LOGO Standup taping, Interview w/ Vidur Kapur

Tomorrow, Saturday June 28th, Elvira Kurt headlines a show at GW's Marvin Betts Theater with Vidur Kapur, Trevor Boris and Jackie Monahan. The show is also a special being taped for air on the
LOGO network.

All the info you need to know you can find here. Tickets are $25 and you can get them here for 7pm or 10pm


We were lucky enough to get a quick interview in with Vidur Kapur about the upcoming special.

Is this your first time performing in Washington, DC? If not, where did
you perform and if so, what have you heard about DC audiences?

Yes it is my first time performing in Washington D.C. before. I have performed in Maryland but this is the first show in D.C. I would expect D.C. audiences to be pretty intelligent, diverse and fun to work with.

What is the difference in performing for a television special vs. a
regular live show?

The biggest difference is the lights and the cameras...everyone is aware that they are there!! Its the elephant in the room that no one addresses. Its actually pretty much the same, when i perform for a television special I just forget and just get down to relating to the audience, because they are alive and are the one who really matter.

More interview after the jump!!

What has LOGO meant for Gay/Lesbian performers?

LOGO has been a gret platform for gay and lesbian performers and has greatly helped bring attention to their talents and diversity. I love watching LOGO because they focus on original and cutting edge programming that truly embraces diversity in the queer community and makes it accessible to everyone. For me personally LOGO has done a lot to make my comedy more accessible to LGBT audiences, and this has helped me as I perform for mainstream audiences and Asian and South Asian audiences. Its great for South Asians to know that one of their kind is being represented on a network that is focused on showcasing the top LGBT talent. Its also very political as they cannot deny that there are LGBT people witin the South Asian community. Im grateful to LOGO for the work they are doing to further this, and doing it in an entertaining manner.

Is there a difference between performing for audiences that are mostly straight vs. mostly gay?

Yes usually I will feel more free to use edgier humor with mostly gay audiences as they kind of expect it. WIth mostly straight audiences I like to bring them along so that they understand where I am coming from. Mostly gay audiences have more of an understanding. For me, however, even with a mostly gay audience I still have to do some hand holding and bring them along as far as the racial stuff is concerned. Its great because with eithter audience i cannot take it for granted that they will understand me and really have to work at it. It keeps my comedy alive and in the moment.

Do you focus a lot on gay humor? Do you feel pressure to use more gay humor in your special for LOGO than you would normally?

I try not to focus too much on gay humor but to talk about things that are funny and important to me and refect my point of view and personality. Since I am gay, and have always been, the gay part of it should come across without me trying to hard. So whether im talking about politics, my life, my experiences in the corporate world or dating and relationships the gay part of it will come through. SO the short answer is that I usually dont pressurize myself to use mor gay material but to let the humor flow naturally and authentically.

How did you guys get together? Were you all friends who've performed together before or were cast for the LOGO special?

We were cast by LOGO for the special. But I have performed before with Trevor and Elvira for the Ha!ifax Comedy Festival in Canada and have had Jackie perform in one of my headliner shows at Gotham Comedy Club. So I do personally know all of them.

Let's say I have $25 dollars and I live in the District. What should I do with it?

Spend it to come see "One Night Stand Up"....you will have the best evening and remember it for a long time.