Whether it’s for a fundraiser, corporate conference or a show in a larger venue sometimes we here at Powers Management Group get calls from people who want to explore the idea of hiring a famous comedian. They want to entertain clients or association members, reward their employees or draw a large audience to offset talent expenses, and a recognizable TV star seems like the best way to do it. Besides, how much could it cost for one measly show? Well these days a conservative estimate would run around $100,000 and up, sometimes way up depending on the cost of transportation (air and ground), accommodations and a wide array of possible rider requirements.
Then there’s the little matter of the show itself. Sometimes the act in question may have been doing movies or a TV show (or worse yet, maybe not). He or she may not have been performing live very much rendering the act a tad rusty. Not all comedians routinely work out material in clubs and on the road the way Jay Leno has these last 17 years. And that’s not likely to be something their representative will be inclined to share with you either.
A good comedy booking agent will know which comedians are appropriate for which markets. What comedians do on TV doesn’t necessarily mean that that’s what they do when they perform live. Event planners may have an idea of who they want, but don’t know that the particular act they want might have a routine that contains profanity or other potentially offensive material.
