Jolles: Marriage & Stand-Up Comedy

Danny Jolles: Defending Marriage Through Laughter and Navigating the Comedy Scene

Comedian Danny Jolles is shaking up the stand-up world by doing what many avoid: celebrating marriage. Far from the tired tropes of nagging wives and clueless husbands, Jolles offers a refreshing perspective, diving into the ofen-unseen intimacy and unwavering connection that make marriage work. He brings his unique brand of humor to the Funny farm Comedy Club in Niles, Ohio, on April 18 and 19.

“Men make jokes about their nagging wives and women tell stories about their dumb husbands,” Jolles observes, “But the problem is people don’t see the part where we go home and we close the door and we’re alone and we’re like, ‘I can’t live without you.’ So that’s the thing I’ve started talking about more. ‘Hey, you want to hear the part we don’t talk about?’ and really trying to defend marriage.”

His approach resonates with audiences tired of the same old marital gripes. You can feel the initial skepticism, the anticipation of the familiar bashing. But as he pivots to sincere appreciation, a collective sigh of relief seems to fill the room. “It’s fun seeing how, when I start talking about it, how nervous married people are out of the gates, ‘Here comes the bashing.’ And when I slowly go,‘I think it’s awesome,it’s great,’ and then seeing them kind of come out and go,‘Yeah,it is.’ It’s so lame to say you like being married, but I try to make it funny.”

This isn’t just a shift in comedic style; it’s a reflection of evolving societal attitudes.While divorce rates remain high in the U.S., there’s also a growing movement towards conscious coupling, where couples actively work on communication and connection. Jolles’ comedy taps into this desire for a more positive, nuanced portrayal of marriage, offering humor that’s both relatable and uplifting.

Beyond his stand-up, Jolles is making waves in Hollywood, too. He appears in the fourth season of the critically acclaimed HBO comedy “hacks,” playing Nate, a writer for Deborah Vance’s late-night show. The show, known for its sharp writng and stellar performances, has garnered numerous awards, including multiple Primetime Emmys.

Jolles is tight-lipped about specifics, but hints at the meticulous process that makes “Hacks” so triumphant. “Just the way they operate. There’s so many times on set where they would do a joke and then they’d be like, ‘OK, do it this way.’ And they’d do it and then ‘All right, now say it this way,’ and all three of them where phenomenal,” Jolles shared. “Jean would make a choice, then she’d make a different choice and then she’d make a different choice, I’d be like, all three of those are sensational choices. I think the coolest part is it’s such a great show,and there must be just so many great moments that you don’t even see because they just get everything. It’s gonna be a great season.”

His experience on “Hacks” has undoubtedly honed his comedic instincts. He’s also held guest spots on several other TV shows, but his first big break was as George on the musical-comedy series “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” created by his collage friend Rachel Bloom.

“Rachel always did musical comedy, and I was a comedian who could sing, so I was always a go-to to get in there with her,” Jolles explained. “I took it as an honor, and it kept me in musical theater. I love musical theater. I’m just a big musical theater guy who ended up in standup comedy.”

His background in musical theater adds another layer to his comedic persona. He possesses a unique understanding of timing, delivery, and audience engagement, honed through years of performing on stage. He got to work alongside Adam schlesinger, the show’s principal songwriter, who previously worked on Broadway (“Cry-Baby,” “An Act of God”) and movies (the title track for “That Thing You Do”).

Jolles remembers Schlesinger fondly, recalling the musician’s humility and generosity. “Adam was the absolute best,” jolles said. “my musical theater downfall is, it takes me a while to learn things. So when we did the live version of the show for the final episode, I got to do my little song, but they changed a couple notes. I’m not as talented as some of these guys. I can’t do it right away. It takes me a while.”

he continued: “That is so beneath him to have to teach me, and he did it so kindly…It allowed me to get through that,and I learned it instantly. That’s just the kind of guy he was. You would never know what a genius he was based on the kindness of that moment alone.”

While he enjoys acting and musical theater, stand-up remains his true passion, instilled in him by his father’s love of classic comedians like Jerry Lewis and Sid Caesar.

“The coolest thing about stand-up comedy is there’s no gatekeepers,” he said. “Anybody can go and do stand-up comedy. That’s not true of most professions. That’s not true of even most entertainment things. You can’t just act on a TV show tomorrow. You can’t just write on a TV show. You can’t just be a plumber. There’s people in the way,there’s money (required).”

