Comedian Roy Wood Jr.
Penguin’s Comedy Club — Thursday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Comedian Roy Wood Jr., who performs tonight at Penguin’s, has been working as a successful stand-up act for more than decade, earning him spots on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, Conan and, more recently, the role of “Roy” on TBS’s Sullivan and Son. However, his first big break in comedy came not from getting on stage, but by getting on the phone.
Wood became infamous for the prank phone calls he did for the Rickey Smiley Morning Show in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. The prank calls landed Wood his first big fanbase, pushing the recordings to move into circulation on radio stations around the country. A few were even featured on hip-hop mixtapes by Chamillionaire and Cam’Ron.
Though Wood’s standup is decidedly of a more curmudgeonly than confrontational flavor, fans of his prank calls will still appreciate how he weaves his talent for voice through out his act. However, where Wood’s comedy really hits the mark is in it’s relentlessly sharp observational humor.
