comic-fran-and-jan

Comedians @ AMUSEum

Fran & Jan • Comedy Duo

Fran & Jan
• 1978 – 1982 •

There'll be a Ha Time in the Old Town…

Lively Arts • July 1981 • By R. L. Paer

Exaggeration is the vehicle employed by Fran and Jan to make their audiences laugh, but I am not exaggerating when I tell you that this comedy team is among the best I have seen in a long time. The Brothers Solomita are well-tuned, uproariously funny duo, who take hyperbole to its comical zenith. Jan, the older of the two, plays somewhat of the straight-man in the team’s, fast paced, give-and-take material. Jan is not a true straight man as he does get laughs, but he is the foil for Fran’s outrageous statements.

A few weeks ago, I caught Fran and Jan at the Other Café, a small, intimate club located on the corner of Cole and Carl Streets in the Haight district of San Francisco. After acknowledging the emcee, Fran and Jan launch into approximately 30 minutes of nonstop comedy. The bulk of the material consists of Fran correcting Jan‘s documented truths. What makes their act so appealing is that it is anti-establishment. Fran and Jan take the supposedly big news stories of the day and belittle them, showing these events in their true light – less than earth shattering.

These Boston-born brothers are quickly making a name for themselves as attested by they’re being invited to open for comedian, Pat Paulson, in Sacramento.

• Reviews • Pull Quotes • Blurbs •

Dear Fran and Jan,
I just visited the jail tier and once again heard rave reviews for Fran and Jan. The inmates love your comedy! One man even did a run-through of two of your routines for me. Your dedication to perform within the correctional institutions of Massachusetts is to be commended. You have both earned the respect of my human service staff, officers, and detainees alike.
The presence of creative, enthusiastic people like yourselves in the outside community helps me maintain my own commitment to bring change to corrections. Again, thank you very musch for the laughter you've brought to Billerica. Sincerely, John J. Buckley • Sheriff of Middlesex County

“The brother team of Fran and Jan (from Boston) continues to tighten and refine its routines, mostly on current events, in which Jan takes straight lines and Fran runs off on tangents of exaggerated exclamations. Since I saw them several months ago at the Other Cafe, they have added a very funny routine on people greeting each other. This is a killer duo. ”
~San Francisco Chronicle • Feb 21, 1981 • By Peter Stack

Quick Takes

Press Bio

Fran & Jan Bio

FRAN and JAN, the all original comedy duo, are the most explosive team to emerge onto the scene in years!
Fran and Jan began together on the streets of Boston in 1978, and continued on to display their sensational style of comedy for high schools, jazz clubs, prisons and cable T.V., compiling an impressive array of high-energy skits.
Next were the clubs in Boston, where they became one of the top comedy acts in the city. Fran and Jan generated a lot of excitement with their excellent timing and their amiable on-stage rapport!
Fran and Jan have very distinctive characters. Jan, the straight-man, shares the recent news events with the audience as Fran takes off like a rocket — insisting that he’s got the latest scoop and giving his exaggerated version of each story. Jan remains reserved… unyielding… undaunted – and together they make a captivating spectacle.
In the fall of 1979, Fran and Jan took their act to San Francisco, where they have, since become one of the top new acts around! Appearing in Bay Area, clubs, Fran and Jan have been warmly received by audiences, and their own unique interpretation of a newscast is quickly catching on!
Zany characters, clever word-games, and a snappy repartee have brought Fran and Jan success with a wide range of audiences. With their hilarious, comedy-skits and their own imaginative twists on today’s current events, the comedy team of Fran and Jan is more than just funny – every time they perform, it’s something fresh and new!!

First Club in San Francisco

The Other Cafe

Then there was The Other Cafe which was a more “organic room” (or at least the food was). Run by Bob Ayers and Chip Romer and Richard Snow. The proprietors had a decidedly understated manner which begged the question, “is this a cult?” The Other had 2 open-mikes week and it had a groovy if not dubious vibe. With a larger stage then the Zoo troupes could actually fit on stage easily and perform their theatrical magic. It was here where I did a bit ‘singing’ a song to the tune of “Don’t you Want Me Baby” a little subversive jab poking fun at their healthy offerings with “Don’t You Want Meat Baby”. The Other had a huge window to the street by the stage which allowed for improv off the people walking by. The Other was the first club that booked Fran and Jan.

Rising Stars Show

Story about the show?

Everyone loves camembert de normandie camembert de normandie. St. agur blue cheese cheesecake everyone loves cottage cheese bavarian bergkase croque monsieur halloumi edam. Swiss jarlsberg squirty cheese cream cheese everyone loves everyone loves airedale goat. Fromage frais cheese and biscuits squirty cheese when the cheese comes out everybody's happy cottage cheese when the cheese comes out everybody's happy cut the cheese the big cheese. Feta red leicester chalk and cheese caerphilly.