He emphasizes the accessibility and fairness of the art form. “But standup comedy? There’s a place near you that you can go to, and I love that. When I was studying acting at NYU, I just found myself being like, ‘There’s one avenue that nobody can stop.’ It went from just I love this art form to it’s really the fairest one. and that made me just obsessed.”

This passion led him to create innovative stand-up specials, like “Six Parts” which utilized unconventional venues and intimate audiences, and “You Choose,” an interactive experience where viewers dictate the comedic flow.

“The tighter the room, the more we’re all in it together,” Jolles said. “There’s a real feeling of, I’m gonna make it live in the room, so every show is gonna be unique. Whatever show you come to of mine in Youngstown,that’s gonna be a very different show than the one that happened hours before. it will be a little different.”

His next special is already filmed,promising another unique and unexpected approach. Irrespective of whether you attend his shows in Niles, Jolles encourages everyone to experience live stand-up.

“If you’re reading this and you haven’t gone to a stand-up show in a while or ever, go see live stand-up comedy, because it is just so amazing in the room,” Jolles urged. “It’s a special art form. I think people see it online and they’re like,“Yeah,I like it,’ but it’s different in the room.It’s the best night out you can have.”

Event Details:

Who: Danny Jolles
When: April 18 at 8 p.m. and April 19 at 7 p.m.
Where: funny Farm Comedy Club, 1201 Youngstown-Warren Road, Niles, OH
Tickets: $25 can be booked online or by calling 330-759-HAHA.

What is Danny Jolles’ unique approach to comedy?

interview: Danny jolles – Defending Marriage Through Comedy

Archyde News recently sat down with rising comedian Danny Jolles to discuss his unique comedic approach adn his upcoming shows at the Funny Farm Comedy Club in Niles,Ohio.

The Comedy of Connection

Archyde News: Danny, it’s fascinating that you’re celebrating marriage on stage, especially when so manny comedians find their humor in marital woes. What inspired this shift in outlook?

Danny Jolles: Well, I think a lot of the stand up out there makes jokes about nagging wives and dumb husbands.But I noticed that when people get married, they don’t really see the connection. A lot of people don’t see the part where we go home and we close the door and we’re alone and are just like, ‘I can’t live without you’. So I’m really trying to defend marriage through my comedy.

Archyde News: Your approach seems to resonate with audiences. What kind of reactions have you observed?

Danny Jolles: It’s fun seeing the initial skepticism, the ‘Here comes the bashing.’ But as I shift to the appreciation of marriage, people kind of come out and say, ‘Yeah, it is!’ It’s almost “lame” to say you like being married, but I want to make it funny.

Beyond Stand-up: The Impact of “Hacks” and Musical Roots

Archyde News: You’re also making waves on “Hacks.” Can you tell us about your experience working on such a critically acclaimed show?

Danny Jolles: “Hacks” is amazing, truly. It’s the way they operate…They would do a joke and then they’d do it this way, now say it this way. Jean Smart, the star, would make a choice, then make a different choice and then make a different choice. The whole show is majestic.There must be so many great moments that you don’t even see as they just get everything. It’s gonna be a great season.

Archyde News: You have a background in musical theater too, right? Does that influence your stand-up?

Danny Jolles: Absolutely. Being a musical theater guy has kept me in musical theater. And what’s extra great is that my collage friend Rachel Bloom always did musical comedy, and I was a comedian who could sing, so I got in there with her! My musical theater background adds another layer to my comedic persona. I have a unique understanding of timing, delivery, and audience engagement, honed through years of performing on stage.

Championing Stand-Up Comedy

Archyde News: What do you especially love about stand-up comedy, and what keeps you so passionate about it?

Danny Jolles: The coolest thing about stand-up comedy is there’s no gatekeepers. Anybody can go and do stand-up comedy. When I was studying acting at NYU, I was just like, ‘There’s one avenue that nobody can stop.’ It went from just I love this art form to it’s really the fairest one. And that made me just obsessed.

Archyde News: What message would you give to people who haven’t been to a live comedy show in a while?

Danny Jolles: Go see live stand-up comedy, because it is just so amazing in the room.It’s a special art form. It’s the best night out you can have.

Archyde News: Thank you for your time, Danny.We look forward to your shows in Niles!

Danny Jolles: Thank you for having me!

Event details:

• Who: Danny Jolles
• When: April 18 at 8 p.m.and April 19 at 7 p.m.
• Where: Funny Farm Comedy Club, 1201 Youngstown-Warren Road, Niles, OH
• Tickets: $25 can be booked online or by calling 330-759-HAHA.

Archyde News encourages everyone to seek out and support live comedy. What are your favorite comedy experiences? Share your thoughts in the comments below.