46
Arts
November 2015
www.GilbertSunNews.com
Kimmel’s sister, Jill Bryan, breaks out of his shadow BY SARAH MARMOLEJO
With a brother like Jimmy Kimmel, you would think breaking out of his shadow would be a difficult thing to do. Not if you’re Jill Bryan. Bryan is making a name for herself in comedy. By the end of it when someone mentions Kimmel, you’ll ask, “Who? Oh right, Jill’s brother.” It’s another day at the bland, dull office where “babysitting adults” and “political correctness” come hand in hand, Bryan said. Another day, another dollar, and one more day at the office was something Bryan could no longer take while working as an administrative assistant. That is why when Bryan heard of an open mic night in town she decided to give it a shot. After all, comedy clearly ran in the family. Bryan always loved acting and “making [her] friends laugh,” so standup comedy seemed like the way to go, but it was not until July 2006 that she gave it a shot and fell in love, at the age of 35. As Bryan began her late comedy career, the nagging factors were always there: the late start, the maledominated field, and just the idea of failing. But Bryan didn’t let anything get to her as she raced through the doorway to success. Bryan grew up around boys, her older brother, Jimmy, and younger brother, Johnathon, and was used to being
surrounded by male figures, especially male comedians as Jimmy rose to fame. As Bryan entered the field dealing with the overwhelming male majority, it was nothing new, and she didn’t let that stop her. It should not stop anyone, Bryan said. “I have had always had more male friends than female friends, so it felt normal to me. But I also won’t allow anyone to treat me poorly, so my gender hasn’t been an issue so far. My only advice to women who may want to try comedy is to be a funny woman. Don’t try to be a guy. Be a woman. And be funny. That’s the only way to go.” Gilbert is happy to stake its claim on Bryan as she breaks through comedic gender barriers here, but why here? Bryan has accomplished a great deal in her career and might be expected to live in Hollywood, but she said she loves it here; and not just because it’s a town that is slightly cheaper than Los Angeles. She was born in Brooklyn, and lived in Las Vegas between the ages of 6 and 15, then her family moved out to Gilbert and she has been here ever since. “I love my little house, my neighborhood...it’s easy to live here. Much cheaper than L.A., the traffic is barely existent, the schools are good. I may move to L.A. or New York if my career leads me in that direction, but for now I am very comfortable.”
Jill Bryan. Submitted photo
Bryan may enjoy living in Gilbert but that doesn’t stop her from traveling as she gets ready to go on her third tour for the U.S. military, where she will be joined by a few other comedians. For Bryan it’s not about being the most famous comedian, it’s about making people who need it smile. “I feel like any piece of America puts a smile on the faces of the men and women who are living elsewhere because of their service. If we come
in and tell a few jokes and make them smile and laugh for an hour or so...that is well worth the 12-hour flight stuck in a middle seat between two people with pointy elbows. Here’s a secret, though... it means a lot more to me than they realize. I’m happier about being there than they are to have me.” For information on Jill Bryan and upcoming shows, visit www.jillbryancomedy.com.
Hale to present the classic ‘A Christmas Carol’ in December
The holiday classic “A Christmas Carol” is returning to the Hale Centre Theatre from Dec. 3 through Dec. 24, with FOX 10 meteorologist Cory McCloskey returning as “Scrooge.” McCloskey is part of the “red” cast, which alternates with the “green” cast. A veteran of the stage and television, McCloskey has performed in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. His diverse roles range from the cross-dressing, saxophone-
playing “Josephine” in “Sugar,” to “Teen Angel” in “Grease” and then to young “Michael Hudson” on NBC’s “Another World.” McCloskey is a frequent big band frontman who also performs with the Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons tribute band, December ’63. The “green” cast showcases Mark Kleinman, reprising his role as Ebenezer Scrooge for the fourth time. An ariZoni award winner, Kleinman has performed in numerous Hale productions as
well as in opera, musical theater and dramatic repertory around the world. He provided the voice of “The King” in Amazon Studios’ grand prize-winning test film “12 Princesses,” and was a semifinalist for Amazon Studios Best Actor Award. Award-winning David Hale Dietlein will direct both casts and promises theater-goers that they are in for a true holiday treat. The show is an enchanting musical version of Dickens’ classic tale of the three Christmas ghosts who visit the miserly taskmaster, “Ebenezer Scrooge.” The spirits show him the error of his tyrannical, grasping ways transforming Scrooge’s life and, in doing so, remind us that it’s never too late to change for the better. Because of the popularity of this annual classic production, a recordsetting total of 43 performances will be presented this year. The Hale family tradition of
showcasing “A Christmas Carol” began with Ruth and Nathan Hale, who opened the first Hale theater in Glendale, California. In 1965, the Hales and the Dietleins staged their first production of “A Christmas Carol,” establishing a legacy that flourishes to this day with the 50th Glendale production already in rehearsal. In Arizona, Dietlein has received numerous awards for artistic achievement and has directed every production of “A Christmas Carol” since the Gilbert theater opened in 2003. Performance times and prices vary. Tickets range from $20 to $36 and sell out quickly. For more information, or purchase tickets, call the Hale Centre Theatre box office at (480) 497-1181 or visit www.HaleTheatreArizona.com. The Hale is located at 50 W. Page Ave., Gilbert, just across the street from the historic Gilbert Water Tower Park.