Leighann Lord

The stand-up comic stereotype is that of a troubled character who had a difficult childhood. Their pain inspires their humor.


Leighann Lord: “Being different makes us interesting.”
Leighann Lord, though, is the antithesis of all that. The sweet, soft-spoken Queens native, who continues to live in the borough, had a happy childhood, devoid of devastating experiences.

“I know that’s often what you hear about comedians,” Lord said while calling from her home. “The bad things that happened to them fuel their material. I have great parents and had a wonderful time growing up. I guess if pain fuels your art, I’m at a disadvantage, but if joy fuels comedy, I’m ahead of the curve.”

Lord, who will perform Friday and Saturday at Bananas in Hasbrouck Heights, has been a stand-up comic for 17 years. After graduating from the City University of New York with an English degree, Lord worked in corporate communications at Chemical Bank in Manhattan.

“I couldn’t believe anyone would pay me enough to make a living, but I realized that your soul pays a price when you work in a cubicle,” Lord said.

With the encouragement of her parents, Lord left the 9-to-5 world. “My parents are way funnier than me,” Lord said. “They were completely behind me about going into comedy. They said that I was young, unmarried and it was the perfect time to pursue my dream.”

Nearly 20 years later, Lord is married to fellow comic Jim Mendrinos, and he helps inspire material.

“I talk about a lot of things,” Lord said. “I talk about Jim and I talking about having kids, our relationship.”

Lord also does bits on the hot-button issues of health care and politics. “I like talking about my favorite governor of South Carolina [Mark Sanford],” Lord said.

“I can’t believe he’s still in office. It’s beyond him cheating on his wife. The man was unavailable for days. Nobody knew where he was. I guess important things don’t happen in South Carolina, in which you might need some input from the governor.”

Expect Lord’s spouse to also perform Saturday at Bananas. “I love when we perform together,” Lord said. “We can car pool. We do our part for the environment.”

Unlike many other comics, such as Louis C.K., Lord never demonizes her better half while performing. “I don’t do that sort of thing,” Lord said. “There are days you want to murder the one that you love. That’s why I have our wedding picture out at home. I always go back to that day and know that everything is good and it will all be fine.”

Lord seems calm and grounded, unlike many other comics. “I think I’m a little different, but I think being different makes us interesting,” Lord said. “Look at my marriage. Jim and I disagree about almost everything from the death penalty [to] Megan’s Law. We’re so different that somebody called us the James Carville and Mary Matalin of comedy.

“It’s OK to be different from the person you’re married to. It’s also OK to be a comedian and come from a different sort of background and maybe be a different type of comedian.” - Northjersey.com - Ed Condran

Laughter roared from the Mount Vernon Hand Chapel Friday night as GW students watched the stand-up routine of comedian Leighann Lord.
Lord, who has appeared on Comedy Central, performed in the marquee event for Women’s History Month.

Much of her material focused on women. She talked about the trials and tribulations of dating, wearing makeup and styling hair. Lord joked she could feel the estrogen energy of the crowd.

I liked the fact that a lot of her material was geared toward women, freshman Ginger Daniel said. I thought those jokes were really hysterical.

Lord’s routine also featured material geared toward college-age students. Students nodded in agreement when she made cracks about the expensive tuition that universities charge.

Don’t you think we should have sales on college education? Lord asked. Buy a master’s and get a Ph.D. for half off.

Her jokes about college bookstores also hit home for many of the students at the show. Lord joked about the high cost of purchasing textbooks but the ridiculously low amount of money students get when they trade their books back.

I especially like performing for the college crowd, Lord said. I really like the energy that young people add to the show.

Lord, who has been a comedian for eight years, said she likes to perform for people who understand her jokes. Many of her jokes had to do with current issues and served as a social commentary.

The illiteracy rate in America is among the highest … Lord said. Why do we spend $25,000 for each prisoner in jail, but only $7,000 for each little kid in school?

Much of her routine also dealt with drug issues, health care and political campaigns.

I really liked the fact that she joked about things that were on a more intellectual level, freshman Becky Salmela said. It seemed as though she really took time to prepare the material rather than just saying a bunch of random stuff.

Lord said she performs mainly to express her artistic and creative side. She said she believes people should be able to do what they want for a living, rather than what everyone else thinks they should do.

I also feel it’s really important for women to feel comfortable in the field of comedy, Lord said. The field is a bit male-dominated, and I think women can really add a lot to it.

Lord ended the hourlong performance by telling the crowd the importance of seeing past stereotypes and find amusement together.

If we can learn to laugh together, we can learn to live together, she said. Stereotypes can prevent us from doing this sometimes.


- The GW Hatchet

Last night SWT students lit up the stage in Evans Auditorium with their performances at the All-Campus Talent Show.

The show was hosted by Leighann Lord, a comedian from New York City. In between each act, her comedic performance added a touch of colorful humor.

Featured throughout the evening was a variety of talent. Everything from sad, heart wrenching songs to modern dance movements graced the stage.

“I’m looking for something that incorporates and takes the entire audience’s tastes, as well as (the performers’) taste into consideration,” said Dixie Waldo, one of the five judges on the panel.

“Great stage pictures, use of space and high energy determine talent,” Waldo said.

Audience members’ comments during and after the show were filled with compliments. Many felt that it was far better than they had originally anticipated.

As for the performers their hard work paid off.

“I was always told if it hurts while dancing, it’s working, and it hurt while dancing,” said Grupo Folklorico de Southwest dancer Iza Morales refering to her preparation for the talent show performance.

Morales described the dance as “a form of expression and strong sounds.”

“We are normally used to performing for an more upbeat crowd, but this shows us how we can be universal because we can play in a prominent student scene also,” said Aaron Frescas the vocalist for Erik and the Eskimos. The show has been a Homecoming tradition at the university since 1982. It was Formerllycalled the Campus Review.

Organizers said the difficulties in keeping up the traditions of the show while adding variety were few.

“Every year there are similar things, but everything is new as well,” saidCatherine Montgomery, the assistant director of the talent show.

Many of the acts contained a fresh perspective.

Montgomery said that uniqueness was a key factor in determining the acts in the show.

This show in particular contained an extremely unique aspect, offering a variety of entertainment so everyone in the audience could identify with the different acts and not become bored, Montgomery said.




- The Daily University STar