Erica Rhodes, A Life On Stage

Erica Rhodes, comedic actress / stand-up comedian / ballerina dancer / cellist / award winning producer, has lived her life quite literally, on stage. She was discovered at an early age of just ten years old by Garrison Keillor, talent extraordinaire, as she was performing on stage in a performance of The Nutcracker ballet.

As you click on our audio with her, you can hear her tell how she quickly came to be a regular on “A Prairie Home Companion,” a live radio variety show (Keillor's brainchild) that has been running for the past forty-one years and has an enormous following.

Though she still performs with them and has even been a comedic writer for them in the past, Erica has been venturing out on her own lately and trying her hand at stand-up comedy for the past three years. Something she can successfully say, she has now added to her long list of stage gigs, and it is something she is very good at. She had me laughing so much just in our phone interview alone, but seeing her episodes on "A Prairie Home Companion", then seeing all her stand-ups and all else she has done, you can easily see why comedy is such a natural fit for her. She is very much at ease and delivers her lines in such a naturally funny manner. Which, because of her baby voice making her seem so innocent, makes it that much more comical to hear her telling a dirty joke.

As a stand-up, she has appeared on a long list of the known comedy circuit clubs already such as Gotham Comedy Live, Comedy Bang Bang, Comics Unleashed, Malibu Playhouse, along with doing the Howard Stern wrap up show. She also appeared to open for Pete Davidson, where she incidentally experienced a faux pas, calling him “Pete Townsend” in a different interview. She relives that story and you can hear it in the audio interview. 

Rhodes has also starred in several independent films throughout her long career (though she is very young still in age) including "Posey" that she herself not only starred in with Ray Wise and Oscar nominee Sally Kirkland but she herself produced. A story about her grandmother, Posey premiered at the Idyllwild Indie film fest in 2013 and has garnered some great reviews along with several awards. She talks more about that in the audio.

Rhodes has also worked with some of the giants in the Industry as well. Screen legend Meryl Streep is just one of the greats who have graced the stage with Keillor's talented crew. As Rhodes tells it, Ms. Streep can also get a little nervous like anybody else. I asked her if she tends to get nervous anymore, having grown up in front of a live audience and of being afraid of messing up. This reminded her of a funny story when she worked with Streep on stage with A Prairie Home Companion playing a huge, huge venue. Keillor, she says, likes to work on the fly and will still be editing things even right before their performances. But to hear that comical story and see how much more you can love Streep and Rhodes, click on her audio and find out. It is great, you just have to hear for yourself.

Needless to say, it has taken her far. Even early on in her career, outside of prairie home, she had a few web series called Upstairs Girls and Sandy's Channel, where she was nominated for an LA comedy award for most hilarious actress in a web series. It gained an incredible amount of views in a very short time. So she is no stranger to nominations herself.

If you go to Rhodes YouTube channel you can see all her videos, movie reels and Khloe Kardashian commercial she appeared in, too. You can also find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Ms. Rhodes will be appearing this month on her favorite show, Modern Family. Wednesday, March 2, 2016. So to all our Center Stage Magazine reader's out there, please tune into Modern Family and let them know we are excited to see Erica Rhodes.

She has just wrapped producing and performing in a new comedy show called The Night Light Comedy Show. You can catch her show, held every other Monday, at the Circus of Books on Sunset Blvd. Check out her websites to catch all the details of where and what time and how you can get tickets.

Rhodes really has put in her time, effort, and really her life, into her art and her passion of entertaining in the most comical of ways, and it definitely shows. Not all can make that transition from childhood actor to adult artistry and carry the same push and thrive to succeed unless you really carry that love for it in something that makes you happy. 

I'm Dilly Brigs for Center Stage Magazine, and getting to speak with comedians is a great way to start the day. I hope you start your day with a good cup of coffee today (or tea) while you enjoy some of Erica Rhodes laughter too. It will perk your day up.