Taylor Tomlinson insisted she was in the middle of an unusual show.
“I’ve never talked to the crowd this long,” she said Thursday night while coaxing ghost stories out of audience members at the Orpheum Theatre. “I feel like I work at Cold Stone and I’m giving you an extra scoop of ice cream.”
But those who catch her three remaining shows in downtown Minneapolis this weekend are guaranteed to get almost as much interaction. The 31-year-old comic just can’t help it. Her warmth and genuine curiosity about others is why she landed the hosting gig for CBS’ “After Midnight,” which recently was renewed for a second season, and had one of the most successful comedy tours of 2023.
Tomlinson, who grew up in California, admitted that she’s often mistaken for a Midwesterner.
“That’s kindness,” said Tomlinson, who has spent under-the-radar time in the Twin Cities the past couple years visiting good friend and fellow comic Kelsey Cook.
Tomlinson’s generosity started by bringing along the talented Sophie Buddle, a regular at the Mall of America’s House of Comedy, who currently writes Tomlinson’s monologues for the late-night series. Buddle’s soft, almost ditzy voice serves as the perfect launching pad for smart, sneaky jokes about everything from politics to porn.
After Tomlinson’s set, the two comedians sat together and answered texts that fans were encouraged to send as they filed into the theater. The comics seemed particularly amused that the person who moderates the Reddit discussion about “After Midnight” was in the balcony — and wasn’t shy about telling them the show doesn’t get many comments.
That twist on the conventional Q&A session took the performance past the two-hour mark, a generous running time for a red-hot talent who also has to worry about the pressure that comes with following Stephen Colbert on a nightly basis.
