Katie Goes to Hollywood
November 15, 2013
Posted By: Bozemama
When my fellow blogger Bunnyfufu and I learned that our pal Katie Goodman (she of Broad Comedy fame) was heading to Hollywood to pitch a TV show to all the big comedy guns in La La Land, we practically peed ourselves with excitement. Like little Chihuahuas.
Just for fun, we imagined crazy surreal scenarios that could only happen in Hollyweird to someone like our local-girl-made-good Katie: Maybe George Clooney would pick her up from the airport in a stretch Harley limo and drop her off at Chelsea Handler’s for a vodka-fueled fun-fest. Or . . . what if she got snatched by Tom Cruise and his fellow Scientologists for medical “experiments?”
We just had to know – everything. Especially considering that Katie along with her husband and co-writer, Soren Kisiel, and their 10-year-old son have been living in Brooklyn for the past couple of years. And so, as soon as I heard that Katie was back on Bozeman soil for her upcoming Broad Comedy show (next Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Emerson) I asked her to meet me for some coffee and confab ASAP.
First things first: Katie looks fabulous and is her same old sassy self. No signs of scary Nicole Kidman Botox, random implants or Scientological probing of any kind. Phew. What a relief. And, although she did spot Alan Arkin and mention Lily Tomlin, Katie is way more focused on how surreal it was to juggle her mom duties while meeting with producers and studio executives than on anything else. “It was crazy! There was our son and our producer’s kid sitting in the lobby of a major Hollywood studio with their ipads while we’re in these big meetings.”
The producer that Katie refers to is from Glass Elevator, a “creative incubator” that decided to partner with Katie and Soren after seeing and loving their hilarious “ Shit Park Slope Parents Say ” video. Their first collaborative project was the " Benchwarmer " web series, which Bozemanites will recognize as a slickly-produced video compilation of some of Broad Comedy’s hilarious park bench skits and which also stars fellow Broads Cara Wilder, Maggie Garver and Erin Roberg.
After Benchwarmers , the producers decided to focus on developing a treatment for a Katie-Soren TV show. The only time Katie gets even remotely Showbizzy during our chat is when I ask her to tell me about the show’s concept. “I’m not allowed to,” she says in that kind of hush-hush-I-can-say-no-more-and-name-no-names tone that makes me wish I were wearing dark sunglasses indoors. So, then we just talk about the meetings and how enthusiastic the studio people are about the show. “They were, like, ‘You’re so funny and we’re so glad you’re here. We sat down last night and watched all your stuff and loved it,” Katie recalls. “It was so validating.” Katie’s pretty sure that they will be asked to “tweak” the treatment, but she’s OK with that. “Our goal going there was to learn how to do this and now they know us! It was like a Cotillion!”
But I can tell that the thing Katie most wants to talk about today is the upcoming all-new Broads show. Fresh off a daylong rehearsal, she’s tired but wired from being back with her beloved co-stars, who include the three Benchwarmers and local radio personality Missy O’Malley. “I miss them so much when I’m performing solo,” she says. “I miss rehearsal with them!” Anyone who’s seen a Broad Comedy show can only imagine how much ridiculous fun these gals must get into with the brilliant Soren directing them.
This weekend’s show includes some new videos, musical numbers and a few solo numbers for Katie. After 14 years of Broad Comedy, Katie and her lefty gang are still coming up with new ways to tackle politics, global warming and women’s issues – the things that really matter to Katie. “These can be dark times,” she says, “If I didn’t do comedy, I’d frickin’ lose my mind.” Thankfully, for us, she does.
Kisses,
Bozemama
Broad Comedy tickets, can purchased online or at Cactus Records. They are $21 in advance; $25 at the door. VIP reserved seating tickets are $35. Eighteen and older only please.
