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Noted as being overly intense and hyper-ambitious—even by comedians' standards—Orny Adams is best known for his appearance opposite Jerry Seinfeld in 2002's Comedian. You can make up your own mind when he appears at The Improv.
Why is now the right time to tape your debut stand-up CD, and why in Vegas?
I find myself not doing certain material anymore—the female-vote joke, the kung pao chicken—and I also find that my style has been changing. I thought I had better get it down, record it and then completely divorce myself of it. I want to do a whole new hour, so I want to purge myself of all this material and move on. It's all about looking forward. And [the Improv] is unbelievable. It's a great cross-section of all of America, and they're just so responsive. Beautiful stage, beautiful equipment, great lighting. Everybody can see; there are no blind spots, and the sound is pristine.
You're currently revamping your Web site, ornyadams.com, and you're known for returning fans' e-mails. How advantageous is the Internet for attracting comedy fans?
It's cool to hear from people, but with that comes the obligation to return all the e-mails and answer all the questions, and it does take up a lot of time. At some point you think, "Well, how accessible should I be?" I wonder, would I have thought Sam Kinison was really funny if I was e-mailing him as a kid? It's odd that the expectations are really high nowadays for people to communicate. It's so wide open; everyone wants you to bare your soul though blogs. How much should I give away, and how much should I save? I think it's really important to find that balance.
What kinds of misconceptions may people have who only know of you from Comedian?
It's hard to tell what the perception is out there and how people feel before they come to a show. It's a weird thing; it's almost like your weight. Did you ever go, "Wow, I'm really skinny," and then six months later you look at pictures and go, "Wow, I was really kind of fat!" You just never really know where you stand.