Latino Laughter

Llegamos Live is the premiere English language, Latin themed comedy show performing on a national stage. “We are a talk/variety show with a kick. We are innovative ideas, hilarious sketch comedy, and musical guests. Llegamos Live will change the face of comedy.” (Creator, Producer, Director George Diaz). First hitting the airwaves in September of 2004, the show quickly got a buzz with its bombastic style of quick wit comedy and All Star guests. Now well established in the consciousness of the Tri-state area’s Latino population, Llegamos Live is taking it show to the next level by joining the team at The World Famous LAUGH FACTORY.

Llegamos Live celebrates the hard work and contributions Latinos have made to this country. We celebrate our culture by highlighting positive, successful Latinos from all descents, create an environment where people are free to express themselves and provide a forum for laughter. However, don’t’ be confused- Llegamos Live is ‘take no prisoners’ comedy, where nothing is out of bounds. Simply put, we are the funniest show to be found. Anywhere. Llegamos Live- It’s not just a Show, It’s a Party!

GERORGE DIAZ

George Diaz is a man who wasn’t supposed to have been born. Raised by a woman with more smarts, drive and dedication than most heads of state, George inherited his mothers indomitable will to succeed- and her vicious sense of humor. Despite a childhood seated in the toughest of circumstances and amongst the toughest people, George always managed to rise above the streets- usually by standing on the backs of his doubters and those who sought to hold him back. Street savvy, but with a overarching sense of fairness and justice, George always preferred to cut his victims with his ferocious wit, rather than with a knife.
As a young comedian working his way through the ranks, George found difficulty finding stage time in comedy clubs due to their lack of faith in the buying power of the Latino community, and in the drawing power of Latino comedians. With no inspiration save for his own imagination George birthed his brainchild into the world in 1992- Latino Laughter.
As founder of Latino Laughter, Llegamos Live and Llegamos Radio, George has worked with many of today’s Latin luminaries in the entertainment industry. Through the years, he has collaborated with Daddy Yankee, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Frankie Negron, Brenda K. Starr, Ulysses, Terrero, Paul Rodriguez, and Dave Chappelle. As producer of Llegamos Live, George has launched the careers of many of his former and current “Llegamos Players”, but he is humble enough to only remind them of this fact daily, George Diaz is firmly committed to making the world a better place- for Latinos. Oh, and non-Latinos as well.

VICTOR CRUZ
Victor Cruz, born in Portsmouth, Virginia and raised in the heart of the South Bronx. At age sixteen he performed stand-up comedy for the first time at The Boston Comedy Club in downtown Manhattan in NYC. Victor has performed stand-up comedy in many venues throughout New York City such as Caroline’s and The Comic Strip Live! He went on to perfect his craft as an actor in The Acting Conservatory at SUNY Purchase College. While there he played such roles as Lavrentu in the Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht and Dromio of Ephesus in The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare. The day before graduation from SUNY Purchase, Victor landed his first TV role on HBO’s hottest show The Sopranos. From there he flew out to LA to do a taping of SiTV’s The Latino Laugh Festival. Victor’s TV and FILM credits include THE SOPRANOS, LAW & ORDER (as the role of Giberto), LAW & ORDER: TRIAL BY JURY (as a Grand Juror), LAW & ORDER: Criminal Intent (as Officer Vasquez), and plays the role of Victor Camacho in the INSIDE MAN directed by SPIKE LEE.

JEN PINTO

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Jenn Pinto by age 7 would answer; “I’m going to be famous”. This Puerto Rican/ Ecuadorian beauty born and raised in East New York, Brooklyn at such a young age knew she was destined to be a star. She began dancing by age 7, studying ballet and jazz. By age ten she got her first acting job by starring as an Angel in the Broadway Show “A Christmas Carol” at the paramount in Madison Square Garden which led her to land a role in the famous kids show “Sesame Street”. By age 13 Jenn landed a featured guest spot on Bill Maher’s “Politically Incorrect”. Unfortunately, after a couple of years, financial hardships made it hard for her to continue studying dance and acting.

In 2002 she attended an MTV casting for the reality show “FEAR” Jenn Pinto beat out thousands of hopefuls and was chosen as one of the five cast members on the show. In 2003 when she got her first movie role in the Independent feature film “What Goes Around” produced by executive producer of Def Poetry Jam, Deborah Pointer. “What Goes Around” won the Best Urban Feature Award in the NY International Film Festival in November 2004. The following year she was cast in the comedy LTV show “Llegamos”. She then went on to star as the lead actress in the Independent Feature film “Smoke and Mirrors” directed by Raul Maldonado. She went on to co-host the Top 25 BET countdown along-side Ja Rule and a few video vixens. With that success, it was only a matter of time before she landed as a VJ for music video show UTV on the WB in Tucson, AZ.
Her latest project was a short film written by “Smoke and Mirrors”
Director Raul Maldonado” entitled “From Blade to Bone (The Cutter)
which was accepted into the NY International Film Festival and
screened in May 06. She is back with the “Llegamos” cast as a comedic actress performing LIVE at infamous comedy clubs in NYC which has allowed her to grace television channels such as Telemundo and Univision as well as NYC’s hottest reggaeton radio station La Kalle 105.9/92.7.

RALPH FILLION
Ralph Fillion has been developing his unique comedic personalities in New York’s top comedic nightspots like The Laugh Factory, The Improv, and The New York Comedy Club. His three years on the comic circuit have prepped him perfectly for his hosting and guesting duties on LLEGAMOS Radio.

IMAGINE
“I was born on December 19, 19-something in the Bronx- Fordham Hospital. Raised by my mother and grandmother. Punished by my grandfather. Scolded by my uncles and spoiled by my aunts. But loved by all of them. I was inspired by my mother and grandmother. I have 14 years on stage and all my life making people laugh. I love to impersonate life and its realness. (ups and downs) My stage name is Imagine. I decided to use Imagine because of my comedy style. In comedy I like to bring out different characters, be it celebrities or just everyday people. My transformation from one character to another has been said to be one of the best in the underground circuit. I have performed in many places such as Madison Square Garden Players Club, The Laugh Factory, Boston Comedy Club, The Improv, Stand Up New York, BBQ’s, Carolines, Xbar and many local clubs in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. I’ve also performed in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. I have opened for and performed along side many great comics such as Chris Rock and Tracey Morgan.

KENNY ORTEGA
Born and raised in New York’s Spanish Harlem Kenny Ortega has been doing comedy since the year 2000. Kenny has performed in some of New York’s premier comedy clubs such as Carolines, Stand up NY, Comic strip live, The laugh factory (NY & LA) and The Improv (NY & LA) to name a few. Kenny has also worked along side some of the greats in the biz like Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock and Carlos Mencia. Kenny enjoys make people laugh while on stage or just having a conversation. He gets his humor from his mom, but don’t tell her…lol.

My name is Jesus Acevedo Jr. and I was born in Brooklyn, NY on July 18, 1973. I was raised in the Soundview section of the South Bronx where due to my feeble presence and a preoccupation with my surroundings (‘I was nosey’), I was repeatedly beaten by the local thugs. I later realized I had a knack for making even the most violent, disturbed individuals laugh at my pain which made it difficult for them to chase me. You might say I developed a style of humor called, “comedy on the run.” This led to private gigs for my grandmother and parents where I also employed my younger brothers and set up live shows about our dysfunctional family. Later in life I met George Diaz at a comedy club in NYC and auditioned for his brain child, LLEGAMOS LIVE!. The rest as they say is history in the making.