DARCY MICHAEL: SPECIAL PRIDE WEEK SHOW at the Flying Beaver Pubaret (488 Parliament), Saturday (June 30), 7 pm. $15-$20. 647-347-6567, pubaret.com. See listing.
In the past year and a half, Darcy Michael has lost 120 pounds (and counting), a beard and his shaggy mane of hair. Because of all that, he’s also had to lose a significant part of his act.
He used to have a section in his set when he revealed he was gay – to the audience’s great surprise. He called himself an “undercover fag,” and it always got a reaction because no one suspected that the cardigan-wearing, hippie-looking stoner from BC liked cock.
“I know I had a real niche act with the undercover thing,” says Michael from a tour stop in Peterborough, “so I am having to give that up. I used to do 15 or 20 minutes before coming out. Now I find I’m coming out quicker, which gets me to the fun stuff.”
That “fun stuff” includes talking about his husband, Jeremy, and their daughter, Grace, who’s now 13 scary Pride parades in Alberta and lusting after guys.
This latter bit is refreshing. There are way more queer comics on the scene than a decade ago, but in mainstream clubs few joke openly about their desires. When Michael headlined at Yuk Yuk’s Downtown back in March, he continually flirted with a few (probably) straight guys in the front row.
“For me, it’s what we tell Grace all the time: ‘If you’re not comfortable with it, other people won’t be.’ Obviously, I’m going to talk about desiring men, because that’s what I do. If you’re not comfortable with that, deal with it on your own.”
Ironically, it was during his wedding that he first got the idea to do stand-up. The two men hadn’t prepared any speeches, so Michael took the mic and delivered an off-the-cuff bit for 20 minutes. Later, Jer told him he should pursue it.
“It was probably the best show of my life,” he laughs. “When I’m intimidated by an audience, I think, ‘Hey, if I can make my asshole family laugh, I can make anybody laugh.'”
He’s never been closeted in his act. He recalls vowing after seeing Gavin Crawford’s Comedy Now special – right around the time when Ellen DeGeneres came out – that if he ever became a performer, he’d be out, too.
“Nothing angers me more than closeted actors,” he says. “I read the rumours about John Travolta. If he ever tried to sleep with me, I’d punch him in the face and tell him to get some fucking balls.
“I’ve never done a show where I didn’t come out. In Medicine Hat there were eight skinheads who wanted to murder me by the end. But I did 45 minutes and every gay joke I would have done in Toronto or Vancouver. If I don’t do that, I’m empowering their hate.”
He’s at a great place in his life. On the professional front, he just released his first DVD (available for downloading for $3 at darcymichael.com) he has a TV series in the works featuring his talks with notable comics like Scott Thompson, Alan Thicke and Caroline Rhea and he’s heading to Just For Laughs later this summer.
Personally, he has a terrific family and has taken control of his health – triggered by a cancer scare in the fall of 2010.
But happiness doesn’t fuel comedy, right?
“I’ve always pulled everything from my life,” he says, “so I’ve got a good five minutes on Bikram yoga, which I recently started. No one warned me about all the housewives farting. It’s like a sanctuary in there – they store up all their farts, and it’s like a goddamn symphony.”
Then he goes into a routine about laser hair removal. He found a deal on Groupon, but got dumped by his waxer because she told him he was too hairy.
“I’m still finding material, but it’s coming from a different avenue now. I’m not sitting at home eating bags of chips and watching America’s Next Top Model.” He pauses, finding the joke. “Okay, I am, but I’m running my ass off the next morning.”
Interview Clips
Darcy Michael on Toronto, Vancouver and how to make comedy when you’re so happy:
On people not recognizing him after his dramatic weight loss:
On talking about his teenage daughter Grace in his act:
On his cancer diagnosis, the death of Irwin Barker (“a god to me”), and how December 15, 2010 is his “his new birthday”:
On using marijuana for medicinal purposes and why he doesn’t talk about that in his act:
On his new talk show:
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