Alonzo Bodden
Alonzo Bodden
Even before appearing on NBC'S 'Last Comic Standing', Alonzo Bodden knew there was nothing, absolutely nothing that would ever make him give up comedy. "That's the drug", he says "when they laugh it's like I'm a jazz musician and they hear it, and they get it. It's power to take the crowd wherever I want them to go. I love it when they laugh, especially when they relate through laughter. It's a beautiful thing. It also means I'm going to get paid, which is nice."
Bodden didn't always make his living as a stand up comic. A graduate of Aviation High School, for 9 years he earned a paycheck as a jet mechanic for Lockheed and McDonnell Douglas. While comics around the country were making audiences laugh at airline jokes, Bodden was working on the top secret Stealth Bomber. It was during a stint as trainer that Alonzo discovered his ability to entertain a group of people. I was teaching airplane mechanics when I realized it was more fun to make them laugh, Bodden explains, I was laid off one more time and I never looked back, although it was nice to have a steady paycheck and benefits. He enrolled in a comedy class and the rest as they say, is comedy history.
Alonzo has always appreciated the benefits of doing stand up comedy, one of which is having fun on stage. He recalls one of his favorite experiences, I was working at the Brea Improv and in the middle of my set, a guy had a seizure. After the paramedics carted him off, I went up there, did 10 killer minutes on seizures and then got back to my set and the show kept rolling. It was great.
Bodden has ventured off the stage to have fun with his many roles on television and in film. He was the security guard, bouncer, crook, and/or a cop in 'Bringin Down the House', 'The Girl Next Door', 'Angel', and 'Grounded For Life', to name a few. Alonzo won the Season 3 grand prize on NBC's 'Last Comic Standing' after placing as runner-up on Season 2.
Alonzo describes his material as cynically good natured in an angry suburban Negro kind of way. While he strongly believes that all young comics should study Bill Cosby, he freely admits that his mom is the funniest person he knows. When his family and friends attend his shows he loves and appreciates it.
One of the great things about Bodden's career is that he can make you laugh and fix your Learjet. One day Alonzo hopes to have his own Learjet.
We are a 16+ venue with valid identification.
Instead of a drink minimum, we have a two-item per person minimum in the Showroom, which can be fulfilled with any food or drink items from the menu.
- General Admission seating is assigned on a first-come, first-sat basis as you enter the showroom. The earlier you arrive, the better your seats will be.
- Reserved seats are assigned for you by management on the night of the show. They are the best seats available for your party size at the time they are assigned.
Please Note: We do not take seating requests and cannot guarantee seats in a specific location.
- While we cannot guarantee seats together, General admission groups should arrive at least 45 minutes before showtime and enter the showroom as a group for the best chance of being seated together.
- Reserved groups who purchase tickets in a single order will automatically be assigned seating together. Reserved ticket holders who purchase separately are not guaranteed seating together. Please see your email confirmation for details if your group purchased separately.
Please Note: We will only seat complete groups. Your group must enter the showroom together to be seated together. In addition, we do not take seating requests and cannot guarantee you seats in a specific location.
All sales are final. We do not offer refunds or exchanges.
Yes. Call our box office for more information. We encourage all patrons who have a disability to reach out to us to make accommodations.
Ticket protection is insurance that allows you to cancel your order to receive a venue credit toward a future event. It can be added to most orders at the time of purchase but cannot be added after the order has been placed.
To redeem your Ticket Protection and receive a venue credit toward a future event, please send an email to protection@heliumcomedy.com with your order number no less than 24 hours before showtime.
Please Note: Cancelation requests received via phone, chat, or less than 24 hours before showtime will not be accepted.
A regular panel member on NPR’s Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me, Alonzo Bodden has been making audiences around the country laugh for close to 30 years. Alonzo starred in his fourth stand-up special, Heavy Lightweight, which premiered exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. His first big comedy break came when he was on the “New Faces of Comedy” showcase at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, but it was as the season three winner of NBCʼs Last Comic Standing, where Alonzo was first introduced to America. Since then, he has starred in two comedy specials for Showtime: Historically Incorrect and Who’s Paying Attention. He’s also made appearances on CBS’ Ghosts, ABC’s Dr. Ken and Fresh Off the Boat and Californication. Movie credits include Bringing Down The House, Scary Movie 4 and The Onion Movie Talk shows, Dr. Phil, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central's The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. A car and motorcycle aficionado, Bodden hosted Speed Channel’s 101 Cars You Must Drive and has joined Jay Leno for several off-road trips on his CNBC series Leno’s Garage. He was also a field correspondent on Animal Nation with Anthony Anderson, and a contributor on the Science Channel’s How to Build Everything. Alonzo released his fifth comedy CD titled Man Overboard. Alonzo has been performing on Jazz Cruises and hosted the Capital Jazz Festival. His comedy riffs have been compared to jazz solos by some the greatest jazz artists from Marcus Miller to Robert Glasper to Dee Dee Bridgewater.
