Trenton Natives, Stand-up Comedians Julie Lyons and Tim Slagle Return for Comedy Show

At first, when Trenton resident Julie Lyons told people she was a stand-up comedian--she said no one believed her.

“I had no confidence,” Lyons said. “When I told my sister she said, ‘How did this happen?’”

After six years of honing her talent and building her confidence in comedy clubs from Chicago to Columbus and from Tampa to Ontario Lyons said now when she tells people she’s a comic people smile and say, “that figures.”

Lyons moved to Trenton when she was three and graduated from . She has three adult children and six grandchildren.

On paper, she doesn’t seem like the average stand-up comic.

By day Lyons works as a secretary for a municipal finance advisor in Detroit. By night she carries out a life-long dream of making people laugh.

Lyons grew up watching the Ed Sullivan show and said she remembers the female comedians vividly.

“I didn’t understand the jokes, but people were laughing and I just thought that would be the greatest feeling in the world—to be able to make a room full of people laugh,” Lyons said.

Lyons made her dream a reality about six years ago when she took a stand-up comedy class at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle in Royal Oak.

She said she remembers being the oldest person in the class and feeling very under prepared.

“Everyone else had either been doing stand-up already or had been writing jokes down their entire lives,” Lyons said. “Everyone had a notebook filled with jokes.”

Eventually Lyons would have a notebook of her own, and her ability to make a room full of people laugh landed her an upcoming show at The Comedy Room at Portofino in Wyandotte with fellow Trenton native Tim Slagle.

Slagle is also a former Trenton Trojan and is headlining the show. He's appeared on MTV, Showtime and Fox News Red Eye. He’s been heard on Sirius satellite radio, The Bob and Tom Show and numerous radio shows in Chicago according to a news release.

Lyons has played the Annual Laugh Detroit Comedy Festival at the Comedy Castle with Lewis Black and Kathleen Madigan. She's also won several comedy contests.

It may have taken her a long time to convince people she's a stand-up comedian, but Lyons said it’s been a fun journey getting there.

“This job is so fun because I just meet funny people, either just for the night or however long the show runs,” Lyons said. “It’s really a dream come true. It took me a long time to tell people I was doing it.”

Ultimately, Lyons said she dreams of being on the Late Show with David Letterman.

“That would never happen,” Lyons said. “I think the only way I would get on that show would be to have been taken hostage and then he invited me on the show to tell my story.”

The upcoming comedy show starring Lyons and Slagle begins at 9 p.m. on Jan. 27 and 28 at The Comedy Room at Portofino’s in Wyandotte. Tickets are $12.

Call 734-624-5561 for reservations.

"Come get our autographs while they’re still free."