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Stand-up comedian Bill Santiago is a young, up-and-coming entertainer whose high-octane performances are garnering raves from audiences and critics across the country. His routines draw on his Puerto Rican roots but also cross ethnic boundaries with political comedy that’s smart, energetic and bold. It’s non-derisive, equal opportunity humor, says Santiago. His parodies of Latino life successfully bridge the cultural divide.
Before launching his stand-up career, Santiago lived in his parents’ homeland of Puerto Rico, working as a journalist for publications such as the Washington Postand the Miami Herald. But the Manhattan-born Santiago always had a passion for stand-up. So he traded his bylines for punch lines and moved to San Francisco, a city with a long tradition of sharp, edgy comedians.
In less than three years after moving back to the States, Santiago’s already performed on the comedy club circuit and at venues with his own one-man shows. He also opened for Margaret Cho, shared the stage with Culture Clash and Marga Gomez, been featured at the Latino Laugh Festival in San Antonio and has appeared on television shows like Galavision’s “Que Locos” and Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend.”
While Santiago is a captivating performer – his handsome, boyish face registers lightning-quick emotional leaps – he sees writing as key to his success. Those following his career say this is what sets him apart. On stage, Santiago glides in and out of topics, dealing with everything from relationships to the Taco Bell Chihuahua. But regardless of the topic, he relies on his writing skills and powers of perception rather than cheap shots, vulgarity and shock-value to earn laughs.
Currently Santiago is developing a new show, “Spanglish 101,” that surveys the full sweep of Latino expression in the United States. Fusing a journalist’s rigorous curiosity and a stand-up comic’s satiric instincts, the routine serves as a vehicle to address the realities of, and misunderstandings about, life in Latino USA. Santiago develops his material with a personal ethic that pursues laughter while also delivering substance; that assumes the audience has a brain as well as a funny bone. It makes for great comedy and will certainly catapult Bill Santiago to national recognition.
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