Jeannette Rizzi
This isn’t so much the set-up to a terrible joke – though it could be – but rather the origin story of Jeannette Rizzi— comedian, storyteller, force of nature.
After retiring from their religious posts and leaving life in Brooklyn, NY, Jeannette’s parents settled in the rural town of Alachua, FL to lead a simpler farm life among the cows. But Jeannette had other plans. By the age of 23, Jeannette found her own calling in comedy and moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream.
Inspired by the likes of Ellen DeGeneres, Whoopi Goldberg and yes, even Cher, Jeannette started hitting comedy stages in earnest, eventually finding success beyond LA. She snagged accolades at Florida’s Funniest Comedian competition, the Time Warner On Demand Comedy Contest, the Cleveland Comedy Festival, the Tickled Pink Comedy Contest and more. Jeannette was also a featured comedian at Boston’s Women in Comedy Festival and earned the honor of performing at Gilda’s LaughFest.
For the last few years, Jeannette has been performing her one-woman show Blindsided at comedy clubs, theaters and schools. Emboldened by the suicide of her best friend, the show is about finding hope during seemingly hopeless times. Blindsided showcases Jeannette’s deft character work, her willingness to share all aspects of her life and her unique ability to connect with an audience.
