Up-and-Coming Comic to Record Debut Album at P’ville’s Lucy’s Lounge
Comedian Tommy McClellan always knew he had a knack for making people laugh.
McClellan, 23, started dabbling with comedy at 12 years old growing up in upstate Gloversville in Fulton County. After his seventh-grade computer teacher let his class watch “Big Daddy,” he quickly realized that comedy could be more than one-liners and catchphrases. Using Adam Sandler as his inspiration, McClellan took comedy into his own hands writing jokes and routines every day.
“I just started writing, and I wrote jokes every day and they were 12-year-old jokes, so they weren’t that good,” McClellan said. “I just wrote, and it made me feel that comedy was who I am.”
This Saturday, Nov. 17 the comic will take the stage at Lucy’s Laugh Lounge in Pleasantville to record his debut comedy album.
While McClellan acted in high school plays and performed his routines during school talent shows, his determination elevated when he performed at an open mic night at Broadway Comedy Club in New York City during his first week in college. McClellan, who graduated last year from Iona College, said he specifically chose Iona because of its proximity to the city.
“It was my first time doing stand-up and I was over the moon. I had been waiting my whole life to do this,” McClellan said. “There were some nerves, but I had never done stand-up in a club and it was more just excitement and this feeling that I had to do this.”
Admitting that the performance wasn’t his best, a chance encounter with comedian and actor Tracy Morgan after his set left him convinced that comedy was the right path. McClellan said Morgan advised him to never give up.
McClellan, a mass communications major, said he performed in the city and in bars throughout Westchester several times a week.
“I was performing everywhere really because it’s what I wanted to do,” McClellan said. “I just kept doing it until I figured out my voice and delivery style. There’s no secret, you just keep doing it and writing and eventually you get comfortable on stage. If you can fall in love with not doing well, it brings a whole new level of comfort that you learn to sit with.”
McClellan was also featured in a few segments on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” while he was interning during his senior year.
After he graduated, McClellan hired a manager and started taking auditions. He soon started producing “The Tommy McClellan Show” where he played host and featured local comics at comedy clubs throughout New York. McClellan said the clubs would book his show if he hired the comedians and attracted an audience.
“My thing was I wanted to make sure everybody had a good time, and I always wanted the comics to get the audience at their best,” McClellan said. “The host is so important to a show, so I was still doing jokes but in between each comic. I wanted the stage time and to perform and if you want to get better and get stage time then sometimes you have to do it yourself.”
McClellan eventually put comedy on hold when he took a job interning at Disney World with the Disney College Program. He said it was something he always wanted to pursue and didn’t want to regret passing up the opportunity. Plus, the job introduced him to his girlfriend who he now lives with in Philadelphia.
While he works in retail by day, McClellan is more dedicated to comedy than he’s ever been. He realized that he had built up so much material over the years that he wanted to share it with others, so the idea for the album was born. He also hopes the album will gain enough traction that he’ll be invited to venues throughout the United States to perform.
For now, the budding comic is excited to record his first album in Pleasantville, with local comics Tom Grossi and Joseph Conklin providing additional entertainment.
“I wanted to do my album in Westchester because I feel a kinship with that, growing as a comic, performing in Westchester,” he said. “I just want to do something to take people’s minds off everything that is in our face every day. I’d rather be the guy who makes you laugh and provides a distraction.”
McClellan is scheduled to perform at 6 and 8 p.m. Lucy’s Lounge is located at 446 Bedford Rd. in Pleasantville. Tickets cost $20. For tickets or more information, visit www.lucyslaughlounge.com.
