When comedian Bo Johnson first walked through Chelan’s Ruby Theatre, he could instantly feel the punch lines reverberating through the building’s seasoned walls.
“When you’re in high school and you’re at a school play and there’s a buzz in the room before the show starts, it’s almost that feeling,” he said. “It’s a beautiful old theater. It’s got really nice acoustics and sound. It just feels like a good show as soon as people walk in.”
That feeling is vital for someone who’s paid for laughs. Johnson received plenty of those during three shows in Chelan Sept. 4-6. The north Seattle comic said people seemed eager to return to normalcy and get their giggle on. On Sunday, thanks to a grateful patron from the Friday show, he and a friend had access to boat to enjoy Lake Chelan. Johnson joked about the opposite scenario of performing at restaurants when the people weren’t expecting a comedy show.
“We're going to ruin someone’s dinner basically. Someone came on a date and there about to be surprised that they’re not going to get to talk,” he said. “You can tell that the people who are there don’t even know that a show is going to happen.”
Johnson didn’t necessarily know his comedy career was going to happen. He started digging stand-up in middle school and watched Mitch Hedberg clips. After college, he began bussing tables at a seafood restaurant where he had ample time to ruminate while balancing plates. He transferred the material in his head to open mikes around the area. One happy accident that helped speed along his budding comic career was a quirky video he made with his best friend Matthew. By using oversized clothing, Johnson wrapped Matthew around his body to make the duo look like one very large man. With Johnson moving like an obese duck, he waddled up to a movie theater and successfully bought a ticket with for Avengers: Age of Ultron with his friend secretly hidden.
The video, titled simply “Bo and Matthew Sneak into a Movie Theater” became the number one post on Reddit for a day and has garnered over six million views on Youtube. The clip saw airtime on MTV’s Ridiculousness and NBC’s Caught on Camera with Nick Canon. Eventually, Johnson saw a post online from someone encouraging him to audition for Kevin Hart Presents: Hart of the City, a program where the comic superstar travels to different cities looking for budding stand-up comedians. Johnson’s audition went well and he ended up meeting Hart and was featured in the second season of the Comedy Central show.
“Those opportunities don’t show up in Seattle too often. There were definitely other people who were far more qualified than I was,” said Johnson, who has also opened for Lionel Ritchie. “Sometimes things just work out where you’re in the right place to do well at the right time. I was just kind of lucky and that was kind of the kick start of a few other things.”
While his break with Hart sparked his career, it’s his comedy that keeps it burning. Unlike the aforementioned comedian, Johnson is not particularly high energy on stage. He describes his humor as dry, observational and mischievous. For him, the challenge is transitioning jokes from a personal approval to broader appeal.
“It’s coming up with an idea that’s funny to just you and the people you care about the most, ” he said. “Then if you can make other people that you don’t know laugh at that, that’s such a cool feeling.”
Even as his star rises in the vast galaxy of stand-up, Johnson keeps his ego deflated. He works for a non-profit in Seattle while fitting in his gigs during nights and weekends. Citing the Chelan shows, he acknowledged that people aren’t flocking to the Ruby Theater for him.
“I’m not a household name by any means outside of my own family. I have some credits and have done some cool stuff, but nobody’s showing because they know who Bo Johnson is,” he said. “I want to make people laugh because it’s cool that people are sharing their time with you and you don’t know what they did to be able to come out.”
Johnson credits Rotten Apple, a central Washington comedy business, with cultivating a booking reputation that people trust. He’s previously done some shows for the group including some in Wenatchee.
“Bo is a great person on and off the stage,” said Shaimoom Newaz of Rotten Apple. “Chelan loved Bo. He’s a great storyteller and is highly dedicated to his craft. Folks were chatting with him and taking pictures with him after the show.”
Indeed, breaking permanently into the tough stand-up business is an uphill battle. It requires hard work and humility. It requires accepting as many gigs as you can and continuing to try new things. It even requires, as Johnson can attest, flying to a small town in the Midwest to, unexpectedly, perform in front of 15 people. True story. But Johnson recalled thinking that if at age 11, he was told he’d perform stand-up for a handful of folks, he’d be thrilled. Wherever his comedy journey takes him, it’s that appreciation for the privilege that ultimately gives Johnson the last laugh.
“I think it’s very easy to be caught up in what’s the next thing you want to accomplish and the next thing to do,” he said. “Getting to go to a beautiful place like Chelan and performing in a cool theater in front of great crowds for three nights in a row and go on a boat and hang out with good people, really shows. It kind of all ready is the dream.”
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