Management reserves the right to prevent customers from entering the facility who they deem disruptive or dangerous to other patrons.
We are a 16+ venue with valid identification.
Instead of a drink minimum, we have a two-item per person minimum in the Showroom, which can be fulfilled with any food or drink items from the menu.
- General Admission seating is assigned on a first-come, first-sat basis as you enter the showroom. The earlier you arrive, the better your seats will be.
- Reserved seats are assigned for you by management on the night of the show. They are the best seats available for your party size at the time they are assigned.
Please Note: We do not take seating requests and cannot guarantee seats in a specific location.
- While we cannot guarantee seats together, General admission groups should arrive at least 45 minutes before showtime and enter the showroom as a group for the best chance of being seated together.
- Reserved groups who purchase tickets in a single order will automatically be assigned seating together. Reserved ticket holders who purchase separately are not guaranteed seating together. Please see your email confirmation for details if your group purchased separately.
Please Note: We will only seat complete groups. Your group must enter the showroom together to be seated together. In addition, we do not take seating requests and cannot guarantee you seats in a specific location.
All sales are final. We do not offer refunds or exchanges.
Yes. Call our box office for more information. We encourage all patrons who have a disability to reach out to us to make accommodations.
Ticket protection is insurance that allows you to cancel your order to receive a venue credit toward a future event. It can be added to most orders at the time of purchase but cannot be added after the order has been placed.
To redeem your Ticket Protection and receive a venue credit toward a future event, please send an email to protection@heliumcomedy.com with your order number no less than 24 hours before showtime.
Please Note: Cancelation requests received via phone, chat, or less than 24 hours before showtime will not be accepted.
Even before appearing on NBC'S 'Last Comic Standing', Alonzo Bodden knew there was nothing, absolutely nothing that would ever make him give up comedy. "That's the drug", he says "when they laugh it's like I'm a jazz musician and they hear it, and they get it. It's power to take the crowd wherever I want them to go. I love it when they laugh, especially when they relate through laughter. It's a beautiful thing. It also means I'm going to get paid, which is nice."
Bodden didn't always make his living as a stand up comic. A graduate of Aviation High School, for 9 years he earned a paycheck as a jet mechanic for Lockheed and McDonnell Douglas. While comics around the country were making audiences laugh at airline jokes, Bodden was working on the top secret Stealth Bomber. It was during a stint as trainer that Alonzo discovered his ability to entertain a group of people. I was teaching airplane mechanics when I realized it was more fun to make them laugh, Bodden explains, I was laid off one more time and I never looked back, although it was nice to have a steady paycheck and benefits. He enrolled in a comedy class and the rest as they say, is comedy history.
Alonzo has always appreciated the benefits of doing stand up comedy, one of which is having fun on stage. He recalls one of his favorite experiences, I was working at the Brea Improv and in the middle of my set, a guy had a seizure. After the paramedics carted him off, I went up there, did 10 killer minutes on seizures and then got back to my set and the show kept rolling. It was great.
Bodden has ventured off the stage to have fun with his many roles on television and in film. He was the security guard, bouncer, crook, and/or a cop in 'Bringin Down the House', 'The Girl Next Door', 'Angel', and 'Grounded For Life', to name a few. Alonzo won the Season 3 grand prize on NBC's 'Last Comic Standing' after placing as runner-up on Season 2.
Alonzo describes his material as cynically good natured in an angry suburban Negro kind of way. While he strongly believes that all young comics should study Bill Cosby, he freely admits that his mom is the funniest person he knows. When his family and friends attend his shows he loves and appreciates it.
One of the great things about Bodden's career is that he can make you laugh and fix your Learjet. One day Alonzo hopes to have his own Learjet.