club circuit. After having been in New York for only seven months, Breuer landed a gig on the nationally syndicated television comedy series, Uptown Comedy Club, where he spent two seasons. However, Breuer's big break came in 1995 when he joined the cast of NBC's legendary Saturday Night Live. During his four years on SNL, Breuer quickly became a fan-favorite for his original character “Goat Boy” and his dead-on impressions of actor Joe Pesci.
 
Apart from his work on SNL, Breuer has guest starred in Home Improvement, which led to the short-lived sitcom Buddies. He was originally scheduled to have been the co-star alongside friend and co-worker Dave Chappelle.  Breuer also hosted several 'Premium Blends' on Comedy Central and in 2002 his one-hour special Hardcore premiered. That same year he released the comedy album Smoke 'n Breu. He also starred in the VH1 documentary When Metallica Ruled the World, where he commented on the songs by Metallica through the years.
 
“At the end of the day, stand up is the quickest reaction and the best reaction,” Breuer states. “It's you - writing, producing, directing, editing, and performing - all in one. That kind of interaction is really the best high, but I have to say I'm a huge fan of film. I just got to do a tiny little piece in a Nick Cannon movie he just asked me to be in, and I forgot how much I loved - although I didn't really get a chance to do a whole lot of film. After Half Baked I thought I was going to be a movie star. Still waiting for that phone call.”
 
In 2008, Breuer set out for his "Breuniversity Tour" with his 85-year-old father and a film crew. The footage that was captured blended together to create “The Jim Breuer Road Journals," which showcased what life is like on the road with a comedian and his father. Videos from that tour also sparked the making of his documentary More Than Me, which was shown at the 2009 Montreal Film Festival. In July of 2009, Breuer's one-hour Comedy Central special Let's Clear the Air premiered with hilarious topics that included what "success" really is, his SNL days and life with his elderly parents, wife, and his three daughters.
 
Most recently, Breuer just wrapped up the national "The Anti-Social Network" tour alongside three of the country's top comedians, Dave Attell, Bill Burr, and Jim Norton. Lately, Breuer has taken on a slightly different direction in his film career.
 
“I did start writing a film this year, and if I'm not going to star in films, that's definitely the direction of the next three years,” Breuer says of his new writing path. “It's very family oriented. I'm all about putting families together. I'm a family guy, my dad lives with me; I've got three daughters, married twenty years, so a very strong family-base is where it came from. I love talking about it, doing stand-up about it, and I want to start doing films about it.”
 
With a career spanning as much time as Breuer's, it's easy for him to see how the industry has evolved over the years.
 
“We have more freedom as time goes on. Years ago you did stand-up, you only had comedy clubs and you prayed that Comedy Central would air you,” states Breuer. “Now the internet has blown that wide open. You've got guys like Louis C.K. that opened up another path and gave confidence to guys in my bracket where we have more control over stuff and where it's seen and outlets - where it can be seen and we can still make money. I think we have a lot more freedom in controlling your destiny for comedians as time has gone on.”
 
When it comes to controlling one's destiny, Breuer has also seen his comedic style evolve as his life experiences mature into that of a family man.
 
“When I first started off, I talked about what I knew, which was relationships and being young and living at home, and then it was marriage, and then Half Baked - I kind of went off a beaten path, tried to appeal to a crowd and I simply wasn't anymore. Sold a lot of tickets, did very well, got very popular but at the same time, I was just not that guy,” Breuer reflects.
 
“So back in 2008 I started full-blown stand-up again, doing radio everyday on satellite, and I made a promise to myself to get back to where I started - talk about everything you know and want to know - which now is family - but make it where no one's funnier, there's no one doing that family comedy that's funnier, and just keep doing that for the rest of my life. I'm always going to have something that everyone can relate to.”
 
In just about any career, taking the time to reflect on one's goals and direction is critical. Breuer describes the events leading up to his decision to take a hiatus from comedy and determine what his next moves would be.
 
“If you don't know where you are, you take a breather and figure it out. That's what I did; I didn't know where I was at. It was just after 2001 and it was my last band comedy tour and I had a forty-city tour lined up, House of Blues and two thousand, three-thousand-seaters. And the fifth show, the show after my Boston show, September 11 came, and everything just got shipped up and comedy clubs were cancelled and I literally had to take time off and figure out, 'where do I go from here?'
 
“I decided to go into radio. I was always a good storyteller, so I knew radio would help, radio was great - and I got to watch my family grow up. If you don't have a goal, there's no sense in doing anything. I would go out, I would do shows, like 'okay, I can make money here, I can make money there' and now I'm like, no no no. You've got to think like a rock band: make the DVD, tour the DVD, the DVD comes out, tour some more, work on the new one. You're touring to literally get a product and yourself out there.”
 
Breuer's autobiography, I'm Not High, offered perhaps the most candid and incisive look into the operative architecture of his comedic wit, which took a turn away from off-color jokes and profanity about five years ago after Bill Cosby lectured him about the virtues of adopting a brighter view on life. “He said, 'I want to make sure that your audience will be inspired.' It was a powerful thing he said and I never forgot it.”
 
“It's not dark,” reflects Breuer about the current focus of his comedy, “and it's not sexual. I could end every joke with an F-bomb, but I have more respect for people who don't. I was never filthy, but would curse a lot. Then I started looking at guys like Brian Regan and Jerry Seinfeld and realized their material wasn't that different, but they had class about them.”
 
Another revealing & touching turning point for Breuer came through the loss of his great SNL mate Chris Farley, who died of a drug overdose in 1998. Farley's insecurities and addictive personality led him down a dark path, which Breuer says, “proves that no matter how much money you make or how successful you are professionally, if you don't have people around to keep you grounded, it all means nothing.  He found himself face down overdosing. What a disturbing, horrible way to end your life.”
 
Breuer likens his comedic shift towards the light of storytelling situations affecting family and friends as similar to when one gets engaged. “You tell your guy friends you got engaged, it's like hearing someone died. What happened man? Wow. He was so young, man. What happened? He had his whole life ahead of him. Wow, I just saw him yesterday.”
 
Throughout the years, Breuer has also supported various charities through his comedy, including the Chris Farley Foundation, MusiCares, his local police and fire departments and more.  Breuer currently resides in New Jersey where he enjoys spending time with his family, playing pick-up games of baseball, softball and whiffle ball, and watching the New York Mets.
 
Comedian Jim Breuer will be performing at The Temple Theatre, 201 N. Washington Ave.  in Saginaw on Thursday, September 27th at 7:30 PM. His show is suitable for all ages and ticket prices are $29, $39, and $49. Call the Box office at 1-877-754-SHOW or go to templetheatre.com.

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