By Ed Condran
Kathleen Madigan enjoys riffing about the aggravation of travel, but that’s part of the deal for a standup comic. “It’s the hardest part of my job,” Madigan said while calling from her Nashville home. “I love performing.”
When lockdown commenced, Madigan enjoyed being able to just hang out in Music City or in The Ozarks.
“It was so nice to stay home for a year,” Madigan said. “Ron White said something hilarious to me, which was, ‘Isn’t it funny how the one thing that got in the way of our fun were those shows we did at night?’
“I love my job, but I got to do all of these other things in my life, like play golf, fish and go walking in the woods. Ron White also said, ‘Isn’t it amazing how we seamlessly slipped into retirement? … For me, there is nothing I would rather do than standup.”
Madigan, who brings her “The Potluck Party 2024 Tour” to The Venetian on Aug. 30 and 31, isn’t just blowing smoke. The quick and unpredictable humorist had plenty of TV offers over the years. The gigs Madigan turned down range from being an ESPN anchor to acting and writing for sitcoms.
“Ever since the ’80s when they started giving out sitcoms to standups like Robin Williams, there have been comics that are really actor people looking to get acting gigs but trying to do standup,” Madigan said.
“I never wanted a sitcom. Asking me to become a sitcom actor would be like asking me to become a veterinarian. I have no concept about how to treat a dog or act. How arrogant would I be if I could pretend that I can do what Patricia Heaton does?”
Some of her peers would have jumped at the chance to have joined ESPN just due to the national face time. “I can see that because you would have great exposure as an ESPN reporter,” Madigan said. “The job I turned down went to Suzy Kolber, who has had a heck of a career. I love sports. But there were a few big reasons I passed on ESPN.
“I don’t like every sport. ESPN isn’t going to pay much for new talent because they can get away with it. Everyone would sacrifice to work there. Hey, I studied journalism, but it was evident early on that I could make more money as a bartender than as a journalist.
“But I didn’t want to do that, either. I always wanted to be a standup comic.”
More: VenetianVegas.com
