Michael Senn is a funny guy. He would probably resent me saying so. From his perspective, a comedian shouldn’t be introduced as “funny.” That should be implicit. Sadly, Michael, that’s just not the case. As some recent visits to comedy nights around town have proven, it takes more than a joke to be a good comedian.
Thankfully, Michael Senn is one of the local comedians that make the agony of bad opening acts (and a closer) worth the wait. I must say though, I am a sucker for a smart comic. Having invested years into the obsessive watching of the late-greats, I consider myself an adherent to Groucho Marx before all others.
On the Dick Cavett show, Groucho once declared, “Anybody can say something dirty and get a laugh, but say something clean and get laugh… that requires a comedian.” Senn professes something similar. He’s been reworking his act to keep that edgy “but not filthy” quality. Apparently this just isn’t the town for dirty comics.
A native to the area, Senn also spent some time in Denver where the locals host a much larger scene. Arizona has its hopping nights for comedy at such spots like the Improv, the Turf, the Hidden House, and a number of other locales. But casinos and churches are also big on hiring comedians. That means cleaner humor but it certainly doesn’t have to mean boring jokes.
Much like Zarathustra, Groucho often contradicted himself, once claiming, “I hate a dirty joke, I do, unless it’s told by someone who knows how to tell it.” And Senn can deliver coarse licks with the best of them.
Catch Michael Senn live to join in the revelry.
