After wrapping an extended run in his own show in Las Vegas Comedian Don Barnhart brings the laughs to Carnival Cruise Line.
Barnhart will begin performing on Carnival's Spirit starting in October. Carnival's new creative director for comedy
George Lopez said, "People will laugh like they've never laughed before." Barnhart, who first met Lopez when he was performing at the
Comedy Club level is one of the newest comics to be brought into the Carnival family and has been headlining the top
Comedy Clubs in Las Vegas and around the world for years.
The Award Winning Comedian Don Barnhart combines well-written, topical material and delivers it with a fast paced, high energy and animated improvisational flair that keeps audiences of all ages howling with laughter and coming back for more. Audiences say, "Barnhart has the wit and insight of George Carlin with the energy, delivery and characters of
Robin Williams making Don funny on so many different levels".
The Las Vegas Review/Journal called is show one of it's "Best Bets" of 2011. In 2010 he received the "
Bob Hope Humanitarian Award" for his continued service entertaining the troops stationed overseas while in 2007 he won the Grand Prize in The American Idol Underground Comedy Contest.
Barnhart is also a certified hypnotist. He is the only comedy hypnotist that is also an award-winning stand up comedian who continues to headline the top
Comedy Clubs, colleges, cruise ships and corporate events across the country.
Barnhart Comedy Hypnosis Show delivers interactive, improvisational and sidesplitting comedy while simultaneously unlocking the unique mysteries of the human mind. It's a musical and fast-paced romp through volunteers' subconscious creative genius that keeps audiences on
The Edges of their seats. Akin to releasing the hidden talents of a dozen comedians onstage with Barnhart as the ringleader.
"Don Barnhart is America's Funniest Comedy Hypnotist!" claimed Hypnosis Monthly Magazine. Nominated 3 years in a row as the "Best Comedy Hypnosis Show" in Las Vegas, Barnhart's show delivers interactive, improvisational and side-splitting comedy while simultaneously unlocking the unique mysteries of the human mind.
Don Barnhart's Comedy Hypnosis Show is part stand up, part improv, part hypnosis and full on funny! It is a musical and fast-paced romp through the volunteers' subconscious creative genius releasing their hidden talents. Barnhart turns them into the stars of the show keeping audiences on
The Edges of their seats howling with laughter and coming back for more.
The show is setting record attendance numbers at
Comedy Clubs, cruise ships, colleges, high schools and corporate/private events and Don is becoming the most requested act in these venues earning him the distinct title of, "America's #1 Comedy Hypnotist".
When asked if there too much comedy Barnhart responded, "There is never enough comedy anywhere" and he has published several articles on the popularity and growing number of
Comedy Clubs during this and every recession.
Don added, "People need to laugh as it's a stress reducer. Comedy shows are one of the least expensive shows to produce and provides some of the best bang for your buck. You can go to a comedy film and might laugh a handful of times but at a stand up comedy show, you'll laugh the entire evening and leave holding your face and stomach because they actually aches from laughing so hard."
You may not know him by name but you'll recognize Barnhart's face as you've seen him on TV and film as well as headlining the top
Comedy Clubs for years.
Barnhart has been performing and producing comedy shows for the troops around the world since his first USO tour back in 1992.
He's been everywhere from Bosnia to Afghanistan. "When you reach a certain level of success, if you don't share it, then it dies with you," says Barnhart. "I think we all have a duty to give back. I'm blessed to be able to make a living doing what I love and I consider both an honor and a privilege to entertain our men and women serving in the military. I'm kinda like the water boy on the Super Bowl team".
Barnhart got his start in comedy as house emcee, manager and talent coordinator at The Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, CA. It was during the comedy boom of the 80's that Barnhart opened for, learned from, worked with and forged friendships with today's comedy legends: Seinfeld, Leno, Garrett, Jim Carey,
Lewis Black,
George Lopez,
Drew Carey,
Tim Allen,
Harry Anderson,
Tom Hanks,
George Wallace, Louie Anderson,
David Spade, Dana Carvey, Dennis Miller and more.
Leno's advice to Barnhart, "You wanna be great? Go on the road". And Don did. He left the security and lucrative job to pursue comedy full time and since 1987, Don averages 250 days year on the road and he's never looked back. Entertainment Business Journal named him one of the, "Top 100 comedians to see" three years in a row and audiences say, "Barnhart has the wit and insight of George Carlin with the energy, delivery and characters of
Robin Williams". The NY Times wrote, "Hilarious". The LA Times called Don, "One of the best" and
Howard Stern said, "That guy is funny".
As if this were not enough to keep Barnhart busy, Don is also an accomplished filmmaker, television producer, published author and director. The Freedom of Speech Comedy Series, which Don produced, hosted and directed aired on cable and is now available on Amazon along with his 2 CD's and comedy DVDS. Don's company also produced the Ice House
Comedy Club's 50 Anniversary DVD.
Don Barnhart was selected to showcase and present his show at The Montreal Comedy Festival in 2008 and that same year Don released China Dolls, his first feature film that he wrote, directed and starred in. The indie action thriller helped Barnhart to increase his ever growing fan base and the film got great audience reviews. Don used the power of social networking and huge web presence on Facebook and Twitter to self-distribute the project and to build its core audience.
Barnhart just completed writing the new comedy film, Freeloader. "It's the story of a returning Vet who ends up homeless in Las Vegas and uses comedy to find his way back. I always try to use comedy as a way to shine light on current social issues and this is a sort of a modern day Robin Hood Story", added Don. The film is already in pre-production and will begin filming later this year with Barnhart directing and starring in the comedy.
Don Barnhart is also a published author with numerous articles on comedy as well as a contributing writer on the book: I Killed: True Stories of the Road from America's Top Comedians. Barnhart is a Second City Conservatory Graduate as well as Certified Hypnotist who in his free time does a separate Improv as well as Comedy Hypnosis Show. Don and his producing partner and wife Linda Vu continue to produce comedy shows for the troops around the world and their company, Don Barnhart Entertainment.
When Barnhart isn't making them laugh onstage, he performs a comedy hypnosis show and is a certified hypnotherapist as well as teaching the art of stand up and improv sharing his vast knowledge of the comedy business helping craft the next generation of young comedians.
