SHAUN MAJUMDER in RAISING THE ROOF: A COMEDY CABARET WITH SHAUN MAJUMDER & FRIENDS at the Rivoli (332 Queen West), Friday and Saturday (April 16 and 17), 7:30 and 9:30 pm. $34.95. 416-872-1212. Also hosting the COMEDY CABARET GALA at the Second City (51 Mercer), Sunday (April 18), 6:45 pm. $150. 416-481-1838. raisingtheroof.org. See listing.
Shaun Majumder is a tough guy to pin down.[rssbreak]
In the past few months, the Newfoundland-born, L.A.-based comic has performed at the Vancouver Olympics, shot the final episodes of This Hour Has 22 Minutes in Halifax and holed up in Atlanta, where he taped a pilot for a new ABC cop series set in Detroit.
But now he’s back in Toronto for his 11th appearance at Raising The Roof, headlining four shows at the Rivoli and hosting a gala at the Second City – all to raise funds for long-term solutions to homelessness among at-risk youth.
“When I did the first few shows, I remember feeling hypocritical,” he says on the phone from an impromptu vacation in Puerto Rico.
“There I was, in my own house, and who was I to say anything about homelessness unless I go live on the streets for a month or year? But I got over that pretty quickly. In 10 years, we’ve raised $140,000, which is pretty good for a few shows in the back of the Rivoli. And I’ve got to know a lot more about the foundation. There are so many factors that play into how people end up homeless. It’s not what you think.”
Majumder is so pumped about the issue that while shooting the new pilot – called 187 Detroit and starring The Sopranos’ Michael Imperioli – he interviewed cast members about it. He hopes to screen that footage during one of the shows.
The new series, he says, is about police detectives seen through the eyes of a fictional documentary crew. He plays an Indian-American on the force for seven years who’s paired with veteran James McDaniel (NYPD Blue and Malcolm X).
“My character’s pretty much like me,” he says. “He’s a regular guy, likes girls, is smart and good at what he does. The show’s good at showing the fallibility of people. Funny things happen in the heat of a situation – not joke-driven, but reality-driven.”
Majumder says they’ll find out whether the pilot gets picked up next month. He’s been in this situation before.
“I’ve got perspective now,” he says. “Until you’re six or 13 episodes in and actually shooting, you can’t think about what could be,” he says. “You need to remove that from your brain and just be thankful for the work. It makes things a lot easier.”
glenns@nowtoronto.com
