Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here
Otherwise, follow the link below to join.
To Our Valued Readers –
Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.
For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.
Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.
Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.
Up-and-coming Scottsdale comedian Corey Crotty is looking to make a name for himself on the stand-up stage one laugh at a time.
Mr. Crotty hails from Ohio, but has been in Scottsdale for the past several years where he has landed himself a regular gig at Scottsdale Comedy Spot, 7117 E. 3rd Avenue. There he headlines his own show, Freshly Squeezed --- a feat Mr. Crotty is very proud of.
And beyond Scottsdale, Mr. Crotty is hoping to make America laugh as he auditioned for America’s Got Talent on Feb. 1.
“The audition went great,” Mr. Crotty said of his trip to Los Angeles to audition for the national TV program. He hopes to hear back on advancing on the show in the coming days.
Making people laugh is a talent and passion Mr. Crotty realized when he was a kid, and has been pursuing a career ever since.
“Me and my friends did a comedy show in the fifth grade called Recess Comedy for like three weeks,” Mr. Crotty said, describing how he and his friends created an original playground production.
Mr. Crotty says growing up, his family subscribed to television networks HBO and Cinemax, where he was exposed to the big names in comedy early on.
Specifically, Jerry Seinfeld was a big inspiration.
“Technically it started then, but when I moved from Ohio seven years ago I always wanted to do stand-up and had all this material. Anytime I would think of something I’d jot it down, so I had this vat of material,” Mr. Crotty said. “I figured, new place, no one knows me if it doesn’t go well, no sweat. But sure enough, it went really well and I was hooked.”
Mr. Crotty began doing stand up at the Comedy Spot about six years ago starting with open mic opportunities, which eventually led to earning more time on stage. Occasionally, he was granted the chance to open for other people on the weekends.
His talent shined through, and about a year and a half ago the club owner proposed Mr. Crotty have his own show.
“Each show we take someone, one or two people, who have never done stand up before, and then some seasoned people,” Mr. Crotty explained of Freshly Squeezed. “And then I close, doing about 45 minutes --- which is great for growth.”
Mr. Crotty says his comedy is observational, and he doesn’t get too raunchy.
“Usually my description of what my shtick is, is it’s observational comedy with a dash of ‘R’ --- just a dash,” Mr. Crotty said.
“I like being able to play to older crowds or younger crowds. I think the crowd shouldn’t matter, I like being able to go out no matter who’s in the audience and know that the bit is going to do well, something that everyone can look at and say ‘oh yeah he’s right, he’s onto something there.’”
Mr. Crotty says when he looks to the future, he is very pleased at the amount of stage time and exposure he is getting in Scottsdale.
“I’m getting a lot of hours on stage here, versus going to California and right away going back down to those three minute sets,” Mr. Crotty said. “So for growing, Arizona is the place to be for me right now. Eventually, I will end up out there --- it’s just when the time is right.”
Mr. Crotty said producing your own shows and creating your own events is a part of the gig when moving to a bigger market. As such, in January Mr. Crotty brought out a comedian who is a part of Saturday Night Live, Luke Null, to headline Freshly Squeezed.
“It was the first time I had let someone headline the show,” Mr. Crotty said.
“It’s really just networking, try to meet the right people and do right by them. It’s really building relationships that will last.”
In addition to the world’s richest comedian, Mr. Crotty has found inspiration from several of the great American comedians.
“Early on, I guess it was Dane Cook because I really liked his story telling and his physicality. And then the conciseness of Jerry Seinfeld, how meticulous he is with his material,” Mr. Crotty said. “I really love right now Sebastian Maniscalco --- his delivery, his facial expressions, how he can draw out a pause and get more laughs from it. Those three will always be my inspiration.”
Although Mr. Maniscalco didn’t enter Mr. Crotty’s world until about five years ago, he has been really impressed by him.
“Digging back, Richard Pryor, I always loved how brutally honest he was with his material, that’s inspiring as well,” Mr. Crotty said. “Shed more light about yourself, not the good stuff either. He was comfortable with letting people laugh at his pain.”
The next Freshly Squeezed show headlined by Mr. Crotty is 7 p.m. Sunday, March 1 at Scottsdale Comedy Spot.
Melissa Rosequist Managing Editor | East Valley @mrosequist_
I first started my journalism portfolio at the age of 15 while in high school before going on to study at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Being in the journalism field is the only professional avenue I was ever interested in, and have worked hard covering topics from school boards to hard news while working for the Independent, where I have been awarded for my reporting.
By 
