Comedian Paula Poundstone On NYE Shows And The Value Of A Shared Experience

For comedian Paula Poundstone, the city of Chicago looms large.

Cutting her teeth at Chicago clubs like Zanies in the 1980s, Poundstone now functions as a regular on the weekly National Public Radio program and podcast Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!, cracking wise on the week’s headlines while maintaining an identity with NPR that now spans nearly 25 years.

Produced by WBEZ in Chicago, most episodes are recorded in the Windy City, making Poundstone a perfect fit for a pair of intimate New Year’s Eve performances this week at Chicago’s City Winery.

“It’s funny. City Winery is tables and drinks. And I really haven’t been in that setting, certainly not on New Year’s Eve, in forever,” said Poundstone during a recent phone conversation. “What used to happen years ago in clubs, was that people would get wasted. And I’m talking about in the 80s when I was young – and the audience that came to see me was younger – and it made for a challenge actually,” said the comedian. “I’ve been in theaters for years and people sort of just don’t do it that way anymore. But, now, the word ‘winery’ is right in the name. So, I don’t know!” said Poundstone with a laugh. “But I think it’ll be fine and fun. And I am indeed looking forward to it.”

Long before cell phones and YouTube would begin to upend the art of stand-up comedy, Poundstone was already working to make each performance unique, pushing her act forward while creating one of a kind experiences for both artist and fan, with the strength of her crowd work helping to set each show apart.

“The reason that no two of my shows are the same is more a function of my bad memory than anything else,” said Poundstone with a chuckle. “When I first started out, I always tried to do like exactly what I had written down. If I’m saying stuff that isn’t planned, then I don’t know where I am in terms of time. So, in the beginning, every time I strayed from what I meant to say, I would fill in with, ‘You, sir. What do you do for a living?’ Or whatever. Maybe somebody made me curious and I asked a question and the next thing I know, I don’t know where I am. But what I figured out fairly early on was that those were often the highlights of the show. So, eventually I gave myself permission to do that,” she explained. “So, I have material. I have 45 years of material rattling around in my head. And sometimes I use it in those situations,” said Poundstone. “But, probably, more often than not, I would say a fifth to a third of the show is unique only to that night. And never gets said again.”

A natural storyteller, in addition to her Wait Wait… duties, Poundstone has hosted the Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone comedy podcast since 2018 alongside NPR colleague Adam Felber, allowing her to both reach and maintain a fanbase regardless of her touring schedule.

“It’s very different from doing stand-up. For a few reasons, both pro and con,” said Poundstone. “The great thing about having an audience in front of you is that you don’t have to wait for reviews to come out. If there’s something I’m working on, I’ll think of something that day or a few minutes before I go on and just blurt it out on stage. And if it doesn’t go anywhere, then I may feel from the audience reaction that I need to bang out some dents in it. And try it again, right?” explained the comedian of her process. “But one of the delightful things about that is this: I do characters on my podcast here and there. And I really enjoy that. I would never, ever have had the nerve to do that just on stage.”

During the quarantine of early pandemic, Americans turned to stand-up comedy, with comedy specials acting as a form of escape during tumultuous times, leading to a boom period for the art form.

While her comedy continues to address the world, Poundstone is clear on the value of a shared experience.

“During the stay at home order, one of the things that we lost, that I had totally taken for granted even as a performer, is our collective responses to things. And it’s gotta be the most humanizing thing,” said the stand-up. “It’s this thing of sitting with other audience members – people that you don’t know but are presumably a part of your community more than likely. This thing of sitting with other audience members and having a shared emotional response,” said Poundstone. “There’s something about that. And the very fact that the performers and the storytellers are eliciting that response, it tells us that our experiences are similar. And I didn’t realize that was missing, and that that was a huge part of our humanity, until a while after the stay at home order had started,” she said. “And even though I’m a performer – and even though I watch people do that night after night – I never really got what it was.”

As 2024 heads toward a climactic finish, Poundstone remains hopeful as she preps for a pair of New Year’s Eve performances this week in Chicago.

“I wish I could say that with great excitement, I welcome in the new year. I cannot. But I do feel that it’s important to laugh out 2024,” she said. “I know that there are people in my audience when I go on who have never heard of Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! And there are audience members who have no idea that I did stand-up comedy and the whole night are waiting for me to answer questions about the week’s news. There’s both kinds of audience members there. And, fortunately, they get along!” said Poundstone.

“I could never not do this job. So long as people are still willing to come see me, I could never not do this job. One of the reasons is, I have no savings,” said the comedian through laughter. “The other is that I really am the luckiest person in the world. Every life has highs and lows. And it’s such a great way to work – no matter what section of your life you’re in,” said Paula Poundstone. “There’s no doubt in my mind. It is the greatest job ever. Ever.”