Comedian Cameron Esposito has come a long way after being raised in the suburbs of Illinoisand she uses that history in her latest act. She filmed that show Dec. 10 at Thalia Hall in Pilsen for Seeso, NBCUniversal's new streaming comedy channel.
Funnyman Bobcat Goldthwait surprised the crowd by opening that night and he told others how to behave at the taping. Rhea Butcher, Esposito's fiancee, followed him with her comedy routine. Fire-drill lights and sirens went off in the middle of her set but she played it off well.
Esposito arrived to a standing ovation dressed in a suit and sporting her traditional side mullet. She excitedly announced that the reason she is in Chicago was to be married two days later.
Esposito knows how to make everyone comfortable when she speaks on lesbian issues or gay issues, and people love her timing. She got political speaking on gun control and hit a home run when mentioning the Old Navy preacher who seems to irritate many locals.
She was relaxed as usual during her set ( a mix of past and new material ), showing she is now a seasoned pro.
Esposito has been on a roll since moving to California from Chicago in the past few years. She was a regular on Chelsea Lately and appeared on Conan O' Brien and Craig Ferguson, along with tons of stand-up gigs all over the world.
After once seeing her perform in a room of only 10 people and interviewing her in the past, it is joy to see what a long way she has journeyed in a fairly short amount of time. In 2016, she and Butcher plan on starring and producing a new series called Take My Wife, for Seeso.
Photos and text by Jerry Nunn