We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Orly K.g.. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Orly below.

Alright, Orly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I truly don’t know if it was the start of a midlife crisis or the fact that I was about to be an empty nester — but today, this former TV News Reporter and award-winning PR firm owner is now a full-time comedian. Like, a write-jokes-and-perform-said-jokes-on-stage-in-front-of-people comedian.
If someone told me 10 years ago that I’d be spending up to three nights a week at open mics, producing paid comedy gigs and selling out venues, I would have told them that they were crazy, but nicely. You’re so crazy — and we should totally hang out!
But here I am. A wife and mother of two kids discussing funny aspects of marriage, parenting and my aging boobs. And I do it on a stage. And, my kids are surprisingly not horrified.
Stand-up comedy is fulfilling a creative and entrepreneurial void in me that I didn’t even know I was missing. For years, I’ve seen myself as a totally fulfilled wife/mom/career woman. Or, so I thought.
Looking back at my time as a young working mom, I realize now that the first few years were spent in a fog — random sleep, new routines, and endless doubting of myself if I did something wrong. I was in such a fog that I seriously convinced myself that eating cold mac and cheese — from a dried out pot — was a proper meal. It’s OK, I’m sitting down. I have a paper towel as a napkin. It’s Michelin Star-worthy dining, right?!
Those first few years of parenting I orbited my children’s, husband’s, house’s and employer’s needs, not mine.
Then when the kids went to elementary school full-time, it ‘felt’ easier. In reality, it was less fog and more Mission Impossible. There were endless calendars to juggle, after-school and weekend activities, the house was messy, there were house projects and work got harder. Everyone still needed me to DO things for them. Again, orbiting everyone else’s needs, not mine. For all the parents out there breaking their backs to make the holidays feel like “It’s a Wonderful Life” when it truly feels like “Die Hard”, I feel you!
Then I hit my mid-40s and my business was more steady and less daily stress. And my kids suddenly became teenagers. Everyone needing me/mom/business bitch on a daily basis stopped practically overnight.
It was my kids’ adulting that hit me the hardest. These newly independent beings developed a social circle that they now controlled — Mom, if you call it a playdate again I’m canceling you. They relished the fact that they could feed themselves and cook (so much better than me). They took more responsibility for completing schoolwork, dressing themselves and needing their independence. They went from saying “Mom, how did scientists make an atom bomb?” to “Mom, you don’t know anything.” WHAT? You used to think I was atom-bomb-making smart!? What happened?
No one told me that mommying/working/wifeing would take a drastic turn one day and I would be left saying ‘OK… I do something for myself… now? How do I do that? Is that even allowed?’
So, here I was. August 2021. I was out without kids and with actual adult friends, our kids out with their non-adult ones, and I came across a flyer for a stand-up comedy class at the famed Lincoln Lodge in Chicago.
I thought, sure, I’ll spend four-weeks writing jokes, performing them and be done with it. But instead, I found a brand-new outlet to express myself in a way that really made me happy. ME. HAPPY. Not my kids. Or my clients. Or my husband. ME. I feel so naughty! I spoke words and people listened (teenagers, BTW, don’t really listen, so I get very very excited when I’m listened to). And, to boot, people LOVED it. The smiles and laughs filled a void in me I didn’t even know was there.
As far as transitioning from corporate mom to now funny mom, my husband thinks this comedy endeavor is great and my kids only think I’m a little nuts. But I do think each appreciates that I can be me without always having to be ‘mom’ or ‘boss.’
Navigating the comedy show business world is an adventure in itself. What I do is deliver the funny – but it is still a business. Venues have to be communicated with… attendees have to be happy… and I have to pay my comics and my bills.
All of my years of corporate grind has helped me think about each show as a ‘client’ – what does this venue need, who is attending this show and what comic will ‘speak’ to this audience.’ There is also marketing, PR, billing, all of it.
My advice to anyone seeing a full-time role in the arts is to spend time thinking of it as an actual business. If your brain doesn’t work that way, find others whose brains DO work that way and collaborate. I’m grateful that I’ve found a group of seriously hilarious Chicago comedy moms that I can book for shows as well as lean on for artistic questions. Together, these mommas and I are now booking venues across the country — offering our Bad Momz of Comedy group for theaters, comedy clubs, community events and fundraisers. And, as they say in the comedy biz, we’re killing it.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

About Orly KG (me*): As seen in The Chicago Tribune, on WLS Radio, WGN-CBS-and NBC Chicago News, and nationally on NBC’s The Kelly Clarkson Show, Orly K.G. continues to hustle her way into the comedy scene with her antics about marriage, shame-eating, and her decaying body. She’s appeared at Chicago’s Second City, Zanies Chicago, Rosemont and Nashville, Laugh Factory, Comedy Bar, Red Room Comedy, The Lincoln Lodge, Annoyance Theater, private events, and more. This Jewish mom is funny — but PLEASE do not call her Mrs. Maisel. Oy! www.chicagocomedyworks.com
@orlykgcomedy on all socials

*In addition to comedy, I also run a full-time public relations firm, have two kids, and try not to eat bread all the time.

About Bad Momz of Comedy: Bad Momz of Comedy is selling out comedy venues, theaters, and public/private events across the country — making moms and the people who love moms LAUGH. Led by comic Orly K.G., this group of seriously hilarious comics has performed at Zanies Nashville, Chicago & Rosemont; ComedyPlex, City Winery, Theater on the Lake, Sandwich Opera House, private events, fundraisers, and more. With a roster of 80+ funny female comics for us to choose from for each performance, all Bad Momz of Comedy shows are unique.
@badmomzofcomedy on all socials

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

If you can bring people together instead of dividing them, we will be better off as humans. It sounds altruistic – but it’s true.
Everytime I perform I get to see different people sitting together – people that are different colors, genders, religions, voting preferences – and they are all laughing. They all agree.The laughter is making them more relaxed, more at ease, and more happy.
I feel like we are so torn apart as humans, as neighbors, as citizens. If we can just show for a few minutes that we actually have more in common than less in common, this will get us on the right track to seeing each other as people and not obstacles.

In addition, female comics are constantly passed over for comedy gigs. These women have TALENT yet so many producers will only put 1 woman on a comedy line-up (which is crazy to me especially since half of their evening audience is female). I wanted to elevate women in comedy and show that it can be done successfully, with packed rooms and decent comedy pay for these hard working talented women.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

A good artist makes their craft look effortless, but sometimes non-creatives don’t realize that it takes a ton of effort to make it look so effortless.

That beautiful paint stroke took years to perfect.
That funny joke took months to work out.
That insightful novel was like giving birth. To an elephant.

We give ‘atta boys/atta girls to our kids and co-workers all of the time.

Please take a few minutes (seconds, really) to give those praises to artists working so hard behind the scenes to make something beautiful, interesting, and hilarious. These artists are sharing their hard work, baring their souls, and enduring sleepless nights for your enjoyment. Show them it’s appreciated and valued.

How can you thank/praise them? Follow artists you like on social media, positively comment on their posts, buy tickets to their shows, tell your friends and family about them. If an artist brings you joy — spread the word.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://badmomzofcomedy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badmomzofcomedy – https://www.instagram.com/orlykgcomedy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/badmomzofcomedy – https://www.facebook.com/orlykgcomedy

Image Credits

N/A