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There's More To NJ Than Congestion, Says Local Comic Bringing Standup To 'AGT'

Award-winning broadcaster, international comedian, and Garden State native Maureen Langan is bringing her standup skills to America’s Got Talent next week.

Maureen Langan

Maureen Langan

Photo Credit: Courtesy of NBC

Langan, who grew up in Lake Hiawatha, found her spot on the comedy stage after more than seven years at Bloomberg broadcasting all sorts of commentary, celebrity interviews, satirical world news, and person-on-the-street interviews.

She lives in Manhattan and says the Garden State holds a special place in her heart.

“I love Jersey. I think it’s so diverse, and people have no idea, they just see the congestion of traffic by the Lincoln Tunnel or the Newark Airport and they don’t know anything about Spring Lake or the Delaware River Gap,” Langan said during a phone call with Daily Voice.

She does, perhaps, have one small grievance about her Lake Hiawatha hometown.

“I do think it’s kinda sad that I grew up in a town called Lake Hiawatha and there is no lake; I think that’s hurtful advertising on their part,” Langan joked.

Finishing up a string of tour dates in the Balkans, Langan also hosts a weekly talk show on WBAI 99.5 radio in New York City called Don’t Make Me Hate You, which she says “highlights badass women and the issues that affect all of us, from the serious to the seriously funny.” 

She sees her participation in America’s Got Talent not as part of a competition but as a showcase, she said: "A wonderful opportunity to perform in front of millions of people,” she said. “It’s surreal, really — it’s quite surreal.”

Langan attributes her comedy stylings to her Irish mother and South Bronx father — and thanks them for it. Just check out the name of her critically-acclaimed solo show: Daughter of a Garbageman.

“My mother is from Ireland, and in traditional Irish fashion, there’s always this thing, ‘don’t make a show of yourself, ‘don’t bring attention to yourself,” Langan said. “I just think it’s ironic that I make a show of myself for a living; I think that’s really funny. And my father, from the South Bronx. That’s where I get my sense of humor. Just giving them a shout-out — the immigrant and the garbageman.”

Despite her hectic schedule, Langan finds time to care for senior rescue dogs. She’s currently caring for Frosty, aka "Frosty The Snow Dog," a 15-year-old rescue pup with cataracts who recently had a tumor removed.

“I like the senior dogs, I’ve been taking them in,” she said. “You give them a good life until the end. You bring them home to give them a little bit of a party before you have to say goodbye.”

Why does Langan do it? She’s got a rock-solid argument paired with an indisputable piece of evidence to back it up.

“You can probably guess it, but I’m a really good person, and this is how I know,” she says. “My friend, she said that she and her husband agree that I’m a good person, which means they sat down to discuss whether or not I’m a good person, so people have sat around a table and have hashed it out.”

Though she’s since gone international, Langan is forever thankful for her Garden State roots.

“I’m just proud of having grown up in Lake Hiawatha,” she said. “People work really hard and often, I don’t think, get the full respect they deserve, the people there.”

Looking forward to Langan’s AGT appearance? We are, too! Watch it on NBC on Tuesday, June 20 at 8 p.m., and follow her on Facebook for more updates.

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