After having had success on the French and English scene in Montreal in the early 2000s, Montrealer Daniel Tirado moved to New York in 2010. He told Press how fascinating the humorous scene is in Manhattan. Even if the competition is fierce there, he does not intend to return to Quebec …
Born to a Polish mother and a Peruvian father, Daniel Tirado grew up in Montreal. After studying English literature at McGill and acting classes in New York from 2000 to 2003, this polyglot (he speaks French, English, Spanish and Polish) returned to Montreal to focus on stand-up.
He did his apprenticeship as a monologue in bars, especially on the stage of ComedyWorks. He took part in filming and commercials. He did radio and was selected for Just for Laughs, Grand Rire and Just for Laughs galas.
But at 31, in 2010, Daniel Tirado returned to New York. “New York is Mecca for all artists,” he said in a telephone interview. I knew that to deepen my material of stand-up, I had to come here. It’s really another level. Comedians are incredible. So at first it was horrible for me! Still I knew I wouldn’t go back [à Montréal]. You just have to hang on. ”
The transplant was not easy for him in New York, even though he speaks perfect English. But today, five years after his arrival, Daniel Tirado performs every week (even outside of Manhattan) and makes comedy clubs famous as Gotham, Carolinas, New York, Broadway or Dangerfield’s.
“It’s not that important to play in big venues,” he says. It’s prestigious, but it’s in small rooms that you get to test your equipment. Moreover, the industry is no longer looking for talent in comedy clubs. She mostly goes to holes, very popular bars. “
Badly paid work
These places are very popular, but not very profitable for the comedians who come to cut their teeth there. “You hardly earn anything in these bars,” says Daniel Tirado. It’s like going to the gym. You go there to train, train and train. Otherwise, there are comedy clubs who pay you $ 25 from Sunday to Thursday. Friday and Saturday, it’s $ 75 to $ 85. ”
Not much when you consider that moving to New York cost him $ 20,000 for his first 10 months. To live, Daniel Tirado relies on the salary of his wife (who works for an international organization) and on the shows he does in companies and schools.
“You can get $ 1,500 for a college show and $ 1,000 to $ 2,000 for a business,” he says. The comedy clubs, if you make three appearances on Friday and three on Saturday, that still gives you six times $ 85, four times a month. So we can get by, even if the cost of living is high. With a young child, it’s still quite a challenge. ”
Sept shows the same evening!
To get by, you have to work hard, says Daniel Tirado. Most of the time, the comedian makes a lot of appearances in many rooms during the same evening.
“I once made seven shows 15 to 20 minutes the same night, he says. In New York there are so many places to play. I have already played 50 times in a month, last year! It would be impossible in Montreal, Toronto or even Los Angeles. You have to play a lot to improve yourself, make friendships and make contacts. It’s very important to get out of your bubble. ”
Tirado comes out of his bubble so much that he doesn’t rule out any market. He has just returned from Haiti where he went to play for the third time in less than a year. He adds that you still have to find the right dosage. Too much play affects the quality. “When you go on stage, it must be worth something,” he said.
In the long term, Daniel Tirado is aiming for a return to the film industry, like all comedy artists in the United States, he says. “I would like to get to work as an actor and a comedian at the same time. I see it coming, but you have to be patient. We must avoid comparing ourselves to others. Everyone has their own path. There are some comedians in New York who I consider to be the strongest in the business and yet they are not known. Fame is not important, it’s the level of work that interests me. ”
Quebec comedians should they keep an eye on the south, according to him? “There is room for everyone,” he says. Especially if you work hard and have talent. At some point, everyone has a chance. You just have to hang on, because it’s very easy to drop everything. ”
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