Henry Cho brings his clean humor to the Majestic
Henry Cho has been performing comedy for almost 40 years. Before his arrival in Chillicothe, I had the opportunity to chat with him about the comedy world and his lengthy career. Teenage writer me was thrilled to play the part of a journalist and comic me was excited to ask this accomplished veteran of the stage five questions.
Q: First Henry, what brings your tour to Chillicothe, Ohio?
A: I’ve always loved this area of Ohio. Earlier in my career I used to do the comedy clubs in Columbus and I’ve played in Jason Day’s celebrity golf tournament the past few years. Folks have been asking me if I was ever going to come back to the area and that being said, the Majestic Theatre show is great timing as Jason’s tournament is on Monday.
Q: With several television and film credits under your belt do you prefer standup or the screen as an outlet for your talent?
A: Stand up. It is what I do and what I am. I’m the writer, producer, editor, and director. Acting is a ton of fun and I hope to get back into it as much as I did before I started a family.
Q: Thinking back through your career, who are a couple of your favorite people you’ve had the chance to work with?
A: Sally Field. We did a Farley Brothers movie together and she was so great and kind. One time we finished on the set at the same time and it started to rain. Her driver showed up before mine and I told her I would just wait. She said “get in the car” so I did. Had a nice chat on the ride back to the hotel. Another one is Johnny Unitas. I’m an avid golfer and played in several celebrity golf tournaments with Mr. Unitas. He would come to my performance every time and was always kind and complimentary.
Q: The comedy world has been through several changes since you started your career. Do you feel your style and brand has helped you stay on the working side of the industry?
A: It’s hard to believe I have been making a living telling jokes for over 36 years and yes, I have seen many changes during that time. My brand of clean comedy (adult humor but clean) has weathered all the storms. Nowadays, it is harder than ever to speak my mind as a standup. Comedy has always been the last bastion of free speech but a few people are ready to complain no matter what I say. I am working more now than I have in the past ten years as I stayed close to home to raise my kids and coach their youth sports teams. To answer your question yes, my style has stood the test of time.
Q: For my last question Henry, what advice would you give comics that you wish someone would have told you?
A: It’s already been proven. You can get big enough to do arenas. No one even thought of that back in the day. There was a time during the 90’s and early 2000’s where I would have done that had I known. It just wasn’t even considered back then.
Henry Cho will perform at the Majestic Theatre Chillicothe on Saturday, Sept. 10 and I have the honor of being his host. Showtime is 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m. Tickets are available on the Majestic Theatre website or may be obtained in person at the Ross-Chillicothe Convention and Visitors Bureau on North Plaza Blvd. You may also purchase tickets at the theatre box office on the evening of the show.
Lori Graves is a local comic who operates LoriG Comedy and writes the weekly entertainment column “Matters of Graves Importance” for the Chillicothe Gazette. She is also extremely thankful to the editor for this opportunity.