MUSKEGON, Mich. — It's a homecoming for a West Michigan comedian. His first stand up special will be recorded in his hometown in just a couple weeks.
Ben Rhinesmith, also known by his stage name Benny Blue, will draw on his childhood growing up in Norton Shores for his new special. But its a further connection with a family member that he says really brings the show to life.
Rhinesmith has always been a performer.
"I played in the orchestra, I produced hip hop records and I played in a rock band," says Rhinesmith.
Music drew him to Los Angeles after graduating from Mona Shores High School. He even briefly dipped his toes into acting.
"There are definitely some canceled TV shows you can see me walking behind like Christian Slater and stuff like that," he laughs.
But after several years there, he landed on a new path to the spotlight: Standup comedy.
His first open mic night was a lot like everybody else's.
"It went horribly," says Rhinesmith.
But it didn't stop him.
"I was like, you know what, this was pretty hellish, but I think it's only up from here," he recalls.
Now, he's performed at legendary venues like The Comedy Store and The Laugh Factory. But his first recorded special won't be in a place like that.
He's coming back home.
"I'm not pulling from all these other places or travels that I've been, it's all rooted here," says Rhinesmith.
West Michigan, he describes, almost as its own character in the show.
"No matter where I go, whether I want to shake it or not, it's still in my blood," says Rhinesmith. "And it still kind of shapes my point of view for comedy."
The other character, his mom, died in 2021 after multiple battles with cancer and living with multiple sclerosis.
"It's really just going to kind of encapsulate what it felt like growing up and growing up with a disabled parent, who really kind of shaped my sense of humor," says Rhinesmith.
And while he hopes the audience connects with his jokes, he's glad to have made a further connection of his own while writing them.
"I kind of connected with her, realized how much she actually kind of gave me my driving force to do this that I didn't even realize growing up," says Rhinesmith.
Rhinesmith will record the special, titled Live From My Mother's Funeral, on December 16th at the Beardsley Theater in Muskegon. He says you can expect it to be released in September 2024.
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