Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 14, 1992 TAG: 9202130025
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: JIM ROBERTS
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
CHEESE OR SOAP - IT'S FUNNY AND IT'S CLEAN
Brad Hansen, the man who books comedians for Wit's End Comedy Club, says Brett Leake's routine is kid-tested and mother-approved."He probably said that because I'm not really good at ad-libbing, and I don't swear well, either," Leake said during a recent telephone interview. "People laugh at me when I swear, not with me."
After a brief pause, he added, "I think Brad will give you a better interview than I will. When I read your article, I want to see a lot of good quotes from him and then have it say, `Mr. Leake was unavailable for comment.' "
Leake, a 32-year-old Virginia native, does have what could be called a kinder, gentler style, but it's nothing to be modest about.
His material ranges from credit cards to coupons - what he likes to call "observational comedy." He'll query expiration dates on cheese that smells when he buys it and then ask why different-colored bars of soap always seem to have white lather when they're supposed to make him clean.
"I talk about things that I know about," he said. "It can get pretty dull if you don't want to talk about cheese."
Leake started in comedy nine years ago after he earned a degree in economics and could not find a job. A comedy club had just opened in Richmond, so he and a handful of other people decided to give it a try.
"Nobody knew what they were doing," he said, "so I wasn't afraid of the competition."
He moved on to the regional circuit, landed a couple of television spots, and on Nov. 25 last year, capped nearly a decade of work with a six-minute bit on "The Tonight Show." Jay Leno had seen him on ABC's "Into The Night" and invited him to perform on the show.
When Leake started, his routine was based almost completely on his physical handicap - muscular dystrophy.
"I felt like if I stuck to that topic, nobody could say, `You're wrong,' " he said. "But somebody came to me after a show one night and told me I was using it as a crutch.
"He said, `You don't talk about it off stage, so why use it in your show?' I'm not hilarious off stage, but I could see that I was limiting myself."
He does allude to his handicap to ease the audience into his routine. At the start of his shows, he'll say, "I've got to admit to you, I am handicapped.
"I have a degree in economics."
Although his routine is no longer limited by muscular dystrophy, Leake says his career might be.
"I don't know how long my body will drag me along," he said. "I really can't assume that I will have a complete career. George Burns has no challenge from me."
Leake will appear with Averell Carter at 10 p.m. Sunday at South Main Cafe. Cover charge is $3.