Salt Lake City, Utah Clean Stand-up Comedy and Funny Keynote Speaker
Clean Corporate Stand-up Comedian Shaun Eli is great
for corporate and charity events and for shows for houses of worship.
About me
Hello Utah. I’m clean stand-up comedian Shaun Eli. I’ve headlined clean comedy shows on six continents. I’ve been profiled in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Christian Science Monitor and the Asbury Park Press. In college papers like The Yale Daily News and The Daily Pennsylvanian. Quoted in Reader’s Digest, The New York Post, Reform Judaism magazine and Healthcare Finance News. I’ve written articles on comedy for NJ Lawyer Magazine (I’m not a lawyer and I’ve never lived in NJ), Reader’s Digest and the Newark Star-Ledger (an op-ed about women in comedy, and no, I’m not a woman).
(Don’t let the name of this website confuse you- I don’t promote alcohol on stage. I just liked how Brain Champagne sounded)
I’m Wharton-educated and I won a national award for economic forecasting but I’m still stupid enough to make my shows affordable for your corporate event or charity fund-raising event. For a great night of clean comedy at your country club. For a show at your theatre or performing arts center. For your industry conference or law firm client event. I even have a joke praising lawyers. Who else does that?
I’ve performed in Salt Lake City, Utah. I did a show for the Jewish Federation of Utah. Yes, there is one. There’s also a Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and I have a joke about that. Why wouldn’t I? It’d be much funnier if the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame were in Salt Lake City, Utah, but it’s not. It’s in a Jewish Community Center on Long Island. Hey Utah, have you considered making a bid for the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame? I mean, just for comedic purposes. I wonder if the Saudis would outbid you. I mean, they basically bought the sport of golf, right?
So, my show for the Jewish Federation of Utah: The audience was about 90% Jewish and 10% members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and everybody had a great time. Because my comedy’s universal, and you don’t have to be Jewish to understand any jokes I may tell about being Jewish. But for non-Jewish audiences I don’t talk much about religion. Even my shows for temples and synagogues don’t have many jokes about religion, because I figure people get enough religion in a house of worship and they’re happy to have me change the subject.
I did a corporate comedy show once that went well but the guy who hired me said something like You would’ve done even better if you hadn’t talked so much about New York. I looked over my set list for the show and I saw that I had only one very brief joke about New York. Like under a minute in a thirty minute show. I realized that I did have a few jokes about being Jewish, and he conflated the two. So now I’m careful not to talk much about either topic unless it’s a Jewish or New York audience. Good New York comics, and I strive to be one, know not to talk too much about NYC when they’re not in NYC. Because if your joke is about a $3000 a month studio apartment everybody just thinks you’re an idiot- why would you pay $3000 a month for a studio apartment when out here you could buy a whole house for $2500 a month? But I do find it weird when people tell me I shouldn’t talk about being Jewish on stage when there aren’t many, or any, Jews in the audience. I mean, women talk about their husbands (and men about their wives) and only half the audience, at best, would have one of those. I don’t complain when comics talk about things I don’t have or that I’m not. I can still laugh. And none of my jokes about being Jewish are stuff non-Jews wouldn’t understand. You know what a Jewish mother is, right? It’s a Jewish woman who has at least one child.
About my shows
Yes, my shows are clean enough for religious groups. I do suggest it’s for ages 16 and up. Not because of content so much as that little kids can get bored and disruptive if they don’t understand. If a boy is 12 years old and still thinks girls are yucky he probably doesn’t want to listen to a grown-up telling dating stories. That said, I recently did a show for Chabad (an Orthodox Jewish organization) and the rabbi’s little kids were in attendance. They were well-behaved, and laughed at jokes they clearly didn’t understand.
