Veteran comedian Tom Dreesen chatted about his one-man show “The Man Who Made Sinatra Laugh,” and his career in stand-up comedy.
Byron Pulsifer once said: “Imagine, dream, and believe in yourself. With determination and belief, you will be surprised at what you accomplish.” This quote applies to Tom Dreesen.
Stand-up comedy in theaters vs. comedy clubs
Dreesen noted that he enjoyed doing his stand-up comedy shows in theaters as opposed to comedy clubs since there are “no distractions” from “waiters and waitresses roaming out bringing foods and drinks to people.”
“In theaters, there are no interruptions in my act,” he said. “This makes theaters far more conducive for comedy, so I have been doing that for years, and it has been going very well.”
One-man show ‘The Man Who Made Sinatra Laugh’
“It is going very well,” he admitted about his one-man show. “I’ve been performing in many cities, and the reviews have been fantastic.”
In this show, Dreesen takes fans and viewers from his childhood of shining shoes in Harvey, Illinois, hearing Sinatra on the jukebox to one day touring the nation as his opening act, flying in his private jet all over the country, and staying up till dawn, night after night.
Dreesen remarked, “The first time I heard Frank Sinatra’s voice, I was shining shoes in a bar in the south side of Chicago, and he was on the jukebox, and then, I take the audience through that journey (of the little boy hearing Sinatra on the jukebox to one day carrying his coffin out of a church in Beverly Hills, California).”
“As I tell these stories to the audience, pictures are coming on the screen authenticating the story,” he said.
“It is a lot of laughs,” he admitted. “I may have the audience in tears sometimes, as I take them through his funeral, but I close with a funny monologue, and have them laughing again.”
“I leave them on a high and I toast them with Jack Daniel’s whiskey, and I wish for all of them ‘that the best is yet to come’,” he elaborated.
Dreesen came from humble beginnings
Dreesen grew up in Harvey, Illinois. While working as an insurance salesman in 1968, he met Tim Reid and they teamed up as the comedy duo Tim and Tom.
“We were going to become the first black and white comedy team, so we became very passionate about it,” he said. “We stayed together for six years, and then, the team split up. Tim went on to become an actor, and I went over to the West Coast from Chicago trying to make it as a solo stand-up comedian.”
“Back in those days, when people asked what you do for a living, and you told them that you were a stand-up comedian, they would ask you if you played on ‘The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson.’ If you hadn’t been on Johnny Carson’s show, in the eyes of America, you weren’t a comedian,” he recalled.
“After one appearance on ‘The Tonight Show,’ Freddie Prinze got a sitcom the next day. So, back then, the stairway to stardom as a comedian in America was getting on ‘The Tonight Show’,” he said.
After multiple trials and tribulations, Dreesen noted that one of “The Tonight Show” coordinators discovered him and did his first appearance and shared that he “scored on that night.” “It all went well, and they called me back to take another bow, and I never stopped working from that day,” Dreesen said.
“I did 61 appearances on ‘The Tonight Show,’ and after that, a whole new world opened up to me,” he added.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, Dreesen said, “It’s a whole new world. Years ago, in order to get exposure, you did ‘The Tonight Show,’ where 28 million people watched you. That was the show you had to do. Today, it’s all about social media.”
“Last night, I went to the Laugh Factory, to try new material, and they filmed you while you are on. So, they will send me a link tomorrow of that 15-minute set that I did. I can edit one minute out of that set and put it on Instagram or TikTok and get three to four million views for that one joke,” he elaborated.
“Back in my day, you had to do six minutes of material on Johnny Carson’s show and it would go out on the TV screen, and maybe several million people would watch it. Today, you can do only one joke, and millions of people can hear you or watch you every night… It’s a whole new world,” he expressed.
Advice for young and emerging comedians
For young and aspiring comedians, he said, “Interestingly enough, I have a special talk for comedians called ‘The Joy of Stand-up comedy and how to get there.’ I talk on four subjects: perception, visualization, self talk, and developing a sense of humor, and I elaborate on those four points. There is a lot of advice I can give them, but most importantly, I motivate them not to give up.”
“If you are a newcomer, start where you are, work as often as you can, read the book ‘The Magic of Believing’ by Claude Bristol, realize that nobody is ever going to help you (if you don’t make money for them), and finally, don’t ever quit,” he said.
“That’s my story, and the story of many people,” he acknowledged.
Success
On his definition of the word success, Dreesen said, “Success is living the life you want. All I ever wanted to do is make people laugh. As far back as I can remember, or shortly thereafter, I love to hear the sound of laughter.”
“Success in show business is earning the respect of my peers. Nothing pleases me more than fellow comedians appreciate me as much as I appreciate them. I loved comedians before I ever was one. I was always fond of comedians and what they do. I love uniting people with laughter because laughter is also healing,” he elaborated.
“Success, for my children, is that they love their father. I always wanted to be a good father. I wanted my children to know how much I love them and receive their love in return. On my tombstone, I would like it to say that ‘I was a good father’,” he explained.
Message for his fans and supporters
For his fans and supporters, Dreesen remarked, “I appreciate my fans more than they will ever know. I appreciate the fans that come out to see me. Never in my 55 years in show business have I ever turned down a photograph or an autograph.”
“I am very grateful for them, and I don’t take them for granted for one second. They really mean a lot to me,” he said, effusively.
To learn more about veteran stand-up comedian Tom Dreesen, check out his official website, and follow him on Instagram.
