SLCene Suggests: Mary Lynn Rajskub at Wiseguys West Valley City

MARY LYNN RAJSKUB, WISEGUYS COMEDY CLUB, Friday & Saturday, Aug. 23-24, 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., $15

You’ve probably seen Mary Lynn Rajskub on TV or in a movie–she’s been a regular on 24, the newest season of Arrested Development and Mr. Show, and I’ll always remember being introduced to her thanks to the legendary Larry Sanders Show.  I had never seen her do standup comedy, though, until Thursday night at Wiseguys, where she proved just as adept at making a audience laugh–on this night, an audience of maybe 75 or 100–as she is at comedic acting. How much of a standup background Rajskub has, I have no idea, but she worked the stage like a pro, interacting with the audience, mixing physical humor with sharply worded jokes, and regaling the crowd with tales of her years waiting tables at a Hard Rock Cafe in her native Michigan, her tepid response to finding out she was pregnant, and her desire to just be “stupid hot.” On a night when a light crowd could have sucked the energy out of the room, Rajskub brought far more to the stage than you’d ever expect from her mostly understated acting roles. I’m guessing the larger weekend crowds will only make her show all the better.