Interview: Funny Man Ron Funches on Maui for Comedy Festival

Ron Funches. Courtesy photo.

By Cassandra Hastu

Maui’s largest comedy festival is coming to Lahaina on Halloween weekend.

The three day event will take place at six different locations all within walking distance of each other on Front Street, in the heart of Lahaina.

The festival will include thirty plus comedians who have appeared on Comedy Central, NBC, ABC, HBO, all the big networks.

On one special night the Old Lahaina Prison will transform into a theater for Hawaiian born comedians to showcase their talent and create laughter for all to enjoy.

We were lucky enough to catch up with Ron Funches who will be performing at the Maui Comedy Festival and we asked him a few questions about Maui and about comedy in general.

Q: Are you looking forward to coming to Maui and have you been to Hawaiʻi before?

A: Of course, it’s exciting, I’ve never been to Hawaiʻi and I wanted to go and it’s great that other people are paying for me to go. It’s an amazing thing, it kind of feels like I’m scheming you guys out of a trip to Hawaiʻi, but that’s cool.

Q: What do you most look forward to when traveling to Hawaiʻi?

A: Delicious food, delicious pineapple treats. Also, just relax, have fun, hang out with all my friends who I usually hang out with in LA, but in Hawaiʻi. It’s like the Brady Bunch movie but they are going to Hawaiʻi.

Q: What adjustments do you have to do to your standup routine when traveling to different parts of the world?

A: I don’t really adjust anything, I just assume people get my references and if they don’t then I kind of address it at that point. I just assume everyone is smart. I use to go to Canada and I found out they know more about America than I did.

Q: From your first comedy show to now, how have you changed?

A: (Hahaha) I got a lot better, I get paid a lot more money, and I go to Hawaiʻi now. Everything has changed except for the fact that I think I am still me but everything has just gotten better that’s why I get to go to Hawaiʻi.

Q: You will have one night off between shows here in Maui, and that night is Halloween. Any plans? Who are you dressing up as for Halloween?

A: I haven’t decided, my girlfriend is going to come, and Halloween is my second favorite holiday. I heard its super fun in Maui like Mardi Gras so I am hoping to see half naked people or fully naked people.

Q: Where do you come up with most of your material?

A: Just my life, day to day life, sitting around talking about things that I enjoy or things that scare me. That’s not a good answer but that’s the truth.

Q: If you haven’t already, when do you think you will know you have accomplished all you’ve set out to do?

A: Probably when I’m dead or if I have a statue. If you have a statue then you know you’ve done all you can do. There is always more you can do. I never thought about acting until a couple of years ago and now I love it. Now I want a lead in a movie, I want an Emmy. I try not to limit myself.

Q: What makes a very funny person like you laugh?

A: I like silly stuff I guess. I like great comedy and I like bad comedy. I like it when animals wear clothes and sunglasses, that makes me giggle. I like when people fall and don’t hurt themselves. If my friends aren’t doing well in comedy but I know they are really funny and they are struggling that makes me laugh a lot.

Q: What is your fondest memory since you have started your career?

A: Probably the first time did Conan. Another time was when I opened for Dave Chappelle in Montreal because he was a huge influence on my comedy. I got to do a very small part in a movie with Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart and watching them act was a very big event for me.

Q: What can we expect from you in the future?

(Hahahaha) hopefully more acting and an hour special in comedy. Also, more movies and a couple other TV shows; but also hopefully, for sure, I will always be a super chill person having a good time and push positivity towards everybody. That’s all I can promise you, I can’t promise those other things.

***Ron Funches can be seen at the following Maui Comedy Festival events:

• Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014, 8:30 to 10 p.m. at Hard Rock Cafe Maui: featuring Ron Funches & Kyle Kinane with Ari Shaffir, Kate Berlant, James Adomian, Sean O’Connor and Mark Normand
• Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Hard Rock Cafe Maui: featuring Ari Shaffir & Mark Normand with Ron Funches, Kevin Shea, Chris Porter and Andy Woodhull
• Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014, 9:30 to 11 p.m. at Pi Artisan Pizzeria at The Outlets of Maui: featuring Ron Funches & Nate Bargatze with Byron Bowers, Sheng Wang and Jonah Ray