Tig Notaro has been a standup comedian for decades. Her comedy style and career exploded soon after her 2012 Largo set where she announced that she had breast cancer days after her diagnosis. Her ability to find and share humor in a pure, deadpan style has led to many accomplishments, including two Grammy nominations for comedy albums.
Notaro’s career has expanded far beyond the stage — she’s produced shows, including the semi-autobiographical One Mississippi, starred in movies, and also hosts two podcasts.
It’s Notaro’s comedy that will bring her to Milwaukee on March 14 for her “Hello Again” tour. After not working in standup due to the pandemic, she says coming back to touring has been a welcome change.
"I was a little concerned about it at first, but I was a little surprised that it all kind of came back. And I really feel I'm at a really great place with it and I'm excited about it all over again," says Notaro.
Her comedy style is known for being personal, but also sharing silliness. Compared to Notaro's other standup routines, she says the material for the "Hello Again" tour came pretty naturally.
"You know there wasn't a huge amount of thought that went into it. It's really stories and experiences and observations that I was excited to tell ... and I'm really, really having so much fun doing this show. And I really wanted it to be nothing more than just a fun, funny show," explains Notaro.
During the pandemic Notaro started two podcasts — one called “Don’t Ask Tig,” an advice podcast that she invites guests on to answer listener question, and the other, “Tig and Cheryl: True Story.” This podcast is co-hosted by actress Cheryl Hines, and the two long-time friends catch up while sometimes discussing a documentary they've just watched.
Notaro's last time in the podcast producing world was with "Professor Blastoff" from 2011-2015 with co-hosts Kyle Dunnigan and David Huntsberger. When deciding to get back into podcasting, Notaro says both shows worked out naturally to come together at the right time.
"I love doing podcasting and it just happened to all fall around the beginning of the pandemic, and it was such a great way for me to reach my fans and be able to be funny and creative but also stay home and be safe during such a crazy time," she says.
Just as listeners turn to her podcasts to decompress and laugh, Notaro says that especially making "Tig and Cheryl: True story" is, "so off-the-rails ridiculous, and it's truly decompressing doing that show. But they're both so fun in their different ways."
Now she's having fun touring again and Notaro says that when she steps on stage every night, it truly feels like she's hosting a party. Whether audiences come knowing her from standup, to acting, to podcasts — everyone is converging in one place for a shared experience.
"At every party, obviously there's going to be someone who's into Star Trek, there's gonna be someone who's dealt with cancer either personally or through their family, there's gonna be somebody that's gay, there's gonna be somebody from the south. You know what I mean? That's really how I feel, is I'm having a party, but I'm usually the only one talking," she says.
