Stand-up comedian Carie Karavas releases first TV stand-up special

·

Greek-American Comedian Carie Karavas is off and riffing on her first TV standup special, “Men, Flaws and Menopause,” shot at The Argyle Theatre in Babylon and premiering Thursday, Jan. 23 on the streaming service Crackle. She gets her licks in with Ikea, Home Depot and taking care of hundred-year-old relatives as well.

“David Ozer heard about me,” Karavas, 54, says of the CEO of Crackle’s sister company, the production house Landmark Studio Group, “and somehow we got in touch with each other and he came to The Brokerage [comedy club in Bellmore] with his wife and friends to see me perform and that was it. He was like, ‘Wow, I think you’re great. Let’s do this.’ And that changed my whole everything.”

Karavas got her start in the mid-1980s with a standup class that culminated in students performing at the famed New York club The Comic Strip.  She was hopping between coasts in those days, learning film and TV makeup in Los Angeles and then working in that field. “Then in 1990, I said, ‘No more makeup, no more anything but comedy.’ And that’s what I did. I became a comic full-time in 1990.”

Along the way, she followed in her restaurateur family’s footsteps and opened two outposts of a Greek café, Gyrolicious, in East Meadow and Jericho. She left that line of work two years ago since between it and the comedy, she says, “I found myself having no life and my children were growing up alone.”

She has two kids, one in high school and one in junior high, with husband Tsambikose “Sam” Volonakis, originally from the Greek island of Rhodes, raised in Queens, and since 1999 employed by the Long Island Rail Road. He and Karavas married in 2005, and despite his wife’s routine on the standup special, Volonakis in person seems perfectly nice, perfectly normal-looking and a perfectly good sport.

Sourced by: Newsday

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Greek fire in ‘The Belly of the Beast’ at St Kilda

‘The Vineyard’ in St Kilda (also known as ‘The Belly of the Beast’) has a long and rich ethnic-Australian heritage.

Jenny Souris Foundation Gala raises $100,000 to help young cancer fighter Jack

The Jenny Souris Foundation’s fundraising gala raised funds for four-year-old Jack, who is courageously battling Stage IV Neuroblastoma.

Greek Australian George Moulos attempts record-breaking ‘March Across Greece’

Young Greek Australian entrepreneur George Moulos will embark on a transformative 1,200 km journey across Greece on foot.

proika exhibition explores cultural bonds that unite the Greek Australian community

On November 20, the proika project invites you to the launch their multimedia exhibition, melding fashion, photography and conversations.

Heliades Greek Women’s Network celebrate Melbourne Cup in style

The Greek Women's Network (Heliades) hosted a vibrant celebration of the Melbourne Cup on Sunday, November 3.

You May Also Like

Antipodean Palette 2023 exhibition to open in Melbourne

The Greek Australian Cultural League will be holding its 13th annual Antipodean Palette in Melbourne this year.

Adelaide’s last dine-in Pizza Hut closes its doors

Adelaide's last dine-in Pizza Hut at Marion has closed its doors for good, according to The Adelaide Advertiser.

Greeks become ‘Mediterranean Feud’ champions after crushing USYD Italian and Lebanese societies

The Sydney University Greek Society won a battle between Mediterranean Sydney University clubs after becoming victors in the 'Mediterranean Feud' on Wednesday night. The...