This is what the rabbi said afterwards: “I highly recommend comedian Shaun Eli. He performed for our Chanukah event and his original comedy was terrific. He had great jokes about family, his hair, optimism, Israeli banks, even making the iPhone Jewish. We hope to have him back again soon.” (and yes, you will still love the iPhone joke if you’re not Jewish)
I’m not Mormon, but I’m also not an idiot. I won’t show up at your event with jokes about getting drunk, or make fun of your religion. Okay, maybe one comment: “Jesus healeth the sick? I’m not impressed. My brother’s also a Jewish doctor.”
I almost never do political jokes in the U.S. although a few years ago I was opening for a right-wing humorist and thought a political joke was the best way to get started. It seemed to work.
There are also more comedy videos on the home page of this website.
I can also write custom material for your group, although it’s really not necessary in order to have a great time at the show.
Will I make fun of your CEO if you ask me to? No. I think that’s a bad idea. Unless he or she specifically asks me to, privately, I shy away from that. Very few people actually enjoy being made fun of. If he or she wants to do something so employees can better relate to him/her I can write a few quick and funny self-deprecating remarks for him/her instead.
So no, my comedy doesn’t have a message. I think it’s my job just to be funny, whether I’m doing a funny keynote speech, performing at a golf/yacht/country club, in a theatre or performing arts center, a private show, or emceeing/hosting a corporate or charity event..
If you want to see more of what I’m like on stage watch my stand-up comedy videos.
FAQ for stand-up comedy in Utah
Is Shaun Eli’s comedy clean enough for a Latter-day Saint audience?
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Shaun Eli’s clean comedy shows are clean enough for an LDS, fundamentalist Christian or Orthodox Jewish audience. Maybe not all his jokes are, but he won’t tell the ones that aren’t. Shaun’s been doing this a long time and has no interest in annoying his audiences!
Does Shaun Eli tell jokes about alcohol or religion?
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Shaun Eli has one joke that references drinking, that he wouldn’t tell to an audience that doesn’t drink. He’s not an idiot. As far as jokes on religion, his jokes aren’t disrespectful, they just involve aspects of his religion (Shaun’s Jewish).
Has Shaun Eli performed in Utah?
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Shaun Eli performed for the Jewish Federation of Utah in Salt Lake City, where the audience was probably 10% LDS.
What does it cost to bring a comedian from New York to Utah?
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Bringing Shaun Eli to Utah from New York is less expensive than you think, because Shaun Eli likes to travel and he’s happy to perform for as many audiences as he can. He travels all over the world to perform.
Is Shaun Eli’s show appropriate for families and teenagers?
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Shaun Eli’s comedy shows are appropriate for 16 and up audiences. Not really for younger simply because the younger children won’t really understand or appreciate the jokes.
More FAQs about hiring a comedian
Mistakes event planners make when hiring a comedian
Highlights
- Profiled in The New York Times
- Wrote jokes for opening monologues of three late-night talk show hosts for almost 20 years
- Jay Leno cited one of Shaun’s jokes as the type of smart comedy he liked to include in his opening monologue (Fortune magazine interview)
- Performed on Netflix and Amazon
- Wharton-educated, with a master’s degree in positive psychology
- Tours with Armed Forces Entertainment
- Headlined shows on six continents (so far- if you can book me for Antarctica, please do!)
Executive Summary
Clean corporate stand-up comedian Shaun Eli has headlined shows on six continents. He’s been profiled in major publications like The New York Times and the Christian Science Monitor. Yes, his shows are clean enough for religious groups, and way funnier than you’d expect. He’s a great choice for your event!
Related Links
Biography of clean comedian Shaun Eli
Stand-up comedy and stand-up comedians for charity fundraising events
Stand-up comedians and stand-up comedy shows for churches and other houses of worship
Stand-up comedians for senior citizens and 55+ communities
How to get started?
I’m happy to answer your questions. Really. That’s a great way to learn more about clients and potential clients. Email Shaun (at) Brain Champagne dot com, or call or text me at (914) it’s-funny (914) 487-3866.