Don Barnhart has been headlining the top comedy clubs in Las Vegas for years and in 2010 he received the “Bob Hope Award” for his continued service entertaining the troops stationed overseas while in 2007 he won the Grand Prize in The American Idol Underground Comedy Contest. He’s a favorite headliner at the top comedy clubs, cruise ships and colleges across the country and this marks the beginning of his own showroom in Las Vegas.
Don was nominated 3 years in a row as “Best Comedian” – LVRJ Readers Poll and has been seen/heard/featured on: MTV, Comedy Central, ABC, CBS, FOX NBC, The Bob & Tom Show, XM/Sirius Satellite Radio and more. While other comics are busy knocking on doors asking for work, award-winning comedian Don Barnhart is making his own opportunities and creating work for himself and fellow comedians large and small. From producing and performing comedy shows for the troops around the world to headlining the top comedy clubs across the country, Barnhart is thrilled to be starring in his own show nightly in Las Vegas, NV. When asked is there too much comedy in Vegas, Barnhart responded, “There is never enough comedy anywhere” and he has published several articles on the popularity and growing number of comedy clubs during this and every recession. Don added, “People need to laugh as it’s a stress reducer. Comedy shows are one of the least expensive shows to produce and provides some of the best bang for your buck. You can go to a comedy film and might laugh a handful of times but at a stand-up comedy show, you’ll laugh the entire evening and leave holding your face and stomach because they actually aches from laughing so hard.”
Don Barnhart is truly one of the top comedians working today. You may not know him by name but you’ll recognize his face as you’ve seen him on TV and film as well as headlining the top comedy clubs in Las Vegas for years. He is also a favorite at the top comedy clubs across the country and cruise ships around the world as he combines clever, thought provoking material and delivers it with an animated enthusiasm keeping audiences of all ages howling with laugher and coming back for more. Barnhart has been performing and producing comedy shows for the troops around the world since his first USO tour back in 1992. He’s been everywhere from Bosnia to Afghanistan. “When you reach a certain level of success, if you don’t share it, then it dies with you,” says Barnhart. “I think we all have a duty to give back. I’m blessed to be able to make a living doing what I love and I consider both an honor and a privilege to entertain our men and women serving in the military. Don is kinda like the water boy on the Super Bowl team”.
Barnhart got his start in comedy as house emcee, manager and talent coordinator at The Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, CA. It was during the comedy boom of the 80’s that Barnhart opened for, learned from, worked with and forged friendships with today’s comedy legends: Seinfeld, Leno, Jim Carey, Louis Black, Drew Carey, Tim Allen, Harry Anderson, Tom Hanks, George Wallace, Louie Anderson, David Spade, Dana Carvey, Dennis Miller and more. Leno’s advice to Barnhart, “You wanna be great? Go on the road”. And Don did. He left the security and lucrative job to pursue comedy full time and since 1987, Don averages 250 days year on the road and he’s never looked back. Entertainment Business Journal named him one of the, “Top 100 comedians to see” three years in a row and audiences say, “Barnhart has the wit and insight of George Carlin with the energy, delivery and characters of Robin Williams”. The NY Times wrote, “Hilarious”. The LA Times called Don, “One of the best” and Howard Stern said, “That guy is funny”.
Don Barnhart just shot his new comedy special, “I’m Not Just Eye Candy” now available on DVD and he’s been seen, heard and featured on numerous TV, Radio and Film projects: ABC, CBS, MTV, FOX, NBC, ABC Morning Show, Good Day Sacramento, Good Morning Northwest, Star Search, Evening At The Improv, Comedy Central, Ocean’s 13, Lunar Madness, In The Army Now, Apollo 13, The Ice House 50th Anniversary DVD, The Bob & Tom Show, XM/Sirius Satellite Radio and more. As if this were not enough to keep Barnhart busy, Don is also an accomplished filmmaker, television producer, published author and director. The Freedom of Speech Comedy Series, which Don produced, hosted and directed aired on cable and is now available on Amazon along with his 2 CD’s and comedy DVDS. Don’s company also produced the Ice House Comedy Club’s 50 Anniversary DVD.
Mr. Barnhart was selected to showcase and present his show at The Montreal Comedy Festival in 2008 and that same year Don released China Dolls, his first feature film that he wrote, directed and starred in. The indie action thriller helped Barnhart to increase his ever growing fan base and the film got great audience reviews. Don used the power of social networking and huge web presence on Facebook and Twitter to self-distribute the project and to build its core audience. Barnhart just completed writing the new comedy film, Freeloader. “It’s the story of a returning Vet who ends up homeless in Las Vegas and uses comedy to find his way back. I always try to use comedy as a way to shine light on current social issues and this is a sort of a modern day Robin Hood Story”, added Don. The film is already in pre-production and will begin filming later this year with Barnhart directing and starring in the comedy.
Don Barnhart is also a published author with numerous articles on comedy as well as a contributing writer on the book: I Killed: True Stories of the Road from America’s Top Comedians. Barnhart is a Second City Conservatory Graduate as well as Certified Hypnotist who in his free time does a separate Improv as well as Comedy Hypnosis Show. Don and his producing partner and wife Linda Vu continue to produce comedy shows for the troops around the world and their company, Don Barnhart Entertainment.
When Barnhart isn’t making them laugh onstage, he performs a comedy hypnosis show and is a certified hypnotherapist as well as teaching the art of stand up and improv sharing his vast knowledge of the comedy business helping craft the next generation of young comedians.
