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The longtime comedian who has performed with numerous "greats," among them Jerry Stiller and Briarcliff Manor resident Robert Klein, as well as at a host of well-known venues, including the Tarrytown Music Hall, New Jersey Performing Arts Center and the 2015 White House Correspondents Dinner on MSNBC, is also big on sharing his craft.
He not only offers his services as a "unique bar mitzvah gift," but he hosts a series of workshops throughout the area.
Jon Stewart, in fact, was one of Blakeman's first students back in 1987. Caroline Rhea, from "Sabrina,' was also in his class. Most recently, he coached 15-year-old Tarrytown resident Simon Cadel (previous Daily Voice story here) who is starring in the new sitcom "The Wonderful Wayneys."
Blakeman's White Plains workshop starts Oct. 6 for six Tuesdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. complete with a class show following the workshop at Comic Strip Live in Manhattan.
The class, he stressed, is "for anyone who wants to use comedy in their personal and professional lives, whether or not they have dreams of comedic stardom."
"I think you can teach people to find the funny within themselves," said Blakeman. "That doesn't mean that everyone can be a comedian, but most people have funny things to say without even realizing it."
Blakeman said he's constantly changing his material depending on what's going on in the news, and always incorporates topical and political material in his act. As an original member of New York's political comedy show "Laughing Liberally", Blakeman sees a treasure trove of material to be mined from the 2016 Presidential primary campaign.
He also gets inspiration from Westchester. "I always come up with a lot of local material," he said. "I read the Daily Voice every day, and I love how their breaking news alerts let me know when the next thunderstorm is headed to Scarsdale."
Go to www.scottblakeman.com/ for more information on his shows and workshops. And be sure to mark Dec. 5 on your calendar when he will perform with his student, Cadel, at Rockwell's in Pelham.
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