CleoPODtra

SEASON ONE FINALE! In this ep, Lynn and Christie chat with Mikel Albagdadi about his upbringing in Louisiana to Iraqi & Jordanian-Syrian parents; his veterinarian dad who wouldn't let them get pets; crawdad boils & Southern culture; and his transition from finance to comedy, writing, and acting. This episode gets silly. Hey, remember that time Disney tried to trademark "Día De Los Muertos"? Stay tuned for more guests & laughs in SEASON TWO! .... Mikel Albagdadi is a comedian hailing from Louisiana, now making waves in Los Angeles. Known for his unique brand of humor, he skillfully weaves tales of his upbringing as an Arab American in the South into uproarious comedy. With credits including a role in the movie The Hunt and a recent appearance in the Netflix Original Carry On alongside Jason Bateman, Mikel Albagdadi is carving out a niche for himself in the entertainment industry. Not only a talented performer, he has also showcased his wit through his writing, contributing to publications such as The Red Shtick, Neutral Ground, and Buzzfeed. Follow Mikel Albagdadi on Instagram and YouTube!

In this episode, Zack Chapaloni shares the incredible story of his mother's journey from Morocco to the U.S. and how she escaped child slavery and abuse to make a better life for herself centered around family, service, and community. Zack also shares stories about his upbringing in the Bay Area, his creative exploits, and his journey from open micer to paid regular at the World Famous Comedy Store! This ep has it all. Follow Zack on Instagram and check out his show Joke Off! ... Zack Chapaloni's distinctly original stories, filled with colorful characters and unexpected punchlines, have resonated with audiences of all backgrounds and made him a comic to watch. Zack has appeared on the Showtime series Shameless, MTV's Greatest Party Story Ever, and the viral comedy-horror series Night of the Living Karens. As a standup comic, Zack has opened for some renowned names in the industry, including Tiffany Haddish, Mark Normand, Dave Attell and the late great Norm Macdonald. You can catch Zack every month hosting JOKE OFF LIVE with Torio van Grol. When he's not on the road, Zack performs standup weekly at The Setup in Culver City, and as a Paid Regular at The Comedy Store in Hollywood.

In this episode, Lynn and Christie chat with Sophia Zolan about her upbringing to Greek parents in Maryland, and they discuss Greek superstitions and curses; finding community; creativity, Sophia's dreams of playing the sax; romantic encounters on Greek islands; and Sophia's dad who might have been in the mafia ("Mainly because he and his friends wore peacoats all the time and slid mysterious envelopes to each other and suspiciously owned diners that no one went to. Like, how are you still in business?"). Follow Sophia on Instagram and YouTube! .....  Sophia Zolan is a filmmaker / stand up comedian / writer / actor / improviser / director / professional RuPaul fan. Is that too many slashes? Sophia thinks not. Wow, what a rebel.She’s been featured on RuPaul’s DragCon and Attack of the Show; written for the CBS Diversity showcase and Peacock TV; and performed at comedy clubs including the Hollywood Improv, Laugh Factory, and Zanies.

In this episode, Lynn and Christie chat with Syrian-American comic, writer, and actor Laura Laham about her upbringing in New York and her transition from engineering to comedy. They cover a range of topics, including creativity; authenticity; Laura's experience engineering toys for Mattel and Disney; their distinct encounters with Jeff Goldblum; Arab culture, post-9/11 identity, the fictitious Yaz Island, and more! This episode's got it all. Follow Laura on Instagram & TikTok! ..... Laura Laham is a Syrian-American comic who has opened for international headliners like Bassem Youssef. She has performed in Canada, Amman Jordan, Dubai UAE, and has been featured as Best of the Fest in the Burbank Comedy Festival. She has also appeared at the NY Comedy Festival and the New York Arab American Comedy Festival. #syrian #firstgeneration #comedypodcast #womeninstem

In this episode, Lynn and Christie chat with actor-comic-clown-writer-creator Leanne Velednitsky about her East Coast upbringing to Russian parents; Broadway, theater kids; the magic of New Jersey malls, and the power of living in your body! Follow Leanne on Instagram & TikTok! Also here's that LA Times article we referenced: Can anything stop Rick Caruso from turning L.A. into the Cheesecake Factory? ------- Leanne Velednitsky is a bi-coastal actor, comedian, writer, creator of things, dancer, clown, producer, and owner of a waterproof watch. Recently she premiered her short film Bike Thief on NoBudge, and is performing her solo show Exhaustion Power Hour at The Elysian. She co-hosts Big Sour Hour, LA’s best hang, and Backyard Show at Brooklyn’s premiere comedy venue Union Hall.

