See How a Breakout Comic Uses Dance to Make Us Laugh A funny walk can go a long way in comedy. The stand-up Chris Fleming has elevated his to an art form; specifically, he has turned it into dance. “My leg brain will take over,” he said. “If I’m in front of an audience and I’m struggling, my legs know how to get a laugh.” Fleming, 39, whose first HBO special, “Chris Fleming: Live at the Palace,” arrives Friday, cuts a different figure from just about anybody else in the comedy world. Partly this is because of his fashion sense: blindingly bright jazz shoes, plumage as an accessory and jewel-toned flares, which accentuate his lanky frame. But mostly it is because he marries the idiosyncrasies of his writing — one bit has him pretending to be a dirty cast-iron skillet — with a delivery that leans heavily on his training in classic modern dance. He is probably the only working funnyman who cites Isadora Duncan as an influence. “Chris is one of the most exciting comedians to watch right now,” said Mike Birbiglia, the veteran comic who has hosted Fleming on his podcast. (Conan O’Brien, another fan, produced his special.) Fleming’s physicality and style are “so deeply himself” and original, Birbiglia said via email. “Plus his material is very uncensored. He’s like Kathy Griffin meets Lenny Bruce meets Cirque du Soleil.”#conan_obrien #hbo #chris_fleming #mike_birbiglia #cirque_du_soleil
