By Jim Roberts
Better late than never, right? We weren’t able to talk directly to comedian Jay Pharoah before Veer Magazine’s January print deadline, but he was kind enough to call us last week and elaborate on some of the points in our already-published preview. Here are excerpts from that conversation:
Veer: You’ve played the Virginia Beach Funny Bone before, but this is your first time at The NorVa.
Jay Pharoah: Yeah, I played the Funny Bone. I did that in 2012—like right after Thanksgiving. The show sold out. It was fun. It was good having everybody there to support. It was like a total homecoming celebration for me. I can’t wait to do it again—perform in my hometown. It means a lot.
Veer: I assume the show will be a lot like what you did in “Can I Be Me?”
Pharoah: No. It’s totally different. I did that in 2014, actually. They just took so long to release it—because it was the first time, and we had to get all the paperwork right and everything. We put that out in August 2015, but I have different material now. You still get impressions and all that, but a lot of it is about stuff I’m going through now. You know: personal relationships, things that are happening in the news, political views—like everything. It’s really fun, man. I really can’t wait to do it in front of everybody.
Veer: In “Can I Be Me?” you tell the story about being bullied. Is that true, or do you embellish it for comic effect?
Pharoah: No, no, no, no, no. I was definitely bullied. All the time. From the ages of 6 to 17, I was overweight. It got really bad in middle school and a little bit of high school. … Middle school was not good for me at all. Elementary school was just elementary school—you know what I mean? It’s true: I was bullied.
Veer: A lot’s been written locally about your time at Indian River High School and the character you modeled after your principal. What about your time at Tidewater Community College? What memories do you have from there?
Pharoah: Tidewater Community College was fun, man. I mean, I had a scholarship that I used to pay for classes. … I did theater. That was really fun. Ed Jacob was my teacher. Shout-out to him! He was a really dope teacher. He reminds me of Phil Collins. Every time I saw him, I said that to him. It was just me getting the basic courses out of the way. After that, I went to VCU for like a semester, then I just went full-on with the comedy. Somehow I made it, so—I think it all worked out.
Veer: How do you feel when you’re compared to Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock?
Pharoah: I mean, it’s cool. Those two guys are the comedians that I look up to that are still alive. There are so many that have passed that I really looked up to: Robin Harris, Bernie Mac, Robin Williams and Richard Pryor, of course. … But those two guys are the ones that are the pinnacle of comedians for me. Now to be in those circles and actually talk to them and hang out and be able to converse with them is really an honor for me. I can’t believe it.
Veer: Do you know Wanda Sykes at all?
Pharoah: I do not know Wanda Sykes. I love her work. I think she’s an amazing comedian. She’s in that camp as well. I would love to meet her. I think she’s from Portsmouth, right?
Veer: She is from Portsmouth. She’s actually here the night before you are.
Pharoah: Wow. What a follow! … I had to follow Louis CK at Gotham Comedy Club. I was like, “Wow. What am I supposed to do after that?”
Veer: She’s playing Chrysler Hall—not the Norva.
Pharoah: Well there you go. An even bigger venue!
Veer: So if someone had to choose, why should they come see you over Wanda?
Pharoah: Why? Because I do everything. I do everything. I got the impressions. I got the jokes. I got the stories. I got the political views. I got the tie-ins. I got the rapping. I do everything. I even sing in the show! I do everything, man. I’m Everything Man. I’m Entertainment Man. Put a little “E” on a little light and flash it in the sky. I’ll show up in a friggin’ batcape and some H&M drawers.
Veer: Who’s opening for you?
Pharoah: I got my DJ playing stuff for me. I think he’s just gonna do that and then bring me out afterward. Like Doug E. Fresh and Chris Rock. Remember that? “Bigger And Blacker” is one of the best specials ever done.
Veer: Let me ask you one “Saturday Night Live” question. One of the most popular videos this season is the Adele Thanksgiving film. What was your experience working on that?
Pharoah: It was fun, man! … I know it’s a big record. The fact that people come up to me and they say that, I’m like, “Thank you so much. You like seeing me in a blonde wig and some nails? All right!” It was really fun to do. The whole cast—we have great chemistry. We’re all friends. It’s just fun to be able to shoot stuff with your friends and have the public like it.
Veer: This is more controversial, but you use the n-word a lot in “Can I Be Me?” I guess it’s an acceptable comic convention, but do you have any reservations about that, and how do your audiences react to it?
Pharoah: You know what? I don’t use it as much in my newer material because I want people to be able to quote a lot of the things that I’m saying without feeling like they can’t. You know what I mean? As far as that word goes … I do know that where I’m from, it’s used a lot. We say it a lot. Everybody says it a lot. It just becomes a part of you, but I hold back a little bit. Just because I want everybody to feel comfortable.
Veer: I think I read somewhere that your shows are a pretty even mix of black and white and all races.
Pharoah: Everybody comes out, man. It’s really crazy to see the different people that come out. As far as the age category, it’s crazy to see like 20 to 80—old ladies to people who are just about to finish college. I don’t know how it happened. I guess that’s just the pull that “SNL” has had or just the different social platforms—like YouTube and Instagram and Vines. … I feel lucky. I feel good!
Jay Pharoah will perform at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at the NorVa. Ticket prices start at $20. For more information, visit: thenorva.com.