In this episode, Lynn and Christie chat with standup comic and actor Janesh Rahlan about moving from India to the Midwest; his career move from tech to comedy; survival vs. self-actualization; how we gauge our worthiness; battling perfectionism, control, and self-criticism; his big Super Bowl commercial; Roast Battle; and Janesh's Italian alter ego, Gino. Follow Janesh on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

In this episode, Lynn and Christie chat with Sarah Fatemi about her Iranian upbringing in Ohio; her journey with self confidence, comedy, and Roast Battles; the Evil Eye; her debut on Iranian Late Night; and how she taught her mom to love D jokes! ......... Sarah Fatemi is an LA-based Iranian-American comedian. She is a Roast Battle champion and performs at The Comedy Store, The Hollywood Improv, and all around the country! Find and follow Sarah on Instagram and TikTok!

In this episode, Lynn and Christie chat with Nigerian-American doctor, comic, writer, and content creator AK Agunbiade. They discuss his upbringing in a Nigerian family; the sheer embarrassment of his Ivy-League excellence; his journey as a comic; and how he finds balance working in medicine and entertainment. Follow AK on Instagram & TikTok! .... AK Agunbiade is a Nigerian-American comedian and writer. His foray into stand up comedy started in DC during a year he took off from medical school where he became addicted to the craft and never looked back. Critics have said that “He manages to be self-effacing, provide intelligent, humorous criticism of today’s political climate, and relate to a diverse audience simultaneously” with his stand up. You can find him performing regularly in LA. He has performed all over the world including London, Geneva, Zurich, Paris, and Toronto to name a few. When not performing, he is either sleeping, eating, or hustling at his side gig as an emergency medicine doctor.

In this episode, Christie and Lynn chat with Mexican-Lebanese comedian and writer, Kari Assad. They talk about her parents' rom-com worthy first-date; brujas and magical realism; what makes a good mocktail; God and spirituality; and why Meryl Streep can sit down (What? No, that can't be right). ... ⁠Kari Assad ⁠is a Mexican-Lebanese comedian and writer based in Los Angeles. Her silly and relatable content has been featured on the popular comedy platform WhoHaha, and she's also been a featured performer at premium festivals like Limestone and 10,000 Laughs. Kari co-produces Mermaid Comedy Hour at the Hollywood Improv; and she hosts the hilarious podcast '⁠Kari Assad: Ghost Detective,'⁠ where she breaks down real-life ghosting stories with guests to determine what really happened. When she's not on stage, you can find her borderline making out with your dog. Follow Kari⁠, her ⁠podcast⁠, and ⁠Mermaid Comedy Hour⁠!

In this episode Lynn and Christie chat with Fizaa Dosani about her upbringing in Florida by two Indian doctors; mental health and comedy; her creative journey; and why white napkins make no sense. Follow Fizaa on Instagram, TikTok, & YouTube! ​..... Fizaa Dosani is a comic, writer, and actor based in Los Angeles. She has toured widely and performs regularly on well-known stages and festivals across the country, including the Netflix is a Joke Festival, New York Comedy Festival, and SF Sketchfest. On screen, Fizaa has had roles in acclaimed TV shows such as Netflix's Lincoln Lawyer and Dear White People, FX's Snowfall, and ABC's How To Get Away With Murder. Most recently, Fizaa played "Stacy Padman" on ABC's The Company You Keep, "Seema" on FOX's Pivoting, and "Jules" on CBS's S.W.A.T. She also plays "Audrey" in the upcoming HBO pilot More. In 2017, Fizaa created Facial Recognition Comedy (FRC) as a response to tokenism and underrepresentation in arts and media. FRC has grown into a nationally touring stand-up comedy show with bicoastal residencies in LA and NYC, as well as a podcast of the same name, which she co-hosts. Fizaa was named as an up-and-coming comedian and actor by The New York Times in an article listing Facial Recognition Comedy as one of the top 5 shows they were most excited to see at New York Comedy Festival. In 2023, Fizaa performed with FRC at the San Francisco Sketchfest for her fourth year in a row. The show has also been mentioned in Deadline, Daily Beast, Vulture, Screen Rant, Backstage, and more.  Fizaa was selected as a winner of Clubhouse's inaugural Creator First program in 2021. In addition to producing and hosting her pilot, the app ordered 12 episodes for the first season of FRC in the Facial Recognition Comedy Club. The show became one of the first social audio series of its kind on any social media platform.