Matt's View on Drugs:
“If you snort cocaine every single day of your life and you're still morbidly obese...you are getting ripped off.”
Matt working for the laughs at Go Bananas, Cincinnati, OH
My name in lights...on the bottom, but you've got start somewhere!
Matt performing on Breuer Unleashed, Comedy Covers Show
Matt and Joe Matarese try to understand Artie Lange's drinking on "What's So Funny?"
Matt and Joe Matarese try to comprehend the mind of Jim Norton on "What's So Funny?"
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Watch Matt's Stand-Up on Myspace.com
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MATT
AS A STAND-UP COMEDIAN
Comedy has always been a part of Matt’s presentations, but
in 2001 he started down the long road of becoming a comedian. His two greatest influences were Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Cosby, comedy legends who work clean and made everyday life seem funny. After taking a stand-up writing class, Matt began performing at open mics in Philadelphia, mainly a club called the Laff House on South Street. Although challenging, the open mic's helped Matt build his material and comfort level on stage. His success at the open mic soon brought him paid gigs at local clubs on the weekends.
In July 2002, Matt learned he had a cousin named Joe Matarese who was a nationally headlining comedian. Soon Bellace began opening for Matarese at clubs and colleges on the road. The following year Matt and his wife moved to New York City to complete their Ph.D.'s. This move proved invaluable to Matt's comedy career, as he got a chance to work at the same clubs as comedy legends like Seinfeld, Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle. This was a creatively and professionally demanding time for Bellace. He was attempting to finish his degree, but also develop skills as a comedian while continuing to speak at schools every chance he could.
The idea that Matt was becoming a "jack of all trades and master of none" was concerning to him. In 2005, he decided to work full-time on his dissertation. This allowed him to complete the project, but provided flexibility in his schedule. It was during this year that Matt and Joe Matarese co-created a television pilot called “What’s So Funny?” The show
featured a psychologist (Matt) interviewing comedians about their problems.
The demo was filmed at Carolines on Broadway and in June 2005 it was accepted to the Just For
Laughs Festival in Montreal.
The two pitched the show at the Festival's "Just For Pitching" program in front of network
executives from FOX, 20th Century Fox and the Canadian Comedy Channel. In February 2006, an episode of the show featuring comedian and Howard Stern sidekick Artie Lange was picked up by Howard TV.
Today, Matt performs regularly at clubs and colleges across the country. He was integrated so much of his material into his speaking programs that many of the jokes work in both school and comedy club settings. His stand-up can be heard regularly on both XM and Sirius Satellite Radio. Matt's credits include truTV's "The Smoking Gun Presents," Breuer Unleashed on Sirius , Howard TV, National Public Radio and The New York Times. Whether Matt is on stage at a club or performing a school, his comedy is honest, personal and consistent with his message. Click here to watch Matt's stand-up on Myspace. Brief list of the clubs and colleges where Matt has performed in the past few years:
Clubs:
Caroline's on Broadway, NYC
Stand-Up NY, NYC
The Comic Strip Live, NYC
Laugh Lounge, NYC
New York Comedy Club, NYC
The Stress Factory, New Brunswick, NJ
Catch A Rising Star, Princeton, NJ
Rascals, Cherry Hill & Montclair, NJ
City Steam, Hartford, CT
Go Bananas, Cincinnati, OH
Romona Mainstage Theater, Ramona, CA
The Brokerage, Merrick, NY
Governors Comedy Club, Levittown, NY
The Funny Bone, Pittsburgh, PA
Wisecrackers, several locations in PA
Comedy Cabaret, Cherry Hill, NJ
Laff House, Philadelphia, PA
Poconuts, Swiftwaters, PA
Colleges/ Festivals:
2005 Just For Laughs Festival, Montreal, CANADA
Rochester Institute of Tech, NY
Caldwell College, NJ
Dominican College, NY
Lehigh University, PA
Rutgers University, NJ
The College of New Jersey
Bucknell University, PA
Dickinson College, PA
Drexel University, PA
William Paterson University, NJ
Mansfield University, PA
Seton Hall University, NJ
Matt
at Rascals Comedy Club, Cherry Hill, NJ |
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