The Raleigh comedian is turning a career change into a whole different punch line.
While some run a marathon or buy a sports car when they hit their midlife crisis, Raleigh comedian Pete McEntegart—better known as Pete Smack—picked up a microphone. Two and a half years later, he has an hour-long comedy special to show for it.
Last Man Standing, filmed at Theatre Raleigh and released by Comedy Dynamics Sept. 22, tackles life, death, aging and the absurdities in between, now streaming on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and other platforms.
You took your serious shot at 53—what finally got you onstage? Technically, I did an open mic around 20 years ago in New York once. I actually tried to do one in 1997, but no one showed up, so they canceled it, leading me to “perform” for my two roommates that night in our apartment, using a ping-pong paddle as a microphone. At 53, I was looking to make one more big swing, take one more shot at something.
I was on a run on Christmas Day, 2022, and it just came to me. I’ve always been interested in stand-up, and there’s no time like the present, so why not try to approach it seriously this time and see where it goes. Within seven or eight months, I decided I wanted to figure out a way to do this as a career.
Peak “pinch-me” moment? I could search for it on Amazon, Apple TV and Spotify and see it come up with my name and my face. That has been a thrill.
Why self-produceLast Man Standinginstead of waiting for someone else to come knocking? Because no one was going to hire me or pay me to do it. It was either I did it myself or not at all. I rented a theater in Raleigh and hired someone to film it. Once it was edited, I shopped it around. Ultimately, Comedy Dynamics acquired it.
What’s behind the title? So it has two meanings. The more literal one is, I do “last man standing” running events, where they continue until there’s only one person still going, and I talked about that within my special. And then more figuratively, when I moved to the Triangle in 2018, both my parents and all three of my siblings lived here. But now my dad passed away, I guess two years ago now, and my siblings have all moved away. It’s just me and my mom in Raleigh now, so in our family I am the last man standing.
What’s so funny about life, death and getting older? It’s not so funny when I look at it written, but I definitely pull most of my stand-up from my life. I’m in my 50s. I’ve lived a lot of life, you know, parents getting older and, in my case, passing away. Comedy is wherever you find it, so there are serious topics—like after my dad passed, we were trying to change his cell phone bill, but they wanted a copy of his death certificate. My mom had me call AT&T and pretend I was my dad… that’s a weird situation.
Raleigh comedy scene—what’s it given you? A sense of community. The great thing about stand-up is that it’s just you on the stage. But the downside is that it’s just you on the stage, and it can be pretty isolating. Having other comedians around that you can share experiences with is important.
Career No. 6 sticking around? So the other five: I was an investment banker for Goldman Sachs, a sportswriter for Sports Illustrated, a comedy writer for TV/film, Co-Founder/COO of a tech startup, and the founding editor of a tech startup publication here in the Triangle (GrepBeat). So yes, comedy is going to be the one. Performing is something you can do forever, and I intend to do it forever.
Comedians battle it out at Goodnights for the highly esteemed title
It takes a lot of wit and well-thought-out jokes to be truly funny—but to be the funniest person in all of North Carolina? Now that’s a tall feat. Enter Goodnights Comedy Club’s annual NC’s Funniest competition, currently in the semifinals, with the next cycle of contestants taking the stage to prove their laughability July 8, 9 and 10.
During this round, 10 comedians will compete each night and only three will advance, leaving nine total contestants in the finals on July 21. In true Miss America fashion, the champion of the 2024 North Carolina’s Funniest Person Contest will get a crown, a $3,000 check, bragging rights, and the coveted spot of hosting every preliminary round of the 2025 competition (!).
Meet this year’s class of semifinalists here—and be sure to buy tix to get your giggle on during the next few semifinal/final rounds. May the laughs be with all the competing comedians!
Shh—this comedy is classified. “Raleigh’s best kept secret,” Don’t Tell Comedy is a cryptic comedy show that’s been popping up in cities around the country—and is now shaping up in select (and secretive!) locales around the Triangle. Sniff out a slew of under-the-radar shows stacked with a secret lineup of comics who bring hilarity without all the hype. For fans seeking to nab a seat for the funnies, keep those eyes peeled for day-of location reveals. … Sounds like a stand-up time! @donttelltriangle
Stand-up comic, writer and director Ellyn Daniels stars in new series filmed in Raleigh.
“I’ve found Raleigh to be a really rejuvenating place—somewhere I could be creative, where I could write or perform stand-up at Goodnights. I just loved being there.” So says Ellyn Daniels, who is neither a native nor current resident of Raleigh… she’s just a big fan (!).
Calling the City of Oaks home for about 18 months during the pandemic, Daniels penned, directed and now stars in a production titled This Little Show of Mine, which originally dropped episode 1 on YouTube before catapulting to Apple TV and Amazon Prime. Filmed in Raleigh, the series follows a “kinda famous but not really” former sitcom star, Hayley Harris, who returns to her hometown in the wake of her mom’s death to attempt to find the artistic inspiration to create a one-woman show.
You’ll be able to recognize local gems and landmarks throughout the series as Daniels’ character strolls down Hillsborough Street past Jubala Coffee, visits the Carolina Ballet (fun fact: Daniels is close friends with Carolina Ballet’s Zalman Raffael), overlooks Boylan Bridge or roams around her house nestled in Cameron Park. … And while Daniels would’ve loved to see Hayley hitting up the DTR nightlife scene and taking the stage at Goodnights or Duke Energy Center, filming during 2020 meant working with a more limited selection of settings (but maybe we can contend to see those spots in a second season?!).
To boot, a handful of the actors featured in the series aren’t TV actors at all. From stand-up comics to local business owners, the show includes myriad cast members who “were available and wanted to do it,” laughs Daniels—and most of the faces you’ll find on camera are locals.
“I hope people find it funny, entertaining and potentially moving—depending on their life experience,” she says. “It’s a funny, small and interesting show.”
After her stint in Raleigh, Daniels moved to London and now resides there with her husband. The duo’s production company, Burn These Words, will be debuting a film titled Reality starring Sydney Sweeney at the Berlin International Film Festival this year. Daniels is also currently working on another series, The Mentor, and expecting her third baby in May.
While her stay in our city was short, Daniels liked Raleigh life so much that she’d planned to make it her home base before meeting her other half and moving across the pond.
“Raleigh life is very digestible—it’s just the right size,” says Daniels. “Time expands there, and there’s an appetite for cool things.”… And speaking of cool things, you’re gonna wanna peep Daniels’ perspective of the City of Oaks by streaming This Little Show of Mine—or just for a good laugh. thislittleshowofmine.com
Since the final curtain closed at its Morgan Street digs, the legendary laugh house has been supplying the sillies via its temporary space in the defunct K&W Cafeteria. Now, Goodnights’ new permanent home—situated underneath what will soon be a wraparound Shake Shack (stay tuned for opening updates!)—will be amping up Village District as the new hip place to hang.
“We’re thrilled to welcome guests into Goodnights’ permanent new home!” says Goodnights owner Brad Grossman. “After months of hosting guests in our temporary location, we’re ready to unveil our new space, which is packed with amenities to further enhance the comedy club experience. Goodnights is a Raleigh institution and we’re proud to continue to honor our roots and legacy while also enhancing the overall atmosphere.”
With 11,000 square feet, two stages (doubling its comedic capacity!), the space to hold a 300- to 325- person audience, and low ceilings, the setting is thoughtfully designed to foster a sense of community and an ideal comedy setting.
To boot, the new venue is a vision—literally—thanks to a massive mural of DTR by local artist Jennifer Ross spread across the backdrop of the stand-up stage. It’s (finally) time to say hello to the new Goodnights!
