Let’s Get Serious with Cameron Esposito

Let’s Get Serious is one year old! The first podcast episode went live on November 22, 2011. That’s a lot of talking.

26 Episodes later I’m joined by comedian Cameron Esposito.

We discuss her show, Side Mullet Nation, what it’s like to host an open mike and her ringmaster duties with El Circo Cheapo.

Thanks to everyone who’s taken the time to be a guest or listener!

Let’s Get Serious with Kendall Bruns
Episode 026: Cameron Esposito
Running time: 94 minutes

Download (86.4MB mp3): Let’s Get Serious: Episode 026

Subscribe to the Let’s Get Serious podcast through iTunes.

Let’s Get Serious: Musical of the Living Dead

The fall season is upon us and with it comes annual traditions, old and new. On October 13 Musical of the Living Dead will return (from the uh, grave?) for four weeks of bloody, bloody musical theatre at the Charnel House in Chicago.

I sat down with co-creators Marc Lewallen and Brad Younts to discuss their mutual zombie love and we listen to a few songs from the soon-to-be-released cast recording album.

Let’s Get Serious with Kendall Bruns
Episode 025: Marc Lewallen and Brad Younts from Musical of the Living Dead
Running time: 88 minutes

Download (81MB mp3): Let’s Get Serious: Episode 025

Subscribe to the Let’s Get Serious podcast through iTunes.

Let’s Get Serious with Shawn Smith

After a bit of a summer break, the podcast is back and better than ever with guest Shawn Smith, creator of Ninjatown and Shawnimals—a character design studio in Chicago founded by Smith and his wife, Jen Brody.

We discuss Smith’s game magazine and art school background, Renegade Craft Fair, Wee Ninjas and the wildly addictive iPhone App, Ninjatown: Trees of Doom!

Let’s Get Serious with Kendall Bruns
Episode 024: Shawn Smith of Ninjatown and Shawnimals
Running time: 99 minutes

Download (91MB mp3): Let’s Get Serious: Episode 024

Subscribe to the Let’s Get Serious podcast through iTunes.

Let’s Get Serious with Steve Mazan

Dying to Do Letterman is a feature-length documentary that chronicles comedian Steve Mazan’s quest to perform stand-up on Late Show with David Letterman after being diagnosed with cancer in 2005.

The film screened on June 17 as part of the TBS Just for Laughs Chicago comedy festival and will be screening again this Thursday, June 30, 2011 at the Gene Siskel Film Center at 8:15pm.

I sat down with Mazan for a long conversation about the quality of light in San Francisco, mid-western senses of humor and not giving up on your dreams regardless of the odds.

Let’s Get Serious with Kendall Bruns
Episode 023: Steve Mazan of Dying to Do Letterman
Running time: 112 minutes

Download (103MB mp3): Let’s Get Serious: Episode 023

Subscribe to the Let’s Get Serious podcast through iTunes.

Let’s Get Serious with Beth Stelling

Chicagoans will have a couple of opportunities to see Beth Stelling perform stand-up during this week’s TBS Just for Laughs comedy festival. She’s performing at the opening night Secret Big-Time Local Comedy Showcase and at Wednesday and Thursday night New Faces of Chicago shows.

Beth was named “Best Stand-Up Comedian” by the Chicago Reader in their Best of 2010 issue. Her reign of humor will last at least a few more weeks before the Best of 2011 issue comes out (and she moves to LA).

Let’s Get Serious with Kendall Bruns
Episode 022: Beth Stelling
Running time: 96 minutes

Download (88MB mp3): Let’s Get Serious: Episode 022

Subscribe to the Let’s Get Serious podcast through iTunes.

Let’s Get Serious with Carisa & Kevin

Carisa and Kevin are a sketch comedy and improv performing couple of live-together lovers.

They’ve both performed with The Second City’s Boat Co on Norwegian Cruise Lines and are immersed in so many comedy-related activities in Chicago that we talked for close to two hours.

We discuss hunting the most dangerous game, dramatic juggling and why The Second City is a good place to go on a date.

Let’s Get Serious with Kendall Bruns
Episode 020: Carisa Barreca & Kevin Sciretta
Running time: 114 minutes

Download (104MB mp3): Let’s Get Serious: Episode 020

Subscribe to the Let’s Get Serious podcast through iTunes.

Let’s Get Serious with Matt Mooney

Matt Mooney joins me to reminisce about the Koala Fires and dispel rumors about the band’s demise.

We listen to a new Koala Fires demo, Matt plays a couple of acoustic songs and we go a little crazy discussing The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, what the heck a Norn is and other stuff that makes even less sense.

Let’s Get Serious with Kendall Bruns
Episode 019: Matt Mooney of the Koala Fires
Running time: 95 minutes

Download (87.4MB mp3): Let’s Get Serious: Episode 019

Subscribe to the Let’s Get Serious podcast through iTunes.

Let’s Get Serious with Mandy Whitenack

Off Off Broadzway perform “almost sexy sketch comedy” that’s sort of a musical parody of burlesque.

They have a new run of shows coming up at Stage 773 so I sat down with Mandy Whitenack to discuss her character, Ricki Dickyouless.

She tells me about eating dirt as a baby, Indiana’s Pizza King, Flat Top Grill and early musical theater experiences.

Let’s Get Serious with Kendall Bruns
Episode 018: Mandy Whitenack from Off Off Broadzway
Running time: 81 minutes

Download (74.6MB mp3): Let’s Get Serious: Episode 018

Subscribe to the Let’s Get Serious podcast through iTunes.

Let’s Get Serious with Chris Agos

This week I interviewed Chris Agos, author of Acting In Chicago: Making A Living Doing Commercials, Voice Over, TV/Film And More.

Agos makes his living as an actor in Chicago and his book contains lots of valuable info for anyone who has similar ambitions. I ask him if he’s crazy and we discuss what makes Chicago a great city for actors, including seven ways that they can make money acting here.

Let’s Get Serious with Kendall Bruns
Episode 017: Chris Agos
Running time: 86 minutes

Download (79.3MB mp3): Let’s Get Serious: Episode 017

Subscribe to the Let’s Get Serious podcast through iTunes.

Let’s Get Serious with Teenager of the Year

I finally got around to interviewing one of my favorite groups from this year’s Chicago Sketch Fest, Teenager of the Year.

Teenager of the Year is Joe Avella and Tim Racine. We discuss what it means to be “Too Hot for Sketchfest”, Frank Black, yellow journalism, hating easy humor, Jock Jams and the Chicago sketch comedy scene. Plus, we talk about what we’re not going to talk about.

Let’s Get Serious with Kendall Bruns
Episode 016: Tim Racine and Joe Avella from Teenager of the Year
Running time: 96 minutes

Download (88.6MB mp3): Let’s Get Serious: Episode 016

Subscribe to the Let’s Get Serious podcast through iTunes.