When he’s out on tour, comedian Sheng Wang can usually be found in perhaps one of the strangest places for a standup comic: the nearby botanical gardens.
Not one for the bar or party scene at this stage in his career, Wang enjoys his life on the road most by connecting with nature.
“I enjoy just the infinite diversity and beauty of plants,” Wang told Revue. “I find that to be very relaxing, and inspiring, and grounding. It brings me to the present when I just stop and lean in to look at the details on a flower or a leaf.”
That sort of meditative philosophy and intense attention to detail spills over into Wang’s signature brand of comedy. A mix of universal observational humor, and ultra-laidback slacker charm, he has long gotten compared to one of his idols – the legendary Mitch Hedberg – while finding his own voice.
“My kind of humor, my approach to life, and my approach to my stand up, essentially, it’s kindness and joy,” Wang said. “So that means being present, paying attention, finding all the little joys that are everywhere. I mean, there’s disasters. It’s chaos right now. Especially in the news and everything. It’s just crazy out there. But there is so much good and beauty and joy that we just overlook, because it’s everywhere, and it’s so small. We’re too immersed in it to see it sometimes.”
After over 20 years of grinding it out in comedy clubs across the country, Wang said that things in his career are naturally falling into place now. Most recently he broke out with the success of his first-ever Netflix special, 2022’s “Sweet and Juicy.” The one-hour special, directed and produced by his longtime friend and superstar comedian Ali Wong elevated Wang to bigger and bigger audiences, all while embracing simplicity and civility.
“I’m more of a people pleaser,” Wang said about doing standup in an age of social media polarization. “I’m not a big trash talker. And I don’t like punching, especially punching down. I prefer sharing things that might bring a little delight rather than aggression and violence and conflict. I’d rather delight people.”
Although not a conventional “clean” comedian per se, Wang delights when audiences of all ages come out to his shows now, and is still surprised by how wide a range of fans he has for his comedy.
“I love seeing intergenerational people and families at the shows,” Weng said. “Especially being a child of immigrants, it was sort of hard for us to find things to spend time together… I just find that to be really meaningful. I never thought how much it would mean to me, but it really brings a smile to my face when I see families come together at the shows.”
Wang’s parents came to America from Taiwan, and ultimately settled in the Houston area, where he spent most of his time growing up. The culture clash of East Asia and Texas doesn’t come out directly in his comedy, but the experience definitely shaped the balance to his style of humor.
“I feel like I had a really chill upbringing,” Wang said. “But I think there is something about being an immigrant or being an ‘other’ in your youth. Growing up like that, you just develop a high awareness of people and dynamics. You pay attention to what is the vibe in the room. Whenever we go out somewhere, you pay attention to who’s looking at whom, and what’s the energy… I feel like immigrant kids, they just have a superpower to have that sensitivity and that awareness. But it’s also a bit of a rougher way to grow up, to be constantly considering these things.”
Wang often jokes in his act about how his parents escaped impossible odds, and endured so much all for their son to be a comedian. But all jokes aside, Wang says his long road to success has come with the support of his family, who aren’t stereotypical parents pushing their kids into something practical.
“They’re very mellow in many respects,” he said. “They just have this really simple idea of, like, as long as you’re happy, you know? I’m sure the big concern the whole time was whether or not I’d be financially stable. But they never wanted to dictate the major choices in my life. Partly because they don’t want to be responsible if I’m unhappy about it… and I think now, looking back over 20 years, there was an upward trend. It definitely wasn’t as quick as some comedians, and maybe that’s a good thing. But as long as, looking back, the overall trend is an upward movement, an upward trend, then I think you’re OK. And then it all kind of blew up a little bit after that first Netflix special.”
Now based in Los Angeles, Wang also worked as a staff writer of the ABC sitcom, “Fresh Off The Boat,” from 2015-2018. Currently, he’s not actively looking to get back into working in TV, but he remains open to any new opportunities that might come his way.
Right now his focus is on stand up, and his all new theater tour, although he said he may begin working more on a nature-oriented slideshow comedy project, tying back into his time at all those botanical gardens.
“I’m actually connecting with them on social media, and on visits, and I don’t know where it’s all going to go, but I think it’s just a natural interest and passion,” Wang said. “I think eventually there will be some sort of possible creative convergence between my jokes, and my performances, and my love for plants.”
Sheng Wang
GLC Live at 20 Monroe, 11 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids
April 25, 6 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show, $53+
Glcliveat20monroe.com, shengwangtime.com
